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The transfer window is now just a matter of weeks away, and for Wolves, completing business in one specific area will be of utmost importance.

After hitting a sticking point, spending in a position lacking depth simply has to happen.

What’s the word?

Wolves sensationally beat Arsenal a few weeks ago but they have now suffered back to back defeats, failing to score in the process.

They were battered 4-0 by Liverpool and then somehow failed to beat Aston Villa despite a succession of goal scoring opportunities.

Nuno Santo’s men eventually lost 1-0 and it’s clear to see why they’re struggling – they have no Raul Jimenez. The Mexican suffered a fractured skull at the Emirates and thus, Wolves are having to rely on club-record signing Fabio Silva.

That shouldn’t be a bad thing but he’s just 18 years of age so it’s not ideal. Thus, the transfer window could provide the Midlands side with some respite.

The Sun are reporting that one man on their radar for the short-term is former West Brom and Newcastle striker Salomon Rondon.

He is currently plying his trade in China for Dalian Pro and it’s said that they may well consider a deal in January.

Rondon is currently valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt.

Ideal replacement

Of course, Rondon is not a 20-goal striker but that’s not exactly what they require. Instead, they need an experienced centre-forward capable of filling in for Jimenez while he sits on the treatment table.

Silva has yet to show much in his fledgeling Wolves career but given his potential, he will surely come good sooner rather than later.

Therefore, signing someone like Rondon in the meantime would be phenomenal business from Wolves.

The Venezuela striker scored 11 goals for Newcastle in the Premier League during the 2018/19 season and his bullish nature would be perfect for an Old Gold team accustomed to the way Jimenez plays.

Rondon is an aggressive forward capable of unnerving defenders and has even been compared to one of the great strikers we’ve seen on English soil.

Lee Clark once said: “I was fortunate enough to play with Les Ferdinand and Rondon reminds me of him. They’re both swashbuckling centre forwards, who hold the ball up well and provide a focal point for their team-mates.”

That’s exactly what Wolves need and his record in China demonstrates that he’s in form. For Dalian, the 31-year-old has scored nine in 16 outings this season.

This is superb short-term thinking from Nuno and Fosun.

In other news, Wolves’ £60k-p/w dynamo was their ONLY positive against Aston Villa…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former footballer and current pundit Carlton Palmer has been discussing Danny Ings’ future with Southampton.

The striker joined the Saints on a permanent deal from Liverpool in 2019 and has been superb for the Saints ever since, with 39 goals and nine assists to his name in just 78 appearances for the South Coast club.

The 28-year-old striker, who earns £75k per week at Southampton, has enjoyed another superb start to this campaign, after grabbing 22 goals in the top-flight last season, having contributed six goals and three assists in just 10 top-flight appearances, averaging a superb 7.23 rating.

However, there is some concern that the England international could potentially depart Southampton in the near future, with Tottenham Hotspur having been linked with a move for Ings during the summer, whilst his contract with the Saints is set to expire at the end of next season.

Here’s what Palmer had to say about Ings’ future with Southampton when speaking exclusively to Football FanCast…

“If you’re Danny Ings, if you’re the manager and you’re in the top three. Are you going to leave there to go to Leicester [or] Everton? No, because you’re in third position. Unless you’re going to a Man United, and that might be questionable at the moment, but certainly Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, right. Unless those top clubs who you know are regularly going to challenge for major honours, why would you leave?

“With the Premier League the way that it is, and the revenue that comes with the Premier League, I don’t see that there’s going to be an issue for Southampton to pay Danny Ings the wages he would want, or to pay the manager the wages he would want. So, for me, there’s no need to leave.”

Palmer seems confident that Southampton will be able to keep Ings, as he rightly questions why the striker would want to leave when the Saints are performing so well at the moment.

Therefore, unless one of the so-called ‘big four’ come in for Ings in future transfer windows, there seems no reason why he won’t extend his stay with the South Coast club.

And, in other news… Hasenhuttl mistake: Saints should axe Long in favour of academy talent who they can “have a lot of fun with”

When Tottenham agreed a deal with Southampton for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg during the summer transfer window, a lot of Lilywhites fans will have been more than happy to see Kyle Walker-Peters head in the opposite direction.

The youngster, who was a product of Tottenham’s academy, had struggled for regular game time under both Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho, making just 24 first-team appearances for the Lilywhites; in which he contributed one goal and five assists.

He spent the second half of the 2019/20 season on loan with Southampton and after impressing with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, it was clear that the Saints wanted to make his move a permanent one, which worked in Spurs’ favour as it allowed them to complete a deal for Hojbjerg.

Whilst the Danish international has impressed since joining and has been a mainstay in Mourinho’s side, it seems as if the club may be beginning to regret letting Walker-Peters go for £12 million.

The 23-year-old has been in superb form with the Saints this season, averaging an excellent 7.06 rating for his displays in the top-flight, whilst also helping the South Coast club earn eight clean sheets, which is the joint-best record of any team in the division, whilst he has made an impressive 49 tackles this season.

Meanwhile, Spurs’ summer signing of Matt Doherty is not yet bearing the fruit many thought it would, with the Irish international having struggled to cement his place in the Lilywhites’ starting side, whilst his baffling sending off in the final moments of the 3-0 win against Leeds recently will surely have left Mourinho fuming.

Fellow right-back Serge Aurier enjoyed an impressive start to the Premier League season but he has not featured since his dreadful display against Leicester City recently, where he, perhaps, relapsed into his old error-prone self by giving away a needless penalty in the first half.

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Therefore, when you consider how well Walker-Peters is settling in with Southampton, helping transform their defence into one of the best in the Premier League, it could definitely be argued that Daniel Levy and Mourinho made a mistake in letting the £12m man go, especially as Doherty is yet to find his feet in a Spurs shirt.

And, in other news… Mourinho must consider axing THFC flop who causes “major problems” in January

Liverpool continue to be linked with a move for PSG forward Kylian Mbappe and the Frenchman could be the man to take Jurgen Klopp’s side to the next level.

What’s the word?

According to Spanish news publication Sport (via Express) Klopp has been in contact with the 22-year-old in the hopes of convincing him to make the move to Anfield, having dreamed of signing him for a long time now.

The former Monaco man’s contract with PSG is set to expire in the summer of 2022 and if no extension is agreed, Mbappe could well be made available for transfer by Les Parisiens.

The man to evolve Liverpool’s attack?

Liverpool’s attack has won a lot of praise in recent years, with the trio of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino often referred to as the best front three in world football.

The summer arrival of Diogo Jota only improved this attack further, with the Portuguese international starting his Reds career in sensational form before his unfortunate injury.

Firmino is, of course, integral to this Liverpool side and is brilliant at the job he does but it could definitely be argued that Klopp is lacking an out-and-out striker such as Mbappe who can cause problems with his incredible pace.

It did seem as if the Merseyside club were in the market for this sort of forward, as they were heavily linked with Timo Werner before his move to Chelsea, although based on current form they might be glad they avoided him.

However, Mbappe’s superb record with PSG speaks for itself, as in 142 appearances for the club, the £162 million-rated striker has managed 104 goals and 57 assists.

Fellow superstar Neymar was full of praise for the young striker after he scored an incredible four goals in 13 minutes when he was just 19-years-old, saying:

“For me he’s a phenomenon. I hope it will continue like that for several years because football will thank him.”

Certainly, in recent fixtures, Liverpool’s attack has definitely been missing a spark that someone such as Mbappe could provide, as they have managed just one goal against West Brom, Newcastle and Southampton.

Firmino will turn 30 this year and the Reds must start looking to the future, as they did with the signing of Jota, and the French World Cup-winner could prove to be a top player for the Merseyside club for the next decade.

Therefore, sporting director Michael Edwards must do everything he can to bring Mbappe to Anfield, as it’s clear that Klopp is a big fan of the Frenchman, and he could definitely evolve this Liverpool attack.

AND, in other news, Bye-bye Phillips: Edwards can solve LFC crisis with £13.5m “leader” likened to Vidic…

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has been a total revelation at Old Trafford.

The Portuguese magnifico has been one of British football’s best players since joining United from Sporting Lisbon last year and he has already scored 15 goals and supplied 9 assists in all competitions this season.

Fernandes is also the first player to win four Premier League Player of the Month awards in a year.

However, every great player can have a rough day, and Fernandes is no exception, as he endured a game to forget against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

The 26-year-old has been in scintillating form since the start of the season, having bagged eleven goals and seven assists in the Premier League, earning himself a high average SofaScore rating of 7.68 for his performances.

Against the Reds, however, SofaScore graded Fernandes with a low 6.6 rating, which was his second-lowest score this season, which just goes to show he struggled to get a foothold in the game against Liverpool.

The Portugal international failed to make much of an impact, winning just two out of his seven duels in total (28%), emphasising that he offered very little in the final third as he lost the majority of his individual battles in the midfield.

He produced an error-strewn performance against Klopp’s side, as it’s fair to say that Fernandes was utterly wasteful in possession, as he lost control of the ball 19 times and only provided 18 accurate passes from 31 attempts (58%), compared to the 51 passes he managed against Burnley. This is further highlighted by the fact that he made even fewer passes than the defensive-minded Fred (30).

It just simply wasn’t to be his night after he curled a free kick inches wide in the first half as he endured a frustrating game from thereafter.

By comparison, his direct opponent, Thiago Alcantara, enjoyed a more fruitful afternoon, earning himself a high rating of 8.1 for his efforts, the second-highest out of any player on the pitch, which will no doubt have only further worsened his frustrations.

Fernandes looked out of sorts against Liverpool as he struggled to make much of an impression, which may cause Solskjaer a few sleepless nights, as his side missed a real opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the table.

AND in other news, Woodward must sanction Man Utd swoop for West Ham’s Declan Rice…

Sheffield Wednesday defender Matthew Penney dropped a massive clanger in what was a rare start for the Owls on Wednesday night.

The south Yorkshire outfit were defeated on their return to Championship action, also ending an unbeaten run of four league games.

Interim boss Neil Thompson faces a tough task as his side remain some six points from safety and in losing to Coventry City, gave a potential relegation rival some extra leg room at the bottom of the table.

On paper, it was probably one of the strongest line-ups the Owls caretaker could select with Keiren Westwood returning between the sticks, veteran midfielder Sam Hutchinson making his second debut with usual culprits Barry Bannan, Tom Lees and Adam Reach all starting too.

Plenty of stick was given to the Owls’ former captain on social media, one member of the Hillsborough faithful went as far as wanting him gone from the club.

However, he was probably one of the only shining lights of the match, recording a squad-high 7.1 rating per SofaScore.

YorkshireLive’s Dom Howson was particularly glowing about Lees in his post-match ratings, he said:

“Defensively solid. Strong in the air and made a number of important clearances. A no-nonsense performance.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-sheffield-wednesday-news-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=”Read this week’s latest Sheffield Wednesday news, transfer rumours and more…”]

There were plenty of others far more culpable than the 30-year-old.

Indeed, Penney was one of those as he started only his third game of the campaign and first in a flat back-four. And in his poor display, he betrayed the faith given to him by his 57-year-old temporary boss.

The 22-year-old academy product was hugely wasteful, making only 59% of his 27 passes – the worst of any outfield starter from the visiting team, via SofaScore.

He was also careless with the ball, losing possession a whopping 22 times, which was second to central midfielder Barry Bannan but as the set-piece taker, his numbers are hugely unfavourable.

On top of that, Penney – who was shipped out on loan last season – also won only six of 14 duels (42.8%) both on the ground and in the air, and as a result, the opposition capitalised.

The left-back even recorded three fouls and picked up a booking before the 50th minute, just to cap off his nightmare display at St Andrew’s Stadium.

Penney was far worse than Lees and plenty of his other Owls teammates on the night, so Thompson may want to think twice before selecting him again anytime soon.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Palmer drops Sheffield Wednesday manager claim

Speaking exclusively with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United midfielder Rob Lee slammed the club’s “laughable” decision to bar journalists from quizzing Steve Bruce.

The St. James’ Park outfit cut short Bruce’s pre-game press conference ahead of their 2-1 midweek defeat to Leeds United, which saw the Toon endure a sixth loss on the bounce as part of an 11-game winless run across all competitions that came to an end with a 2-0 win at Everton on Saturday.

Reporters were informed there would be no separate section for the written media as normal, with broadcast rights holders – Sky Sports, Premier League Productions, BBC Sport and BBC Look North – the only outlets allowed to ask questions.

The Daily Mail’s football correspondent Craig Hope noted on Twitter that the decision was a shared move by the Newcastle hierarchy and manager, Bruce, who has been faced with increasing calls from supporters to be fired as the Toon creep closer to the relegation zone.

Newcastle have previously barred journalists from asking questions of the club’s manager, after Alan Pardew banned local reporters from quizzing him following a 2-1 defeat at rivals Sunderland in October 2013.

Lee, who played 331 games for the Magpies, believes the issue stems from the top in owner Mike Ashley, and does not expect anything to change until the club is under new ownership.

Asked about the development involving the journalists, Lee told FFC:

“Well, nothing surprises me at Newcastle. It’s farcical now, it’s laughable, and I think even their own fans are laughing at the club.

“It’s happened before. Mike Ashley’s the instigator. People blame Steve Bruce and people want Steve Bruce out, but the bottom line is until Newcastle, until we get a better owner, nothing is going to change.

“I don’t care who they bring in. I don’t care if they bring in the best manager in the world. He is still going to have to work under Mike Ashley. And that’s the problem.”

Newcastle banned journalists of quizzing Pardew in 2013 during an ongoing standoff with local media, after blocking the Journal, Evening Chronicle and Sunday Sun in response to their coverage of protests by supporters against Ashley that saw around 500 fans attend.

The Magpies were said to have been furious with the papers offering publicity to the fan-led movement, and stepped in to prevent questions being directed at Pardew after the former United head coach attended his post-match media duties, which the journalists were not banned from, at the Stadium of Light.

Bruce is now the focus of supporters’ angst following a dire run of form that saw the Magpies eliminated from the Carabao and FA Cups in the space of 18 days, while a ‘Bruce out’ banner was recently unveiled outside St. James’ Park.

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

Everton fans are absolutely livid with John Aldridge after he penned an article effectively blaming the Toffees for Liverpool’s disastrous season.

On Saturday, the Goodison Park outfit recorded their first win at Anfield in 22 years as they ran out 2-0 winners – Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson netted the goals. It wasn’t only an important victory for Everton in terms of beating their fierce city rivals – it also kepts Carlo Ancelotti’s side very much in the race for a Champions League spot.

Aldridge is a Liverpool legend, and he clearly didn’t take the defeat well. Writing for the Sunday World, he blamed Jordan Pickford’s tackle on Virgil van Dijk in the first Merseyside derby of the season for the Reds’ poor run of form this term, while he also suggested Richarlison should have picked up more than a three-game ban for his bad challenge on Thiago in the same match.

The piece was shared on Twitter by @Kevin_1878, and it is fair to say it enraged to Toffees supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the comments from Aldridge below

“Will always be someone else’s fault. Take no ownership or responsibility for anything negative that happens. For all Everton’s issues, they are nothing compared to the victim culture within that club. Really quite pathetic!!”

Credit: @drussell1710

“How is he allowed to get away with this? Absolute disgraceful reporting and whilst we could laugh at his pathetic attempt to justify their loss, he’s also adding fuel to the fire with the idiots that can’t accept any of their players will be injured at some point. Worst losers”

Credit: @Missy_Ports

“Talk about bitter, magnificent”

Credit: @GraemMcV

“This is absolutely outrageous ‘journalism’ and I think most Kopites would find this embarrassing themselves”

Credit: @AnnaHam58112376

“Terrible article. Liverpool have been on the slide since we resumed last season. They lost 7-2 with VVD in the team”

Credit: @RichieJones10

“His tears quench my thirst”

Credit: @Trev_EFC1878

In other news, Everton fans slam interest in this youngster.

West Brom’s plight in the Premier League isn’t getting any easier, and it will take an awful lot for Sam Allardyce to find the answer to stopping Manchester United and their enigmatic playmaker Bruno Fernandes.

Although the 66-year-old may have one ace up his sleeve in the form of winter signing Okay Yoksulu, who arrived for the remainder of the season on loan from La Liga outfit Celta Vigo.

After a cameo role during the Baggies’ defeat to Spurs last weekend, it’s time for Big Sam to unleash him from the off, now that he’s gotten to train uninterrupted with his new team…

On the Chalkboard

Despite crumbling to yet another defeat in north London, the Turkish international gave a positive debut from the bench. As per SofaScore ratings, he actually graded as West Brom’s best player with a rating of 7.1.

In just 12 minutes of action, Yokuslu recorded three tackles, won 83.3% of his duels and made 75% of his passes – only showing a glimpse of what he has to offer.

Albion sporting and technical director Luke Dowling gave a glowing endorsement of the 26-year-old upon his arrival. He told the official website:

“It is testament to Okay that he has also made the decision to commit himself to that challenge. Okay is a battling midfielder who wears his heart on his sleeve.”

Indeed, we saw that in just a fraction of playing time.

Not since the likes of Claudio Yacob and Youssef Mulumbu have West Brom had a proper industrious warrior at the base of midfield – someone capable of disrupting the opposition and their rhythm.

There will potentially be no bigger test than Fernandes, an absolute creative sensation who has contributed towards a whopping 50 goals in only 56 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

But as Albion’s relegation rivals Sheffield United showed only a few weeks ago, he’s not completely unstoppable, and that’s something Allardyce needs to replicate at the Hawthorns this afternoon if he’s to stand a chance of stopping the Red Devils.

The Blades’ Oliver Norwood put in a performance to stop the Portuguese magician from having any significant influence – he failed to score or provide an assist as Chris Wilder’s men ran out 2-1 victors, and that was thanks to the 29-year-old, who made five tackles and one interception, via SofaScore.

Yokuslu must take up the position as a shield for the backline, the last line of defence.

As per SmarterScout (via The Athletic), the 6 foot 3 beast rates out at 88/99 for ball recoveries and interceptions, which suggests a knack of not only reading the game well but also acting swiftly to benefit his side.

He is not shy to dig deep and battle with the opposition either, grading out at 88/99 for aerial duels too.

By no means will he be a shoo-in to thwart the attacking exploits of United’s key man, but at the very least, he can offer some defensive stability that they have otherwise lacked all season – after all, they have leaked 15 more goals than any other Premier League side as well as across Europe’s elite divisions.

Allardyce must take inspiration from Sheffield United’s win and deploy Yokuslu as a defensive midfielder this afternoon. He could be their biggest game-changer against one of the division’s most lethal players.

AND in other news, West Brom could have another Kevin Phillips right under their nose

Carlo Ancelotti must begin to see more from Beni Baningime during his loan spell with Derby County if the midfielder is to prove that he has a future at Everton next season.

The 22-year-old moved to Pride Park on Deadline Day of the winter transfer window, but has struggled to establish himself under Manchester United and England icon Wayne Rooney.

Baningime has made just one Championship appearance lasting just three minutes with the Rams to date, while he’s been omitted from two of his former Goodison Park teammate’s following five matchday squads.

Baningime had been a fixture of David Unsworth’s Under 23s before leaving Merseyside last month, starting all 13 available PL2 fixtures and captaining the side on six occasions after being omitted from Ancelotti’s initial 25-man Premier League squad.

Ancelotti had named the DR Congo native on the bench for eight top-flight fixtures last term, though the last of Baningime’s 12 senior Blues outings remains a 21-minute cameo beside Rooney away to Swansea City in April 2018.

Rooney’s assistant coach, Liam Rosenior, has now explained why the midfielder has also struggled to get a look in at Derby since joining the Rams in a last-ditch move, while fellow winter arrivals Lee Gregory, George Edmundson, Teden Mengi and Patrick Roberts have featured frequently.

“Beni is another outstanding character,” Rosenior said, via quotes by Derbyshire Live. “All five players we signed in the window fit our culture and what we are trying to build here, which is a team ethic. He gets on great with the players.

“Beni has not played first-team football for quite a while but what he has done, and because we train so intensely, his fitness levels and sharpness have gone through the roof in the time he has been here.

“He is pushing, he is really pushing. He has been outstanding in training, he is pushing the other midfield players and I am sure, sooner rather than later, you will see him maybe come off the bench or even start a game. He is a huge part of our squad, like every member is.”

Ancelotti will have to see Baningime fulfil Rosenior’s expectations in the coming months if the Everton product is to prove that he deserves a future back at Goodison Park next season, as life on the bench is only proving his move to be a disaster so far.

It is not the first time that the DR Congo native has tried his luck at life away from Merseyside and flopped, either, having joined Wigan Athletic for the second-half of their 2018/19 Championship season, where he only featured once.

Like with Derby, his sole outing with the Latics came early into his time at the club – starting and playing the full 90 minutes at the second available chance – but he failed to make another matchday squad whilst the DW Stadium natives narrowly staved off the threat of relegation.

Baningime will now also have just a year remaining on his £8,000-per-week contract when he returns to Everton, so the Blues would have to look to move the academy graduate on if he cannot establish himself at another second-tier outfit, let alone one in the Premier League.

Much was expected of the youngster when he was given a surprise debut in the Carabao Cup away to Chelsea in 2017, with the talented prospect replacing Morgan Schneiderlin due to a late illness and delivering a crunching challenge on Ethan Ampadu to leave his mark.

But years have passed since that cold Autumn night in south west London and Baningime is still waiting to establish himself at Everton. Failing to even get a game at Derby will likely spell the end of his Everton chances

AND in other news, Everton are tracking a prolific 15-goal winger backed to reach another level…