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Grady Diangana has found life tough since making his permanent switch to West Brom this summer.

Indeed, the enigmatic winger has struggled to replicate the lucrative returns that saw him help the Baggies to promotion last season.

On Albion’s way to the Championship runner-up spot, the then on-loan Diangana delivered eight goals and seven assists from just 23 starts, via Transfermarkt.

Everyone at the Hawthorns got a glimpse of what was to come when he bagged himself a brace on debut against Luton Town, so it’s no wonder that sporting and technical director Luke Dowling pulled the trigger on signing him for the long-term.

The 22-year-old cost the Midlands outfit an initial £12m, which could rise to £18m in add-ons, according to the Express & Star.

That sum was a considerable chunk of their summer transfer budget. Karlan Grant cost the exact same fee, but one that is spread out in £2m instalments over six years, whilst they accounted for the permanent £9m addition of Matheus Pereira.

As a result of such an outlay, you’d want a huge bang for your buck – well, Diangana’s just not delivered in the big time.

Despite featuring in 15 of their 17 league outings this term, the 5 foot 11 attacker has contributed just one goal and has certainly struggled to repeat his attacking output from the second-tier.

Per WhoScored, Diangana has regressed from 2.4 dribbles, 1.6 shots and 1.4 key passes per game in 2019/20 to a pathetic 1.5 dribbles, 0.8 shot and 0.3 key passes per match.

This suggests that he’s struggling to combat the rise in quality of opposition as he’s clearly not been able to beat his man with his dribbling ability and as a result, he simply has not bee able to get near the goal to fire off chances.

Once dubbed an “explosive” threat who’s a “total nightmare” to play against by Sky Sports pundits Lee Hendrie and Keith Andrews, the young wide man has been wholly ineffective and is now bordering on becoming one expensive flop.

In some ways, it draws serious comparisons to that of Nacer Chadli, whose spell at the Hawthorns was disastrous – the irony being that he was once voted the ‘Flop of the Year.’

After splashing out a club-record £13m to Premier League rivals Spurs for his signature, the Belgian winger scored only six goals in 38 appearances before being relegated. An all too familiar position to that of Diangana and Albion right now.

The £10.8m-rated former Hammers ace is in grave danger of becoming another Chadli as a rate of two goal contributions in 32 top-flight appearances is currently way worse than even the ex-Baggies disaster achieved.

AND in other news, WBA must OFFLOAD £50k-p/w flop once dubbed a “manager’s dream”…

According to The Athletic, Arsenal transfer target Dominik Szoboszlai’s release clause must be paid in one installment, and that any bids must be lodged by the end of this month.

What’s the story?

One of the hottest properties in European football right now, the RB Salzburg starlet has been in scintillating form for his side this season, bagging eight goals and providing nine assists in just 18 games.

Arsenal’s interest in the Hungary sensation has long been reported, and now The Athletic have offered a huge update on what the future potentially holds.

It’s suggested that there is a stipulation in the attacking midfielder’s release clause that “Szoboszlai must give notice by December 15 of his wish to depart and bids must be lodged by December 31”.

Can be Arteta’s game-changer

After another demoralising defeat in the Premier League at the weekend, this is undoubtedly the lowest moment in Mikel Arteta’s short tenure at Arsenal.

The Spaniard’s successes in winning both the FA Cup and Community Shield just a few months ago have been quickly forgotten, with a 2-0 loss to Spurs on Sunday the latest blow to the club’s hope of bigger and better things.

The Gunners have scored just ten times in their opening 11 Premier League games this season, and they are crying out for someone to bring a bit of creativity and energy to their attack.

And in the £22.5m-rated Szoboszlai, they can find exactly that. The Hungarian, described by his Salzburg manager Jesse Marsch as being the “modern-day David Beckham”, is an incredibly exciting talent.

Capable of unleashing long-range rockets and shining on the biggest stage too – he’s netted twice in the Champions League this season including against Atletico Madrid away from home – Szoboszlai can provide the kind of spark that Arsenal desperately need.

Stan Kroenke must surely open up his cheque-book and give Arteta the player that could hold the key to turning their fortunes this year.

Following the summer signing of Kyle Walker-Peters from Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton right-back Yan Valery has struggled for a spot in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team, and perhaps the South Coast club should consider loaning him out in January.

The French defender is yet to make an appearance for the Saints’ first-team so far this season and has only made the bench on three occasions, as he has been dropped to the U’23s for a few fixtures so far this campaign (per Transfermarkt).

The 21-year-old looked set for a bright future with Southampton after establishing himself in the first-team in the 2018/19 season, when he made 23 appearances in the top-flight, contributing two goals and one assist (per Transfermarkt).

However, he failed to really push on from there, as he made 11 appearances in the top-flight last season, due to the loan arrival of Walker-Peters, as well as him suffering from a virus that kept him out for two months between November and January.

Considering his lack of minutes this season, as well as the form of Walker-Peters, perhaps Hasenhuttl should consider loaning out the 21-year-old in the upcoming January transfer window, to ensure that his progress isn’t stifled too much.

He would surely have plenty of suitors from the top two divisions, having earned plenty of Premier League experience in his career thus far and it would surely benefit both parties if Valery was to get some much-needed first-team football out on loan, rather than just being a back-up with Southampton.

However, this could be a risky decision from the Saints, as Valery and Walker-Peters are the only two senior right-backs in the senior squad, so if the former Spurs man were to suffer an injury, it would mean having to play another player out of position, or trusting someone from the academy, if Valery had already departed on loan.

After he signed a new contract until 2023, Hasenhuttl was full of praise for the defender, saying:

“I am very happy first that he has made good development in the last month.

“He has got a lot of trust from my side and he grabbed the chance with both hands.

“His development was good, so it’s a very important sign for us as a club and for him that he signs a new contract.”

“It depends on his work and his ability, but we see Yan working very hard and working on his deficits he still has in his game.

“But I think he is a perfect example of The Southampton Way that we want to go in.” (per Southampton)

Therefore, the Austrian manager is clearly a big fan of Valery but if he wants to ensure that his progress isn’t stifled, he needs to bite the bullet and send the French U’21 international out on loan.

And, in other news… Southampton sold lazy flop at the perfect time; he’s sat on the bench now

Manchester United have had a terrible start to the season as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side sit in 16th in the Premier League table. But things could get a whole lot worse as a questionable transfer strategy could come back to bite the Red Devils…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, Brandon Williams has been advised to push for a move away from Old Trafford by an unnamed Premier League agent. The England U21 international enjoyed a successful breakthrough season under Solskjaer as he played second fiddle to Luke Shaw, but he has fallen further down the pecking order after the arrival of Alex Telles on deadline day.

Williams signed a new four-year deal with United in August after his performances persuaded the club to cool their interest in Ben Chilwell. The right-footed left-back could be switched to right-back as an understudy to the ever-reliable Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but Solskjaer started Timothy Fosu-Mensah instead in United’s defeat to Crystal Palace.

Southampton made an enquiry over a potential loan deal as Ralph Hasenhuttl wants to strengthen his squad. However, a move never materialised, although the domestic window remains open, with Premier League clubs free to agree terms with lower league sides until October 16th. But they are not allowed to do business with each other.

Shambles?

This could turn out to be a massive mistake from all those involved as the £9.9m-valued 20-year-old is obviously going to find it difficult to break into the starting XI. He hasn’t even been named on the bench for any of the first three Premier League fixtures and has only started two games in the Carabao Cup since the summer so far.

Solskjaer heaped praise on Williams at the start of the year, drawing comparisons between the player and his former teammate Gary Neville. The club legend said: “I think he’s been absolutely outstanding since he came in, every challenge we’ve put in front of him he’s tackled head on.” Similarly, Paul Scholes dubbed him an “excellent” defender.

Well, perhaps Ed Woodward would have been better off sorting out a loan move for Williams instead of chasing after Jadon Sancho like a headless chicken as the 5 ft 6 man will now cost the club more money by barely being involved at all.

Getting him off the books, or at least allowing another club to partially pay his wages, would have reduced their wage bill and may have even helped their hopeless pursuit of Sancho, as the Red Devils refused to meet Borussia Dortmund’s £108m asking price. Williams is understood to have seen his wages skyrocket from £4,000-per-week to a whopping £40,000-a-week, which could rise to £60,000, under the terms of his new deal.

Most importantly, Hasenhuttl has worked his magic with former Spurs defender Kyle Walker-Peters, who is only a couple of years older than the United academy graduate. Whether or not he would have had a similar result with Williams is up for debate, but he has shown he can get the best out of young prospects, and United should have loaned him out to St Mary’s for the rest of the season. EFL clubs can still sign Premier League players, so maybe this saga isn’t over just yet.

AND in other news, Man Utd must replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Mauricio Pochettino if results fail to improve…

New QPR signing Lyndon Dykes has said that his head was not turned by talk of a move to Glasgow Rangers earlier this summer.

The soon-to-be Scotland international made the switch from Livingston to London recently, with the Premiership side receiving £2m for the 24-year-old’s services. Before that transfer, though, Dykes was heavily linked with a move to Ibrox.

Now, the Australian-born striker has been asked whether he was distracted by a move to the Gers – something which he quickly denied. He explained:

“No. There wasn’t any point I was thinking about signing anywhere.

“I was just focused on being a Livingston player and whatever happened, happened.

“The QPR thing came up and I was over the moon that it did.”

Dykes was a solid player for Livingston in the top-tier, scoring 12 goals and providing 10 assists in all competitions last term. However, considering Jermain Defoe and Alfredo Morelos scored 46 goals between them, it is hard to see how Dykes would have been able to compete.

Steven Gerrard have since moved to sign Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten, and the Gers do not appear to be regretting the failure to capture the £428,000 man (as per Transfermarkt) – it will be interesting to see how he gets on with his new club.

Let us know what you think below!

Steven Gerrard is in the midst of reshaping his Rangers side in an attempt to finally break Celtic’s domestic dominance with a title for the Gers. And while bringing new players in might be a big part of that rebuild, the Liverpool icon will have to sell as well.

According to the latest exclusive update by The Scottish Sun, Dundee United are set to make a transfer bid for Jamie Murphy. The veteran forward has been out of favour at Ibrox for quite a while now and only has 12 months left on his current deal with the club.

This could indeed make him a very attainable target for the Tannadice side who are reportedly desperate to strengthen their squad. Gerrard won’t exactly oppose this transfer in any capacity.

Murphy has largely struggled to establish himself in the Scottish Premiership giants following his horror cruciate knee injury back in August 2018. Since then, he has made the full recovery but his game time has drastically diminished and now, it seems he has no future at the club anymore.

Seeing how his contract is slowly but surely running out and he’s also getting older, Rangers will likely allow him to leave for a cut-price fee.

Verdict

Even though he may be struggling for continuity at Ibrox, Murphy has had a decent second half of the season on loan at Burton Albion, bagging seven goals in ten games for the League One side. This does suggest that the outcast winger just might have something to offer after all.

But even with that being said, Gerrard is looking for much younger options with a higher ceiling who can have an immediate effect on the incoming title race with the Hoops.

All in all, this is a win-win situation for all parties involved.

Brighton have officially added two teenage prospects from Ireland to their ranks, again raiding the league from which they signed Aaron Connolly.

The Irish Independent reported that 16-year-old duo Andrew Moran and Leigh Kavanagh have formally completed their respective transfers to the Amex Stadium from Bray Wanderers, having signed pre-contract agreements earlier this year.

The pair continue to train with the League of Ireland club for the time being due to travel restrictions, although they are expected to relocate to Sussex before the end of July if permissible to do so (as per Irish Independent).

Moran was described by Irish Independent reporter Daniel McDonnell as “a skilful playmaker” who became Bray’s youngest-ever first team player last year two months before his 16th birthday and scored his first senior goal back in February. He has been capped twice by Republic of Ireland at under-17 level.

Centre-back Kavanagh made his senior debut for Bray in the early weeks of the League of Ireland season prior to lockdown and has also represented his country’s under-17 side.

Given that they only have minimal senior experience in the second tier of a national league that is ranked 42nd of 55 in UEFA’s association club coefficient, the 16-year-old duo look set to develop through Brighton’s academy teams for the foreseeable future before harbouring any realistic ambitions of breaking into the senior side.

Brighton have prior experience of looking across the Irish Sea for promising talents, having signed Connolly from Mervue United back in 2016 at the same age that Moran and Kavanagh are now. The striker had to wait until this season to make his league debut for the Seagulls but he has gone on to feature in 22 top-flight games in the current campaign.

Kavanagh could also look to compatriot Shane Duffy as a role model at the Amex Stadium, with the 28-year-old playing in the same position and boasting the experience of 95 Premier League games. His path to Brighton was different, though, having signed from Blackburn and done the rounds in England rather than coming directly from the Emerald Isle.

Connolly’s experience shows that young players at Brighton can work their way into the first team after joining the club as academy hopefuls, which should offer plenty of hope to Moran and Kavanagh of emulating the 20-year-old if they work hard enough under the Seagulls’ academy coaches.

Connolly and Duffy are two Irish players who have established themselves at the Amex Stadium, with the club now hoping that their latest imports from across the water can follow suit in years to come.

Brighton fans, do you think Moran and Kavanagh could follow in the footsteps of Connolly? Share your views in the comments section below!

Key information about Selhurst Park

Selhurst Park was built in 1924 and now houses the Premier League outfit Crystal Palace. The stadium is located in the London suburb of Selhurst in the Borough of Croydon and interestingly, one part of the ground incorporates a branch of Sainsbury’s as well.

The stadium’s current capacity stands at 26,047 and it has a pitch that measures 101m by 68m. The surface is covered with Desso GrassMaster’s hybrid turf and has no undersoil heating nor a running track surrounding it.

The record attendance at Selhurst Park was set all the way back in 1979 when 51,801 supporters saw Crystal Palace clinch the Football League Second Division crown by defeating Burnley F.C. 2–0.

A history of Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace have been pursuing a deal for the site that would house their stadium since 1919 and three years later, they finally secured it from the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company for a reported fee of £2,750. As was the case with many stadiums back in the day, Selhurst Park was designed by Archibald Leitch and officially opened for business on 30 August 1924.

The ground only consisted of the present Main Stand, albeit unfinished at the time, and would host 25,000 fans as they watched Palace lose 0-1 to the visiting Sheffield Wednesday in the first game ever played at Selhurst Park.

Over the next year, the ground would be used for various other events apart from football and Palace’s home games, including two games for the 1948 Summer Olympics. In 1953, first floodlights were installed but were then replaced nine years later. It would then take them until 1969 to start improving the stadium once again.

That year, Palace were promoted to Division One – the highest tier at the time – which kick-started some of the developments. The Arthur Wait Stand was built and the Whitehorse Lane end was refurbished with a second tier of terracing. The fan favourite Holmesdale Road terrace was also split into three different sections due to health & safety reasons.

In 1981, the Main Stand was also improved and redesigned to include seating and that same year, Crystal Palace would also sell the back of the Whitehorse Lane terrace and adjacent land to Sainsbury’s, helping the club out financially in a difficult situation. This would, of course, reduce the size of the terrace significantly.

Some years later, in 1985, Palace got new ‘roommates’ as Charlton Athletic moved in and would remain there until 1991, when they were replaced by Wimbledon FC, who would in turn stay until 2003. In 1986 the chairman Ron Noades purchased the stadium from the club to raise revenue and following the Taylor Report and some redesigns, Selhurst Park became an all-seater in 1993.

The final developments were made the following year when the Holmesdale terrace got replaced by a two-tiered all-seater stand and the Main Stand got a new roof. There were some issues with the ownership of the stadium ever since and in April 2008, a 25-year lease was granted to Crystal Palace at an annual rent of £1.2m.

There were some further plans to renovate the Main Stand, which should be ready for the 2021–22 season.

Tickets to watch Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park

All tickets to watch Crystal Palace play at Selhurst Park can be found on the club’s official website. The prices vary depending on the location in the stands and the age group of the buyer with the most expensive adult ticket costing £58.

Crystal Palace also offer a season ticket scheme, memberships and loyalty points to their supporters.

Related links

https://www.cpfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Crystal Palace

When Kevin Keegan arrived into the managerial hot seat in 1992 it marked a fantastic era at the football club where he turned the Magpies into the most exciting team to watch in the Premier League.

How they never won any silverware remains a mystery and in short a travesty given the amount of talent that was on show on a weekly basis.

In our latest Magpies quiz, we have focused on the Keegan years during his first spell in managing the club. So do you remember his first game at the club, his first signing and how many goals did Andy Cole get in that memorable first season in the Premier League?

A number of Manchester City fans have voiced their dissatisfaction at the club’s reported planned tribute to David Silva.

As reported in the Daily Mail and shared on Twitter via @City_Xtra, it is understood that the Spaniard will be honoured for 10 years of service to the club after his departure this summer with a mosaic at the club’s training ground.

The 34-year-old came to the Etihad Stadium from Valencia in a £24m deal in 2010 and has gone on to make 424 appearances for Manchester City, with 74 goals and 137 assists to his name. He has won 13 trophies in his decade at the club, including four Premier League titles and five League Cups.

Indeed, such is Silva’s standing within English football that, when he announced last summer that he was to leave Manchester City in 2020, he received glowing plaudits not just from his own club’s supporters but from some rival fans (as per Daily Mail) as well. He was also hailed by Ally McCoist on talkSPORT as one of the best imports in Premier League history.

These City fans on Twitter feel that a mosaic at the club’s training campus is meagre recognition of the midfielder’s service to the shirt, with one supporter calling for the Etihad Stadium to be renamed in his honour:

Man City fans, do you feel that a mosaic is inadequate recognition for what Silva has brought to the club? Comment below with your views!