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Wolves want to extend midfielder Joao Moutinho’s contract at the club beyond its expiry date this summer, according to reliable journalist Liam Keen.

The Lowdown: Moutinho out of contract

The 35-year-old has been a fantastic servant for Wanderers since joining from Monaco in 2018, making a total of 170 appearances for the club.

Moutinho is out of contract at the end of the season, however, and there have been doubts over whether or not he would extend his stay at Molineux.

Now, a hugely promising update has emerged, in that respect.

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The Latest: Huge news emerges

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Keen confirmed that Wolves wants to extend Moutinho’s time at the club, with the Portuguese also happy to stay put in the Premier League:

“Lage confirms that Wolves want to keep Moutinho and that he also wants to stay. Talks ongoing.”

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The Verdict: Get that deal signed

This is a massive boost for Wolves, with Moutinho’s experience and class in the middle of the park still vital, despite his advancing years. He averaged a 95.8% pass completion rate in the Carabao Cup this season, which speaks volumes about his class in possession.

With Ruben Neves potentially leaving Wanderers in the summer, it is doubly important that his compatriot remains at Molineux – losing both at the same time would feel like a hammer blow.

Moutinho may have to accept that he won’t play every week moving forward, given his age, but the idea of him signing a new deal feels significant for Bruno Lage and everyone associated with Wolves.

In other news, one player has been tipped to start for Wolves next season. Find out who it is here.

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has confirmed a major Aston Villa boost over Leon Bailey.

What’s the story?

The Jamaica international has had an injury-disrupted start to life at Villa Park, playing just 85 minutes of football in the Premier League.

His latest issue saw him forced off in the second-half against Everton, and Dean Smith would later reveal that he wouldn’t be back until after the international break.

And now, Preece has delivered an update on where things stand with the winger.

Writing on Twitter, he said: “Just the 9 outfield first-team players in at Bodymoor this week, with Morgan Sanson, Leon Bailey, Trezeguet & Keinan Davis still on the treatment tables. #avfc expect Bailey to be in contention vs Wolves in 9 days’ time, though, with Sanson set to be eased back later this month.”

Fans will be buzzing

Even in just 85 minutes of top-flight football, Bailey has shown just why Villa fans should be excited about their summer signing.

After coming off the bench to great effect against Watford on the opening day – he marked his Premier League debut for the club by setting up John McGinn’s goal and almost sparking a late comeback – the Jamaican flier showed just what he can bring to the table when he delivered another barn-storming cameo against Everton.

Having come on as a substitute once again, Bailey whipped in the corner that was turned in by Lucas Digne, before firing in a superb strike to seal an impressive 3-0 win for Villa.

Speaking before the Midlands club officially confirmed the deal to sign the winger, Alan Hutton threw his backing behind a move for the Jamaica international.

He said: “I’m so excited to see this one. I’ve heard a lot about him over the past two or three seasons. He’s obviously still very young but he’s electric, he gets people off their seats. That’s what you want in a player.

“But what’s more impressive, 15 goals and 11 assists from wide areas in the German league. That’s unbelievable. It’s the kind of consistency you want from your wingers.”

Former Ajax youth coach Ronald de Boer once said of the Jamaican: “He’s so fast it’s not normal. His speed, combined with his technique, is very rare. Exceptional. He has no weak points.”

Given that ability and the early impression he has already made at Villa Park, fans will be rightly buzzing with Preece’s latest injury update.

Meanwhile, Villa are interested in signing this Premier League striker…

West Ham United are close to sealing a move for Alex Kral before tonight’s transfer deadline…

What’s the word?

That’s according to the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee, who delivered a fresh update on the Irons’ pursuit of the Spartak Moscow midfielder to his ‘The West Ham Way’ Patreon site this afternoon.

“Kral deal is looking close, [on] loan with [the] possibility to buy for £12m initial fee moving to £17m, the proposed offer,” he said.

The Hammers’ interest in Kral dates back to early in the summer but in June, The Athletic suggested that David Moyes had turned his attentions elsewhere after a sub-par showing at Euro 2020.

The 23-year-old was, however, named as one of his ‘ones to watch’ at the summer tournment in a column for The Times, which only stoked the fire even more.

Much-needed depth

This update should leave many around the London Stadium absolutely buzzing as one of the most trustworthy West Ham sources has confirmed that a deal is on the verge of actually happening.

Plenty of supporters have been waiting anxiously all summer for some movement in the window, especially as know too well that the squad was in need of further numbers following their qualification to the Europa League.

Right now, Moyes only has three central midfield options for his engine room and one of those is the retiring Mark Noble, who is unlikely to feature much at all. For example, he only started eight league games last season, playing a total of 704 minutes in the top-flight, via Transfermarkt.

For a long time, the Hammers’ only signing was a backup goalkeeper in Alphonse Areola – that was until last week when they managed to lure Kurt Zouma from Chelsea.

Earlier today, Nikola Vlasic was announced and now it seems as if Kral is the likely next name up. It’s certainly an exciting day to be a West Ham fan as the deadline quickly looms.

The Czech dynamo has drawn inspiration from Toni Kroos and Frenkie de Jong, so that gives some insight into the sort of player he’ll be in the claret and blue, and that surely only builds the fanbase’s anticipation to see him in action.

Kral has also played in defence, earning him the tag of being “one of the most versatile youngsters in world football” from talent scout Jacek Kulig, who al that he was “extremely solid,” had “so many qualities” and will one day be “one of the leaders of the Czech” national side.

Signing him on loan first, just like with Tomas Soucek, could be an absolute masterstroke. If it doesn’t work out, then no fee will have to be paid. If it does work out, £12m could be an absolute steal.

AND in other news, West Ham could finally end Moyes’ striker nightmare, but Sullivan now has to act fast…

Tottenham Hotspur have entered the race to sign Kingsley Coman this January, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Spanish publication Fichajes claim that Spurs are thinking about a move for the 34-cap French winger ahead of 2022 as they look to bolster Nuno Santo’s attacking options. Premier League rivals Liverpool and struggling Serie A giants Juventus are both also mentioned with interest in the report.

It’s thought that Coman could leave Bayern Munich at the turn of the year due to a lack of opportunities, and clearly he won’t be short of suitors.

It very much remains to be seen how much the 25-year-old attacker would command, with CIES Football Observatory currently valuing him at €50m (£43m).

Creative fix

After recording three straight 1-0 victories to kickstart the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, Spurs have hit a brick wall in what has been a very disappointing week.

Nuno’s side have been beaten 3-0 in back-to-back Premier League matches and had to come from behind to salvage a point in their UEFA Europa Conference League group opener against Rennes.

Their lack of creativity and chance creation has duly been highlighted massively.

As per The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare, Spurs have recorded the lowest expected goals (xG) of any top-flight team this season, with a total of 4.42, which is lower than teams in the bottom three, such as Burnley (6.05) and Newcastle United (5.54).

Spurs have also had the second-fewest shots (46, an average of 9.2 per game) and created the joint-fewest number of big chances (two).

The potential arrival of Coman could go to great lengths in solving this major issue this January – he has stepped up admirably to fill the voids left behind by Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery at the Allianz Arena.

Last season, the French dynamo registered eight goals and 12 assists in just 36 appearances across the Bundesliga and Champions League, via WhoScored.

Whilst a career average of two key passes per 90 minutes further highlights his ability to create big chances for his team – that’s the same number Spurs have managed all season, which is rather damning.

Currently, Steven Bergwijn (1.3 key passes per game) sits atop the creativity charts and last season, only Harry Kane and Heung-min Son provided more than four assists all year.

“We know that Kingsley has extraordinary skills that aren’t easy to find,” explained Bayern teammate Thomas Muller to Bundesliga.com. “If he puts his foot down on the gas – and he has incredible horsepower – every opponent has a tough time against him. He worked the left flank well. He’s always been fleet-footed. If he can now add chances that lead to goals then he is solid gold to us.”

That sort of skill set is exactly what the Portuguese head coach needs in his attack this season, so sporting director Fabio Paratici must work his magic to secure a player that he once landed for Juventus back in 2014.

AND in other news, Cruel blow: Spurs dealt huge injury setback ahead of Wolves clash, Nuno will be gutted…

Southampton finally secured their first Premier League win of the season last weekend with a 1-0 victory over Leeds United thanks to a second half goal from Armando Broja. 

Their next league fixture sees them take on Burnley at St Mary’s this afternoon to see if they can pick up another three points and climb further away from the relegation zone.

Ahead of the match against Sean Dyche’s side, who are now one of the three teams still without a league win, Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl revealed in his latest press conference that only Jack Stephens will miss the game through injury, with Che Adams back available after recovering from a muscle injury.

Taking all of this into account, here’s how we feel Southampton will line up against Burnley, with two changes from the team which started last Saturday.

In goal, having played every minute of league action so far this season, it’s safe to assume Alex McCarthy will retain his place in the team this afternoon.

For the defence, given how Southampton managed to keep a clean sheet against Leeds last weekend as well as stopping the visitors from having even one shot on target throughout the whole game, we think Hasenhuttl should stick with the same back four of Valentino Livramento, Jan Bednarek, Mohammed Salisu and Romain Perraud to see if they can keep another clean sheet this time around against a Burnley side who have only managed to score five goals so far this season.

In the central midfield positions, with club captain James Ward-Prowse still serving his three-game ban, we think Oriol Romeu and Ibrahima Diallo will partner each other to try and dominate the midfield.

On the wings, we reckon Mohamed Elyounoussi, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £60k-per-week according to Spotrac, will drop out of the team as a result of his poor performance against Leeds. That allows Stuart Armstrong to come back into the starting XI on the right after he came on as a substitute in the second half last weekend.

On the left wing, we can see Hasenhuttl taking Moussa Djenepo out of the side, with Nathan Redmond moving back to that position from centre-forward to allow the potentially potent Adams to come back in the team to partner Broja up top.

In other news: Saints could unearth ideal Romeu heir with “excellent” 18 y/o ace, Ralph is a big fan – opinion

Former Ipswich Town player David Norris believes that Portman Road is a great place for Louie Barry to develop and play some games.

Barry signed a season-long loan deal with the Tractor Boys earlier this month and has featured three times for Ipswich so far, twice in League One and once in the Carabao Cup.

The 18-year-old featured for Villa’s youth teams on 25 occasions last season, scoring 19 goals and providing five assists, and also scored for the first team at Villa Park in the FA Cup against Liverpool.

And David Norris believes that a loan move to Portman Road will benefit Barry, telling Football FanCast: “A great place, good big club, get some games.”

Ipswich Town have made 16 summer signings so far in the transfer window, with Tom Carroll the latest to put pen-to-paper on a deal at Portman Road, but the Tractor Boys have struggled in their opening four League One matches, picking up just two points from a possible 12.

Whilst it’s not been the best start to the season, Paul Cook and everybody connected with the football club will be hoping that the new signings click and gel quickly and that they can start moving up towards the promotion end of the League One table.

Dele Alli’s time at Tottenham Hotspur could soon be coming to an end after the club were linked with a move for a new attacking midfielder…

What’s the word?

According to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Football Italia), Spurs will battle their north London rivals Arsenal to sign the Juventus outcast during the January transfer window.

It was the Lilywhites’ sporting director Fabio Paratici who signed him for the Serie A giants, so they could well be leading the race to seal his signature, in which Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are also keen.

The Bianconeri appear to be willing to sell the 20-cap Sweden international for a minimum of €35m (£30m) to €40m (£34m) next month.

Bye-bye Alli?

The 21-year-old dynamo, who is capable of playing anywhere along the frontline, has dropped down the pecking order at the Allianz Stadium under Massimiliano Allegri this season.

Just four of his 21 appearances this term have been starts, whilst he has provided one goal and four assists from just 724 minutes of action, per Transfermarkt.

Last season, he enjoyed a lot of success as he delivered 14 direct goal contributions across 47 matches. What made that even more impressive was the fact that he did so whilst playing in at least seven different roles. A very versatile talent, indeed.

If that isn’t enough to suggest that he’s a perfect fit for Antonio Conte and his system, then perhaps praise from others in and around the game is.

“Kulusevski is an explosive player who likes to challenge his direct opponent,” once claimed ex-Sweden striker Marcus Allback to The Sun. “He likes to dribble with the ball, play the short passes and he is very good on the through balls. He’s quick and would cause a lot of trouble for most of the teams he plays.”

Whilst experienced Italian coach Pierpaolo Bisoli believes there are shades of Mohamed Salah about him “He has incredible physical strength. He reminds me of a young Salah for the way he shakes off opponents in the first ten metres,” he said.

On the above evidence, the fact that he is versatile and hugely dynamic, Kulusevski could well be a better fit for Conte at Spurs than Alli, whose best position is still undetermined.

Furthermore, there have been reports suggesting that Tottenham could finally be open to selling the 25-year-old amid his long-term struggles on the pitch.

Once dubbed a “freak of a talent” by former Lilywhites star Darren Anderton, Alli has failed to hit the heights of his past glory, managing only one goal and one assist this season.

Therefore, the £27m-rated dynamo could offer Conte and co a lot more than the Englishman, so if they are able to secure a move for him in January, then the club absolutely must do all they can to pull it over the line.

Spurs’ new boss could finally bin Alli with a move for the exciting Swedish sensation.

AND in other news, “Serious chance”: Romano drops teasing Spurs transfer update that’ll have fans buzzing…

Eddie Howe has been handed a fresh Newcastle United injury lift over one of his first-team stars…

What’s the latest?

Callum Wilson has revealed that his season is far from over as he is hoping to be back out on the pitch for the Magpies before the end of the month.

He has been out of action since suffering a knock against Manchester United in December and is now seemingly closing in on his return to action.

The Daily Mail quote him as saying: “I aim to be back by the end of April or the beginning of May.”

SJP faithful will be delighted

This update from the striker will surely delight the fans as it means that they will be able to see him play for the club again in the coming weeks.

They would have to wait until July/August to see him in the flesh if he was ruled out for the rest of the current campaign and that would mean a seven/eight-month gap between his last game for the side and his next.

Instead, they will, hopefully, be able to watch him in the final few matches of the current campaign. Newcastle are currently 12 points clear of the bottom three and can head into the rest of their games without the pressure of a relegation battle, which means that it could be the perfect time to bring Wilson back into the fold.

They can now afford to give minutes to the forward as he recovers from injury and gets back up to speed as they are not in a desperate position where they need to be at their very best in every match to scramble themselves out of the bottom three. Howe can, therefore, experiment with his side in the coming weeks to find out more about his squad ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

For example, he could play Wilson up front alongside Chris Wood to see what their link-up is like. It will be interesting to see how they complement each other on the pitch, with the latter’s strong hold-up play potentially allowing the former to feed off flick-ons.

Wood has won a whopping 7.8 aerial battles per match and this shows that he has the ability in the air to provide a focal point at the top end of the pitch.

Meanwhile, Wilson has scored six goals in 14 Premier League starts and is the club’s top scorer, with the New Zealand international’s presence alongside him allowing him to focus more on getting into the box to finish off chances. His lethal nature in front of goal is why his return this season is a big boost that the fans will be buzzing with.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Dubravka: Newcastle’s £72k-p/w passenger went missing in LCFC win…

Many Everton fans have been left reacting to some news on Head of Medical Danny Donachie.

As per The Athletic, he has now left Goodison Park after Rafael Benitez led a review of the injuries suffered to key players while he has been in charge.

The Merseyside club are currently missing Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Andre Gomes, Yerry Mina and Abdoulaye Doucoure through various injury problems, and it is ‘unknown’ when the England striker will return (evertonfc.com).

It is certainly starting to take its toll on the pitch, as the Toffees have not won a game since September and have recorded three losses in their last five matches (evertonfc.com).

The news had a lot of supporters talking, with some not surprised that Donachie has left, while others felt as if it was the right decision given the spate of injuries at the club on his watch.

Everton fans on Donachie news

These Toffees fans gave some decidedly mixed reactions as the news was shared on Twitter, with one Evertonian claiming that it was ‘interesting’:

“Wow”

Credit: @COYB224

“Interesting”

Credit: @Thomas33466234

“It’s been a long time coming but the draining of the swamp finally begins. Too many charlatans have got off with a free pass within the club for too long now and we need a manager who is going to lead the cull”

Credit: @bluesofgoodison

“Not surprised in Rafa making a few changes, more players get injured at Finch Farm than actually playing in the Premier League games.”

Credit: @tomperry51

“Maybe we can field a proper first team back end of this season”

Credit: @Hauswerks

“NSNO”

Credit: @otrochris

In other news, find out what Lucas Digne revelation has left these Toffees fans fuming

Newcastle United have reportedly now sent a scout to watch centre-back Goncalo Inacio, and even made a bid for the player in January, according to reports in Portugal.

The Lowdown: Solid season

Inacio is having another solid season in Lisbon with Sporting CP, having won the title last campaign.

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His performances attracted praise from Portuguese media, and he was even nicknamed the ‘Portuguese boss’ despite only being 19 years of age at the time.

Now 20, Inacio has also been a second place in the Primeira Liga table, where they will be hoping to catch FC Porto in first.

The Latest: Official sent, bid revealed

As per A Bola (via Sport Witness), the St. James’ Park faithful sent an official to watch Inacio play in a 3-1 win at Tondela on Saturday, as he found the back of the net for his fifth goal of the season.

They apparently had a €30m (£24.9m) bid rejected by Sporting in the January transfer window, but the player does have a €45m (£37.4m) release clause.

The news outlet hints that the North East club must be ‘really interested’ in Inacio, as usually teams from the Premier League send their scouts over to Lisbon or Porto to watch players from the top flight, but the Tyneside outfit sent theirs to Tondela.

The Verdict: Get it done

The fact that Inacio has a release clause should encourage the Magpies to get a deal done.

Having had a £33m bid rejected by Lille for Sven Botman, added to talk of an increased £67m release clause for January target Diego Carlos, £37.4m may be the sweet spot for the Toon to sign a central defender in Inacio who may well have a higher ceiling at just 20 years of age.

Nonetheless, Sporting have a history of selling players to Premier League clubs for big money, and so this is a move that is very possible.

In other news, find out which ‘world-class’ ace NUFC have now held talks over signing for free here!