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Wolves are reportedly eyeing up moves for Matheus Luiz Nunes and Joao Palhinha, amid doubts surrounding the futures of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho.

The Lowdown: Influential pair could leave

Many Wanderers players have impressed throughout what has been a positive season, with Neves and Moutinho undoubtedly two of the key figures.

The Portuguese duo have been superb in the middle of the park, often dovetailing beautifully and starting 53 Premier League matches between them.

It could be that both move on this summer however with Neves linked with an exit and Moutinho’s contract ticking down, which would of course leave a gaping void in Wolves’ midfield.

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The Latest: Ornstein makes key claim

According to The Athletic‘s ever-reliable David Ornstein, Sporting CP duo Nunes and Palhinha are being looked at as possible replacements to Neves and Moutinho, with the pair valued at £50.4million combined by Transfermarkt.

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The Verdict: Key summer at Molineux

Losing both Neves and Moutinho would be a bitter pill to swallow for Wolves, but sadly, it does feel increasingly as though that could be the case.

Bruno Lage would then face the unenviable task of plugging the gap this summer, with those brought in simply having to provide a similarly positive influence for the manager’s success to continue.

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Nunes and Palhinha could be those figures, with the pair both still young 23 and 26, respectively, and their Portuguese roots meaning they could fit in seamlessly at Molineux.

Palhinha has shone in a No.6 role for Sporting this season, averaging an 86.5% pass completion rate, while Nunes is more attack-minded, averaging 3.3 dribbles per game in the Champions League.

In other news, Wolves are reportedly ‘planning for life’ without one player. Find out who it is here.

The board at Everton are now getting worried over the possible punishments they could face at the hands of the Premier League due to their devastating financial losses.

The Lowdown: Everton’s financial losses

Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri bought the Merseyside club in 2016 for a stunning £200 million.

Ever since, Everton have posted losses in all but one of the years with the Iranian businessman in charge. In the last three financial years, the Toffees have posted a combined loss of £265 million.

The £140 million loss in 2018/19 and the £112 million in 2019/20 both rank in the seven largest losses recorded by an English club.

The Latest: Everton board panicking

Whilst the Merseyside club have told the media that they will be able to demonstrate to the Premier League that they have worked within the profit and sustainability limits, fresh news has emerged, throwing this confidence in the air.

Football Insider has reported that the Everton board are now “frightened to death” of being “severely” punished by the Premier League, as a result of their huge financial losses.

An Everton source informed FI that there is a “big panic” amongst senior officials at the club, as they are worried the league could make an example of them by imposing strong sanctions, including the likes of transfer bans.

This would derive as a result of a combination of their losses and their involvement with Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, who is a close ally of Moshiri’s.

Usmanov was sanctioned by the UK government a fortnight ago.

The Verdict: Should be worried

A number of football finance experts have claimed that the Toffees are very close to breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.

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The club have placed the blame on large Covid-related losses and the fact that they are currently building their new stadium Bramley-Moore Dock, which has incurred significant costs.

However, if the league do not find these reasons accurate and therefore acceptable, Everton could be in serious trouble.

In other news: Everton: Frank Lampard shares Andros Townsend injury update

West Ham United have been dealt yet another injury setback ahead of their upcoming Europa League fixture.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, who revealed on a recent episode of The West Ham Way podcast that Declan Rice is a doubt for the Europa League round of 16 clash against Sevilla on Thursday, as the midfielder has a virus.

Speaking about the current condition of the 23-year-old, the West Ham insider said: “Declan has some kind of virus which needs to be monitored. Apparently, he’s still not feeling great today [Monday], which is not good news.

“It’s not [the ongoing viral pandemic]. They’ve done a number of tests, and it’s been proven it’s not [related to the pandemic].

“I think it’s more like a chest infection with virus symptoms. Obviously, you can’t really play through that. You know what it’s like when you’ve got a real bad temperature and you just feel so run down and lethargic – there is no way you can play 90 minutes feeling like that.

“So, we’ve just got to hope that he miraculously recovers by Thursday because I think, at the moment, it’s going to be touch and go whether he’s going to be fit enough.”

Moyes will be devastated

Considering the fact that Jarrod Bowen looks as if he will be unavailable for selection for the trip to Sevilla after picking up an injury in the 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday, the news that Rice could also be set to sit out the round of 16 first leg tie is sure to have left David Moyes devastated.

Indeed, over his 26 Premier League appearances so far this season, the £75m-rated England international has been in imperious form for the Hammers, scoring one goal, registering four assists and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.8 key passes and taking 0.7 shots per game.

The £62k-per-week defensive midfielder has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.7 interceptions, 2.4 tackles, 51.9 passes, 71.2 touches and winning 5.4 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per fixture.

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These returns have seen the 23-year-old average a quite extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.20, not only ranking him as West Ham’s best performer in the league but also as the joint 25th-best player in the top flight as a whole.

As such, it is clear for all to see that being without the services of Rice, in addition to not being able to call upon Bowen, against Sevilla will come as a huge blow to the Hammers’ chances of securing a positive result at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium on Thursday – as well as being a situation that is sure to have left Moyes and West Ham supporters alike gutted.

In other news: Major blow: WHU dealt fresh injury setback ahead of Sevilla, Hammers will be seething

Manchester United have been taking the opportunity to step up their pursuit for their next manager during the international break, with Mauricio Pochettino and Erik Ten Hag the two standout favourites for the position, although another name has been thrown into the ring for the job.

What’s the word?

Speaking on talkSPORT yesterday afternoon, former England striker Darren Bent has given his opinion on who United should be targeting for the challenging job at Old Trafford, with Roberto Mancini named by the ex-Tottenham marksman.

Bent told listeners of the Italian: “He is a winner. He is someone who has won the Premier League, so he has the experience.”

“I think he is better than Ten Hag, and certainly Mauricio Pochettino. He has proved he can do it in this country; I think that is vital. He has got the Premier League experience – I know he ended up leaving, but then he won a massive trophy with Italy in the Euros, so you cannot question his pedigree in winning things.”

Ten Hag alternative

Despite his allegiances to Manchester City, and his infamous spoiling of a seemingly nailed-on Premier League title win for United as Sergio Aguero scored in the 94th minute on the final day against QPR to steal the crown in 2012, duly leaving Sir Alex Ferguson furious, there seems little doubt that Mancini would improve the current situation at Old Trafford.

The Italy coach took his nation to victory against England in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley but has since crashed out of the World Cup in the qualifiers and will not attend the finals in Qatar this winter after the shock defeat to North Macedonia on Thursday night. With that in mind, it could be the ideal time for the 57-year-old to move on and seek a new challenge back in club football.

Given Mancini’s spell at the Etihad Stadium, it could split United supporters and would likely be a controversial appointment. However, with his winning mentality and ability to inspire victory by winning 14 trophies in his managerial career so far – including a Premier League title, FA Cup and two Serie A titles – he is not an option at whom United should be turning up their noses.

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With a decision expected to be made soon, the powerbrokers at Old Trafford must make a decision which will take the club back to the heights of winning trophies and competing in the Champions League regularly amid the longest trophy drought at the club in 40 years, and there is no doubt that Mancini has the CV and experience to get United back on their perch.

In other news: Man Utd suffer major Ten Hag setback which will have supporters worried

Patrick Vieira’s first season at Crystal Palace has been an encouraging one, which has seen the likes of loanee Conor Gallagher, homegrown star Tyrick Mitchell and summer-signing Marc Guehi develop into England senior squad members – having all received call-ups this international break.

With the likes of Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and Tayo Adaramola on the verge of a first-team breakthrough after showing impressive development at U23 level, the French manager could maintain his reputation for developing youth through next campaign too.

However, without European football, developing youth often comes with a cost – top teams with continental reputation circling around their talent – and this summer could spell disaster if Chelsea re-sign former prospect Guehi.

What’s the news?

According to The Daily Express, Chelsea have a ‘hidden clause’ to re-sign the Ivory Coast-born centre-back this summer, and will be allowed to match any bid that comes in which is accepted.

With Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger all currently set to see their contracts expire with the current Champions League holders, it would make sense for them to go back in for their youth academy graduate, who has become a Premier League level defender across London with Palace.

A monumental loss for Vieira

Former England U21 teammate Joe Bursik and current teammate Gallagher heaped praise on the centre-back a year ago, describing him as “an absolute tank” who is “like having a brick wall in front of you, he’s massive.”

Guehi has certainly backed that up this season in the Premier League, averaging a 7.02 match rating according to SofaScore, The second highest out of the entire Palace team – with just Gallagher averaging higher with a match rating of 7.24.

James Tomkins and Joachim Andersen are the next best performing centre-backs at the South-London club, but neither of them have been able to replicate the England international’s form this campaign, and Vieira will be desperate to centre his backline around him for the foreseeable future.

Guehi, now rated at £27m by Transfermarkt, has become one of the world’s most exciting young talents, ranking among central defenders across Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions in the top 2% for least times dribbled past per 90 (0.18), top 5% for least fouls committed per 90 (0.50), and top 16% for successful pressure percentage per 90 (40.1%).

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It wouldn’t come as a surprise to Palace fans to find out one of their club’s most prized possessions is already the subject of transfer gossip – but Vieira will surely pull out all the stops in order to convince their star defender to stay at the club for the foreseeable.

However, if he does walk away after just a year, it will no doubt represent a huge summer disaster; he is far too important to the Eagles.

In other news: “There is a feeling..” – CPFC dealt big injury setback that will leave Vieira worried

Wolves are set for a busy summer transfer window at the end of this season, with the likes of Ruben Neves, Max Kilman and Morgan Gibbs-White being linked with moves away from the club, while Joao Moutinho, Fernando Marcal and Romain Saiss currently will be leaving the club for free – unless new contract extensions can be agreed.

Another name now linked with an exit is versatile midfielder Leander Dendoncker, who has previously been described as “undroppable” by Dave Edwards despite never really nailing down one specific position as his own during his time at the club.

What’s the news?

In a report published by the Daily Mail, they claimed that Wolves “may listen to offers” for the Belgium international, who can fill in either at midfield or in defence.

Valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, any potential fee would likely be of a good value to the club, but his adaptability and versatility could be invaluable, with not too many players in world football right now being able to competently fill in those positions as well as Dendoncker.

Important squad player for Lage

Manager Bruno Lage has used the 26-year-old regularly this season, with him making 23 appearances in the Premier League, scoring one and assisting two on his way to earning an average match rating of 6.79 – which while may seem underwhelming, a number of his poorer games in terms of match rating have come from off the bench.

He’s a player that at club and country level can be counted on to add a bit more stability and control in the midfield – but may not catch the eye as much as the likes of Moutinho and Neves.

However, if Wolves get European football next season, players like Dendoncker should be kept around even if they aren’t going to be regular starters, as he in particular provides excellent squad depth in a number of areas.

Completing on average 86% of his passes in the Premier League, as well as making over one tackle, over one clearance and no errors leading to goals, he has shown that while at times he can be frustrating to watch, he is still a valuable asset at Molineux, and will be difficult to replace should he leave at the end of the season.

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With that in mind, letting a player leave what is already a small squad would be somewhat of a blunder from Lage and co.

In other news: Lage must unleash “phenomenal” £19.8m-rated Wolves ace who was a “baffling” signing

With Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side heading into Thursday evening’s Europa Conference League clash knowing they require something of a miracle to secure passage through to the next round of the competition, the 56-year-old Bhoys boss will undoubtedly be thinking up tactics that will provide his side with marginal gains over Bodo/Glimt at the Aspmyra Stadion.

Indeed, having been on the receiving end of a heavy 3-1 defeat in the first leg of the tie, the Hoops must defeat the Norwegian champions by two clear goals in order to take the game to extra-time, or three clear goals to see them through.

As such, the Greek-Australian coach simply must get his team selection absolutely spot on against Kjetil Knutsen’s impressive outfit if Celtic are to have any chance of qualifying for the next round of the tournament – with it appearing highly advisable for Postecoglou to make a change at left-back.

Postecoglou must unleash Taylor

While it is true that Greg Taylor endured a torrid evening up against Ola Solbakken, Hugo Vetlesen and Alfons Sampsted in the first leg of the tie – with the Scotland international earning an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.3 for his display – it would nevertheless appear a smart move to reintroduce the left-footer against Bodo/Glimt this evening.

Indeed, while Josip Juranovic is undoubtedly a fantastically talented player, who is more than capable of operating on the left of a back four, the fact that the Croatia international – who started at left-back in the 3-2 win over Dundee last weekend – is right-footed immediately makes Celtic more narrow, something that could well cause a problem against a side who set up in a 4-3-3 formation.

Indeed, with the middle of the park likely to be an extremely congested area of the pitch on Thursday, especially as Bodo/Glimt are an extremely efficient pressing side – as evidenced by their performance at Parkhead – playing a right-footer at left-back could quite easily play into the Norweigan’s hands.

Meanwhile, by starting the £8.2k-per-week left-footed Taylor, the 24-year-old would naturally look to progress the ball further up the pitch as soon as he receives it, in addition to generally providing Celtic with greater width when flooding forwards – something the Bhoys will undoubtedly need to do as often as possible if they are to have any hope of victory.

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As such, it would appear highly advisable for the 56-year-old to unleash the Scotland international who James McFadden dubbed a “brilliant” player who offers “so much more” down the left for Celtic against Bodo/Glimt, as he could well be the marginal gain Postecoglou is looking for.

In other news: Postecoglou could unearth Celtic’s next Dembele by unleashing 17 y/o “wonderkid”

Sam Johnstone, Conor Townsend and Callum Robinson all struggled in West Brom’s disappointing 2-0 defeat at home to Swansea City.

The Baggies were desperately looking for a victory at The Hawthorns on Monday night as they aimed to keep their increasingly slim Championship promotion hopes alive. Instead, Steve Bruce’s side endured yet another bad day at the office, losing 2-0 to the Swans amid much dissatisfaction from the home supporters.

According to Sofascore, three West Brom players stood out as the poorest performers on the night, among those to have played more than 45 minutes.

Sam Johnstone – 6.4

Johnstone could leave The Hawthorns for a Premier League club at the end of the season but this was not the most impressive showing from him.

The Englishman should have done better for Joel Piroe’s goal in the second half and his distribution was erratic, with nine of his long balls misplaced overall. Johnstone also only completed 72% of his passes on the night and lost the ball nine times.

Conor Townsend – 6.4

Townsend was another man who was below-par for the Baggies on a poor night for the left-back.

He lost possession 10 times and failed to make a single tackle or interception, as the Swans got the better of West Brom’s back-line. Also, both of Townsend’s attempted crosses were inaccurate, while he was beaten in three duels.

Callum Robinson – 6.4

Robinson was another underwhelming for Bruce’s side, failing to bring an attacking spark throughout the match.

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The 27-year-old didn’t manage a shot on target during the game and he also only won four out of 12 duels against the Swans. Robinson was wasteful in possession, too, losing the ball 14 times.

All in all, a difficult night for him and West Brom as a whole.

Southampton could find themselves in the hat for the FA Cup quarter-final draw tomorrow, should they overcome the challenge that sits before them tonight, in the shape of high-flying Champions League-hopefuls West Ham.

The mood around the St Mary’s Stadium is one of excitement, with Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl guiding the club into the top half of the Premier League table, following a string of impressive performances.

With just three players confirmed as injured and unavailable, the Austrian manager hasn’t given too much away in terms of which players will be given the nod to start the game.

“Everybody [who is fit] is in contention and everyone has the chance to play tomorrow,” said Hasenhuttl at his pre-match press conference. “I have not decided yet 100 per cent what we are doing tomorrow.

“We have another session before where we can try a few things and we will see who gets the chance to play.”

With all of that in mind, here’s how we think the Saints will line up tonight against the Hammers, with four changes expected from the team which started against Norwich last Friday.

After being the highest-rated performer according to SofaScore in Southampton’s 2-1 victory against Coventry in the FA Cup fourth round, we expect 40-year-old Willy Caballero to return between the sticks tonight, in place of £72k-per-week earner Fraser Forster.

Meanwhile, in defence, Tino Livramento – who has just come back from injury, may give way for Frenchman Romain Perraud, with Kyle Walker-Peters returning to right-back.

In midfield, we expect Mohamed Elyounoussi to be replaced by £10m signing Nathan Redmond, who has returned from injury after a month out, while 22-year-old Ibrahima Diallo could give Oriol Romeu a much-deserved rest.

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Up top, Adam Armstrong is our pick to come in to replace Che Adams, who has played a lot of football recently.

Meanwhile, Armando Broja retains his place due to his recent form making him virtually undroppable in our opinion.

In other news: Forget Tino: Southampton gem with “super football intelligence” is their breakout star – opinion

Manchester United are set to pursue a move for a new midfielder in the next couple of transfer windows. There are a few names on their list, but two who keep cropping up as real options are England duo Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson.

Neither of the two players would come cheap for the Red Devils. Both of their respective clubs, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, could ask for as much as £100m for each of the midfielders. Given the fact that the England star would perhaps be considered their club’s prize asset, it is no surprise they want so much money.

Aside from the price, it is easy to see why United want to sign one, or both, of the midfielders.

What Wharton and Anderson could bring to United

Someone who knows a thing or two about what makes a good United midfielder is Paul Scholes. Well, the legendary Red Devils midfielder said it’s “close” between the pair of them, suggesting there is not much difference in terms of quality.

However, they do have slightly different skill sets. The Palace number 20 is a master on the ball, excelling at turning out of tight spaces. He also averages 5.81 progressive passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season.

Whilst he is very much a controller in the midfield, Scholes asked if he, “can he get around the pitch?” That implies there might be a lack of physicality to Wharton’s game. Anderson is more athletic and physical, perhaps highlighted best in the 8.25 ball recoveries per game he makes, placing him in the top 1% of Premier League midfielders.

However, the Forest star offers plenty of quality in possession, too. This term, he is playing 8.31 progressive passes each game, and assists like this for Chris Wood at the start of the season show the quality he has.

Ultimately, the England duo are both excellent players. Yet, United might be able to save themselves a lot of money by unleashing an in-house star.

United’s in-house version of Wharton and Anderson

It is quite frustrating for United fans that homegrown superstar Kobbie Mainoo has simply not gotten the game time he should have this season. The 20-year-old has only featured for 212 minutes in the Premier League.

It has got to the point where there are reports of a departure from Old Trafford. Mainoo is wanted by several clubs on a loan deal, and reports in Spain recently suggested that Real Madrid could pay £79m to bring him to the Bernabeu.

Rather than making such a rash decision and selling such a prized academy graduate, perhaps United should utilise Mainoo instead. It was not for nothing that his England teammate Declan Rice said the Three Lions players love the fact “he has that leadership and the way he takes the ball and is comfortable.”

Described as a midfield “maestro” by Statman Dave, Mainoo possesses a lot of desirable qualities for a modern midfielder in an elite team. A brilliant ball-carrier, his 1.25 successful take-ons per 90 minutes over the last year place him in the top 8% of midfielders in Europe.

Mainoo’s key stats in last 365 days

Stat (per 90)

Number

Percentile

Key passes

1.4

80th

Tackles

2.5

77th

Take-ons completed

1.25

92nd

Progressive carries

1.99

84th

Stats from FBref

It is easy to see how Mainoo is a bit of a hybrid of Wharton and Anderson. As Rice pointed out, he is incredibly comfortable on the ball. The United number 37 is a progressive player who excels in small spaces and can create in the final third, whilst also being an efficient ball-winner.

Another ex-United midfielder, Nicky Butt, said the Red Devils would “go and buy” Mainoo if he played for a club such as Palace. It is ironic, then, that United might cash in on him, only to go and sign Wharton or Anderson to replace the academy graduate.

Rather than going all in for one of those midfielders, perhaps manager Ruben Amorim should trust the 20-year-old and give him an extended run in the side, something all United fans want to see.

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