It has been made all-but official that Tottenham have successfully completed the signing of Brazil star Paulinho, who is currently showing off his skills at the Confederations Cup.
The 24-year-old comes with a preceding reputation, and his long-awaited move to a European top flight has been hotly anticipated for some time, with a number of continental powerhouses linked to the midfielder.
Paulinho has been plying his trade with Corinthians, but over the years has player for a number of teams around the world, including sides in Lithuania and Poland, in addition to working his way up through the Brazilian leagues.
Now an international star, Paulinho is set to make a £17million move to the Premier League.
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But just in case some of you Tottenham fans are still unsure, here’s FIVE reasons why the Brazilian will be a great signing at White Hart Lane.
Click on the man himself to reveal the FIVE reasons why Paulinho will be a welcome addition at Tottenham
Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp’s thinly-veiled but extremely obvious attack on his successor at the club Andre Villas-Boas couldn’t be further from the truth as he continues to use his army of friends in the media to spin his own version of events in an attempt to re-write history so that he suits himself.
In what must represent quite possibly the most sycophantic interview ever published by a national newspaper, Redknapp’s criticism of Villas-Boas in the Daily Mail exclusive really does beggar belief. During a 29-year career to date in management, Redknapp has won the FA Cup and Division One title with Portsmouth and the Football League Trophy and Division Three title with Bournemouth.
It’s hardly the most impressive CV knocking around, particularly when you bear in mind that the 34-year-old Villas-Boas has already won the Europa League, Primeira Liga title, the Taca de Portugal (national cup competition) and the Portuguese Super Cup. You could argue that in a fraction of the time that Redknapp has had, that he’s already tasted the sort of success on the European stage that his predecessor could only dream of.
Here’s what Redknapp had to say in the bizarre interview, which clearly pointed to Villas-Boas: “These days you’re getting 70-page dossiers on this and that. Bulls**t can baffle brains at times. There are people who try to make the game sound complicated for their own good. They are such geniuses, some of these boys. But it’s a simple game really. You don’t need PowerPoint.”
It’s not hard to try and see what he’s doing here, attacking a manager who is well-known for the meticulous way in which he prepares his teams and it’s a deliberate nod to the fact that he used to prepare dossiers on the opposition as a scout for Jose Mourinho while at Chelsea.
The case he’s putting across is that football is a simple game at its core, which I suppose it is, but to deny the necessary advancements being made by forward-thinking managers such as Villas-Boas just makes him come off as an out-of-touch dinosaur. He then goes on to cite a thirty-year-old story involving former Liverpool manager Joe Fagan as proof that he’s just as relevant now as he ever was. It’s truly baffling stuff and the sort of misty-eyed guff that some impressionable journalists appear to eat up.
However, the strange behaviour didn’t end there, oh no: “Go back a few years and Tottenham weren’t getting within 30 points of Arsenal. Now there’s nothing between the teams. In fact, I think Tottenham have a better squad than Arsenal. I’m sure they will do well again this season.”
We appear to have a consistent theme, completely dismissing the achievements of others to try and paint a picture that he is a supremely talented and superior manager. Of course, this completely ignores the fact that Tottenham finished just two points behind rivals Arsenal back in 2005-6 under Martin Jol, courtesy of a debilitating bout of food poisoning throughout the entire squad as they went into their final league game of the season against West Ham. Also, the season afterwards Tottenham finished just eight points off Arsenal and finished in fifth place in the league, with the Dutch coach again the man at the helm.
This obviously doesn’t fit in with Redknapp’s strange take on events that he saved the club and the ‘you’ve never had it so good’ schtick that he often liked to trot out while at White Hart Lane, which really is a fallacy that seemingly only he believes. I’m just surprised that he didn’t mention the two points from eight games line again. As you might expect, the fact that they threw an 11-point lead over Arsenal away last season, which meant they finished one point and a place behind them in the final standings was suspicious only by its absence.
He also went on to intimate in a less than tactful way that the only reason Roy Hodgson got the England job over him was because of the sizeable compensation package that the FA would have needed to pay Tottenham for his release, thought to be in the region of £10m. Nevertheless, there was time for at least one more zinger in terms of an interesting way of looking at things.
“Coaching is one thing, management is another. Fergie’s a manager. Arsene Wenger is a manager. There are managers and coaches and I actually think I’m in between. I love coaching. I’m not blowing my own trumpet but I haven’t seen many coaches who are better than me. At the end of the day the game is about good players, though. It’s about getting the best out of them. Putting them in the right positions. Understanding the game. It’s about moving Luka Modric from the left wing to central midfield. It’s about understanding the game and I understand the game.”
Setting aside the fact that it was Redknapp who initially said that Modric was unable to play in the middle of the park upon arriving in England, or the fact that he still used him on the left of midfield in a couple of huge games last season to the detriment of the overall shape and balance of the side, it’s the ‘not many better coaches’ line that’s truly staggering.
We all know that Villas-Boas enjoyed a less than fruitful six-month spell in charge of Chelsea, but that is not the be all and end all, nor is it necessarily indicative of how the rest of his career will turn out and it appears little more than an opportunistic attack on a manager who has oddly been seen by some as being under pressure just four league games into his tenure.
Redknapp has a funny way of re-writing history to suit himself and at best, the above quotes are misleading and at their worst, downright vindictive. Whether it be Martin Jol, Roy Hodgson or his successor at Tottenham, Andre Villas-Boas, it appears as if the 65-year-old unemployed manager will step over anyone to put his version of events across and the criticisms simply don’t stake up.
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Despite his protestations to the contrary, he’s clearly still very bitter about the way in which he was sacked at the end of last season by chairman Daniel Levy and he appears to be attempting to crank up the pressure on his successor instead, which shows a distinct lack of class on his part, not to mention being a truly baffling line of attack.
Celtic are currently back in training and preparing to return to action in the Scottish Premiership with a trip to face Dundee away from home on Sunday.
The Hoops beat Motherwell 3-2 at Parkhead before the international break, thanks to a last-gasp winner from Daizen Maeda, and will be hoping to follow that up with another victory.
However, Brendan Rodgers may have some injury issues to contend with ahead of selecting his starting line-up to chase the three points against Dundee.
The latest Celtic team news before Dundee
Starting with the positive news, Alistair Johnston has returned to first-team training this week for the first time since he suffered a hamstring injury in August.
He was initially ruled out until November, per the Daily Record, but the Canada international is now in line for an early return against Dundee on Sunday.
There was more positive news out of the camp earlier this week when Sebastian Tounekti played for Tunisia against Namibia, having missed his country’s first match through injury.
Whilst the Tunisian whiz, who scored his first goal for the club against Partick Thistle, may be available for selection, Celtic’s right-sided winger may not be.
Daizen Maeda had to withdraw from international duty with Japan due to a foot issue, not playing a single minute in either match, and his injury has left Rodgers concerned, per Football Insider, ahead of Sunday.
How Celtic could replace Daizen Maeda
Football FanCast recently suggested that unleashing 18-year-old winger Rhys Dargie could be one way for the Hoops to replace Maeda if he is unavailable for selection against Dundee, because the output from the manager’s other options has left a lot to be desired.
Output from Celtic RWs
25/26 season (all competitions)
Appearances
Goals + assists
Daizen Maeda (first-team)
13
3 + 2
Michel-Ange Balikwisha (first-team)
6
0 + 2
Hyun-jun Yang (first-team)
8
1 + 0
James Forrest (first-team)
12
0 + 0
Stats via Transfermarkt
As you can see in the table above, Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Hyun-jun Yang, and James Forrest have struggled to deliver consistent quality in the final third.
If Rodgers does not want to bring in Dargie, as he has not featured in a matchday squad for the first team, he could solve his Maeda problem by unleashing Callum Osmand for the first time.
The summer signing from Fulham has made the bench for the senior side on two occasions, both against Kairat in the Champions League, which shows that he is in the manager’s thoughts.
Osmand is a centre-forward by trade, but he has played on the right wing before, per Transfermarkt, scoring two goals in one game. He was also hailed as “lightning quick” by Fulham expert Jack Kelly, which suggests that he has the mobility and speed to play out wide.
Callum Osmand’s U18 & U21 form for Fulham
Season
Appearances
Goals
Assists
24/25
22
11
4
23/24
29
21
6
22/23
21
11
2
21/22
1
0
0
Total
73
43
12
Stats via Transfermarkt
The 19-year-old attacker’s form for Fulham at youth level, as shown in the table above, shows that he has the potential to deliver quality in the final third, particularly as a goalscorer, which is what the Hoops are lacking.
Maeda is Celtic’s top scoring winger, with three goals, which is why it would be a blow to lose him for any number of games through injury, but Osmand is a young talent who could ease that blow.
The Wales U17 international has scored two goals in three Challenge Cup games for Celtic, per Transfermarkt, which also shows that he has carried his goalscoring form over to Scotland.
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This Sunday could be the perfect opportunity to provide him with a chance to impress on the right wing, even if it is not his preferred position, with a first-team debut for the Hoops, if Maeda is unavailable.
Rodgers must sell Celtic flop who's now worth even less than Adam Idah
Celtic must sell this flop whose value has dropped millions and is now worth less than Adam Idah.
ByDan Emery
Osmand may be a more viable short-term option for Rodgers than Dargie, who does look like an exciting prospect, because of his first-team involvement earlier this season.
Whether it is Dargie or Osmand, who could both be intriguing options to call upon on the right wing, Celtic may have to do something different on the right flank if Maeda is out, due to how underwhelming their senior alternatives have been.
Arsenal’s summer striker search is set to be one of the major topics for discussion in N5, with two big-names in Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko rumoured to be Andrea Berta’s top two targets.
Arsenal hold talks over signing Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko
Reports from reliable media sources indicate that this centre-forward duo feature the highest on Berta’s striker target list.
Arsenal U-turn over signing "powerful" player who "was on the verge" of joining
They’ve now pulled out of the deal.
ByEmilio Galantini
Sesko is fresh off the back of a career-best Bundesliga campaign with Leipzig – bettering his 2023/2024 tally with 21 goals in all competitions – while Gyokeres has quite simply been unstoppable with 54 goals in total across 24/25.
Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)
Money on new signings
19/20 – winter
£0
20/21 – summer
£81.5m
20/21 – winter
£900k
21/22 – summer
£156.8m
21/22 – winter
£1.8m
22/23 – summer
£121.5m
22/23 – winter
£59m
23/24 – summer
£208m
23/24 – winter
£0
24/25 – summer
£101.5m
24/25 – winter
£0
Berta has held extensive talks over a move for Gyokeres (Florian Plettenberg), but Arsenal have also since begun concrete negotiations for Sesko as well – leading to some confusion over who the club’s main target actually is.
Sky Germany’s Plettenberg reported last week that their focus is on both men, but either deal would prove to be “extremely expensive”, prompting Berta to consider the two options very carefully.
Either way, another reliable journalist in David Ornstein fully expects one of Gyokeres or Sesko to seal a switch to Arsenal last summer.
“They’ve got a decision to make between Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig and Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting Lisbon, both fantastic options and talents,” said Ornstein to NBC Sports.
“I do expect one of them to come into the Emirates Stadium this summer.”
BBC journalist shares update on Arsenal signing Sesko or Gyokeres
Responding to this burning question in a Q&A, about whether Arsenal are going to sign Sesko or Gyokeres, the BBC’s Sami Mokbel has shared “information” on Arsenal’s talks for the pair.
He says that Arsenal are attempting to confirm the “frameworks” when it comes to deals for Sesko or Gyokeres, before they make a final decision on who to go for.
“In terms of Gyokeres or Sesko – my information is that the club are working towards confirming the frameworks of both deals before making a final decision on which to proceed with,” said Mokbel.
“Sesko has near-universal backing at the Emirates but, crucially, will be the more expensive deal. Gyokeres’ chances of moving to Arsenal have increased since Andrea Berta’s appointment as sporting director. Price is key here. Sesko ticks many boxes in terms of profile, he is younger than Gyokeres and plays in a stronger league (the Bundesliga) according to recruitment data. But some of the reported figures indicate he could cost £93million.
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“Gyokeres is more economical, but would see the club divert from their longer-term strategy given Sesko has always been a target.”
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskocelebrates
Sesko already rejected a move to Arsenal last summer, so he’s been a long-term target for Arteta, pre-dating Berta’s arrival as sporting director.
Given just how highly the Spaniard must rate him, splashing in around £93m for the 22-year-old would be a real show of backing to their manager by the Arsenal board.
Aston Villa are gearing themselves up for a tough second half of the campaign, challenging not only in the Premier League but also the Champions League, looking to give a good account of themselves in the European competition, whilst also aiming to qualify again through their league position.
Unai Emery’s side are the closest to neutral for goal difference in the division, scoring 34 goals, and conceding 35 goals, leaving them with a -1 goal difference. In terms of their goal-scoring numbers, Villa are tenth. They are only averaging 12.6 shots per game which is the seventh fewest in the division.
This suggests Emery’s side are struggling at the top end of the pitch this season in comparison to last campaign, averaging 13.6 shots per game and scoring 76 goals (sixth most).
This has already sparked investment in the forward department, bringing Donyell Malen to the club, but Villa could add yet another player to the mix, who could be even better than Malen for them.
Aston Villa in the race to sign another forward
With reports of Arsenal wanting striker Ollie Watkins before the deadline slams shut next Monday and Jhon Duran facing interest from Saudi Arabia, it could well be that Monchi is in need of bringing a new forward to the club in the coming days.
Well, according to reports from Haber Sarikirmizi (relayed by SportsWitness), Aston Villa are now in the race to sign Galatasaray winger, Baris Alper Yilmaz. The reports suggest that the aforementioned Monchi ‘wants him very much.’
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The Turkish attacker has also been linked with West Ham and Nottingham Forest in this window. West Ham reportedly had a £25m offer on the table, which was rejected by Galatasaray, telling them to return in the summer instead, which suggests it would take a larger fee to convince them to part ways in January.
Galatasaray'sBarisAlperYilmazand Ismail Jakobs celebrate after Victor Osimhen scores their third goal
Yilmaz has made 30 appearances so far this season, scoring 11 goals, providing two assists and totalling 2,394 minutes played. The 24-year-old has played in a variety of positions too, playing as a left-winger, right-winger, centre-forward and even a right back and left back.
How Yilmaz compares to new Aston Villa signing Malen
Malen made his first Aston Villa appearance against West Ham from the bench, having made 21 appearances for Dortmund prior, scoring five goals and providing one assist in 957 minutes played.
How well he does only time will tell, but could the Villa recruitment team land a quick-fire upgrade on the Dutchman? Quite possibly.
Yilmaz vs Malen in 2024/25
Stats (per 90 mins)
Yilmaz
Malen
Goals
0.43
0.38
Assists
0.04
0.23
xG
0.32
0.47
xAG
0.32
0.11
Progressive Carries
5.26
2.99
Progressive Passes
2.81
2.06
Shots Total
2.96
2.82
Key Passes
1.93
0.41
Shot-Creating Actions
5.26
1.96
Successful Take-Ons
1.58
1.44
Stats taken from FBref
When comparing Yilmaz to Malen, both would be most likely to get their minutes from the right wing, but they are both versatile enough to fill in for others across the front line. With Duran looking more and more likely to be sold this month, Malen could deputise as a centre-forward when Watkins isn’t available, should he not move to the Emirates Stadium.
Both players are direct, looking to impact the game with a high volume of actions (creating shots and taking shots) and looking to provide output.
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One area Yilmaz does prove to be ahead of Malen is in progressive metrics, dropping deeper to help facilitate in build-up with his progressive passing and carrying quality.
Borussia Dortmund's Donyell Malen celebrates
The sale of Duran could allow Aston Villa to fund a move for Yilmaz, bringing two versatile forwards to the club who can give Emery different options in attack, whilst continuing to start Watkins as the main striker, ensuring everyone is happy with their share of minutes.
Better than Disasi: Aston Villa in advanced talks to sign a "quality" star
Aston Villa are looking to strengthen their backline this winter.
Diogo Jota hasn’t enjoyed a fantastic start to this new Premier League season, with only one goal and one assist coming his way from Liverpool’s opening four league fixtures.
The former Wolverhampton Wanderers forward would also frustrate those with a Reds persuasion in the Champions League recently, as the misfiring Portuguese attacker could only muster 23 touches of the ball against AC Milan, with his teammates all thankfully singing off the same hymn sheet otherwise in an exciting 3-1 away win.
Diogo Jota warming up for Liverpool
The goal-shy nature of Jota’s early season performances means even one notable former Reds dud is currently outperforming him, despite the one-time Liverpool flop really struggling during his brief stint at Anfield to find the back of the net.
Diogo Jota vs AC Milan.
Iago Aspas' transfer to Liverpool
Iago Aspas would link up with the Liverpool ranks back in 2013 with a reputation for being a potent goal machine in his native Spain, netting 12 Celta Vigo goals from 34 La Liga appearances during his swansong season for his boyhood employers, to then make the gigantic leap to England.
That jump would prove to be too much for Aspas to take, with the attacker known to Liverpool fans now as a wasteful finisher from his brief but troubled time at the club, as opposed to the deadly and instinctive striker they thought they had obtained for a low £7.6m fee.
Aspas would see his Reds spell pass him by, with only one goal and one assist registered from 15 appearances before he was shipped out to Sevilla on loan, and then found his way back to Celta in 2015.
Much like other major transfer blunders in the striker department at the time, which included Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert failing to ever settle wearing Liverpool red, Aspas just couldn’t handle the immense pressure on his shoulders of playing for the Premier League giants, but has since consolidated his status as a top striker in more comfortable surroundings in Spain having left for £5m.
Aspas' numbers back in Spain
Amazingly, Aspas is in an exclusive club with Lionel Messi with the former Liverpool dud very much now a Celta icon.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
From 499 games to date for the La Liga outfit, Aspas has 207 goals and 81 assists next to his name, with his output during the infancy of this season to date bettering that of Jota’s back at Anfield.
Aspas vs Jota (24/25)
Stat
Aspas
Jota
Games played
6
4
Goals scored
3
1
Assists
2
1
Shots per game
2.0
2.8
Scoring frequency
156 mins
287 mins
Stats by Sofascore
The 37-year-old isn’t showing any visible cobwebs for Celta this season so far, with five goal contributions registered from six games only one off matching Luis Diaz’s goals and assists tally for Arne Slot’s men too, whilst beating Jota’s amount by three.
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That’s the case despite the veteran centre-forward attempting fewer shots per game compared to his Portuguese counterpart this campaign, as Jota continues to be wasteful for the Reds, and Aspas continues to be a difference maker so late into his playing days for his side.
Liverpool would love to turn back the clock and see if things could have turned out differently if the then nervous attacker was given more time to acclimatise, with his stint at the club only lasting a breakneck 15 games.
But, it could well just be that Aspas is a natural fit at Celta over playing in the hustle and bustle of England, as the 37-year-old strives to keep up his electric La Liga form, whilst Jota looks to spark into life over the games to come.
Liverpool star looked "like Coutinho" when he joined, then Slot sold him
A Sky Sports reporter has lifted the lid on some talks between Chelsea and an "elite manager", with Mauricio Pochettino leaving Stamford Bridge by mutual consent on Tuesday.
Pochettino exit confirmed after Chelsea announcement
Uncertainty surrounded the future of Pochettino in the build up to Tuesday evening, despite a brilliant end to the Premier League campaign where the club qualified for Europe after winning all of their last five league games, averaging nearly three goals per game in that run.
Chelsea hoping to tempt Laporta with £68 million bid for Barcelona star
The Blues are plotting an audacious new summer swoop.
ByEmilio Galantini
As well as this, Pochettino guided Chelsea to a Carabao Cup final and FA Cup semi-final, with the Blues also finishing just five points off a top four place in the end. While the first half of 2023/2024 clearly wasn't good enough, especially after Todd Boehly and co pumped over £400 million into Pochettino's squad last summer, there was at least a hint of positivity and something to build upon towards the latter stages.
Pochettino's last five results as Chelsea manager
Chelsea 2-1 Bournemouth
Brighton 1-2 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest 2-3 Chelsea
Chelsea 5-0 West Ham
Chelsea 2-0 West Ham
However, the board clearly couldn't see a way forward with the ex-Spurs boss, and the feeling was apparently mutual. Chelsea announced that Pochettino has left the club by mutual consent, with Boehly, Behdad Eghbali, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley now tasked with finding the Argentine's replacement.
Even before Pochettino's departure, Chelsea were doing their due-diligence on managerial candidates, in the event he left. Roberto De Zerbi has been discussed internally as a top candidate at Chelsea, according to some reports, with the Italian also keen to make the move to west London.
It's also believed that Boehly could even consider former head coaches to succeed Pochettino. Antonio Conte has been linked with a surprise return to Chelsea, with Thomas Tuchel named as another potential option as he prepares to part with his £10.5m-a-year salary at Bayern Munich.
Chelsea hold "loose talks" with Tuchel to replace Pochettino
According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, Chelsea have held loose talks with Tuchel over replacing Pochettino, and the German has been "waiting" for his former side's official announcement over parting company with their now-ex manager.
Given how bitterly things ended between Tuchel and the current Chelsea board nearly two years ago, it would be a shock to see him make the return, but he certainly has his credentials given that he even guided them to a Champions League title in 2021.
Called an "elite manager" by Paul Ince, defender Ben Chilwell has also praised Tuchel as an "unbelievable" coach.
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“As players, we have confidence in the manager. We know we are not going to get a better manager,” said Chilwell (via Standard Sport).
“I am not just saying it, he is unbelievable. I think he has a lot of trust in us. Now there’s that stability, which could have potentially been tricky, is now resolved it is up to us to work and try and get consistency on the pitch."
Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O'Neil is keen to wrap up deals this month, and transfer insider Dean Jones has indicated that his side could look to offer a Premier League star the perfect chance to become a key player at Molineux.
Wolves shopping for bargain deals
It has been well-documented over the last year or so how much Wolves have had to move things around to contend with Financial Fair Play regulations, and they have only just managed to keep their heads above water in that respect due to their impressive £140 million fire sale in the summer.
Big names such as Matheus Nunes, Ruben Neves, Conor Coady and Nathan Collins were among those sold to balance the books at Molineux and Gary O'Neil will undoubtedly be keen to avoid any further agitation in the market moving forward as his side continue their quietly impressive Premier League endeavours.
All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024
With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.
ByLuke Randall
The Telegraph have reported that the Old Gold will prioritise bringing in loan signings this window as financially advantageous deals take precedence in the West Midlands.
West Ham United striker Danny Ings is believed to be a target for Wolves after falling out of favour at the London Stadium and could offer some guile and experience in attack as a proven goalscorer. Acquiring an out-and-out centre-forward and an addition on the flank looks to be the direction the Old Gold are keen to take in January, with goals hard to come by from their traditional number nine options.
Premier League Top Scorers
Club
Nationality
Goals
Erling Haaland
Manchester City
Norway
14
Mohamed Salah
Liverpool
Egypt
14
Dominic Solanke
Bournemouth
England
12
Son Heung-min
Tottenham
South Korea
12
Jarrod Bowen
West Ham
England
11
Hwang Hee-chan
Wolves
South Korea
10
Alexander Isak
Newcastle
Sweden
9
Ollie Watkins
Aston Villa
England
9
Cole Palmer
Chelsea
England
8
Nicolas Jackson
Chelsea
Senegal
7
Now, journalist Jones has shed some light on a player he believes Wolves could consider that would also fall under the bracket of a loan signing.
Dean Jones drops Reiss Nelson to Wolves verdict
CBS Sports claimed at the turn of the year that Wolves and Sevilla are both keen to bring Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson on loan in January following his limited involvement at the Emirates Stadium this term.
Reiss Nelson statistics in 2023/24 – Premier League (Sofascore)
Total games played
9
Games started
0
Accurate passes per game
5.2 (92%)
Big chances created
1
Average match rating
6.56/10
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones has now indicated that Wolves could consider the possibility of bringing the former England Under-21 international to Molineux and called it a perfect fit: "Obviously, he's struggling to make himself a regular part of Arsenal's starting XI and that's fine, but a club like Wolves would be perfect for him in order to get more game time and make an impact more regularly."
He then added: "I think the fan base would actually really like a player like Reiss Nelson, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if they look into the potential around the loan deal. But again, why would Arsenal want to loan out a player that they might need to call upon off the bench across this season? It's a difficult discussion to have."
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Despite his obvious talent, Nelson continues to find it difficult to become a regular fixture in Mikel Arteta's side and Wolves could be an ideal destination to kickstart his 2023/24 campaign.
Ryan Taylor of The Daily Express has shared a promising update on Fulham and their attempts to sign Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi before deadline day.
Who will Fulham sign?
Marco Silva's side, despite rushing to make late summer signings, have enjoyed a fairly solid start to the new Premier League campaign with a win, draw and one loss from their opening three top flight encounters.
Fulham caused a Carabao Cup upset on Tuesday evening too, having knocked high-flying Tottenham out of the Carabao Cup second round on penalties, with Tete scoring the decisive spot-kick to send his side through.
The Whites' impressive 2-2 draw away to Arsenal last weekend, courtesy of a dramatic late equaliser from star midfielder Joao Palhinha, also showed there is something to build upon for 2023/2024.
However, with just days of the summer transfer window remaining, Fulham appear to be scrambling for late deals after already sealing moves for Calvin Bassey, Raul Jimenez, Adama Traore and Timothy Castagne.
The latter defender's arrival has particularly excited Fulham vice chairman Tony Khan, who said the Belgian will bring star quality and versatility to Silva's squad.
"I'm excited to welcome Timothy Castagne to Fulham," said Khan (via The BBC).
"He's a versatile and very talented defender with great experience in the Premier League and international competition for Belgium.
"I'm pleased that Timothy has committed to a four-year contract with us, and we believe that he'll be an excellent addition to Marco's squad."
Fulham are now also believed to be closing in on a late move to bring Sevilla striker Lucas Ocampos to Craven Cottage, with The Telegraph claiming a deal has been agreed between the clubs.
After the possible signing of Ocampos, it is expected that the west Londoners will be one of the more busy clubs in the last gasp stages of this transfer window.
Iwobi, who starred for Everton at points last season, is another player they're chasing and reporter Taylor of The Express has shared a fairly promising update on their pursuit.
Taking to X, the journalist claims a Fulham move for the 63-cap Nigeria international "looks likely" with Fulham in talks over a late deal.
However, Taylor also urged some caution, as there is another English side who remain interested in taking Iwobi from Goodison Park.
"Fulham in talks to sign Alex Iwobi on permanent deal from Everton," he wrote.
"Toffees have failed to reach agreement with 27-year-old over new contract & current deal expires in summer of 2024. Move looks likely but there is interest from another PL side."
How good is Alex Iwobi?
The 27-year-old started all 38 league matches for Everton last term and starred as one of their best-performing players per 90, according to WhoScored.
Bagging two goals and seven assists in that time, Iwobi also made more key passes per match than any other of his teammates – standing out as a true attacking threat.
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Speaking late last year, former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson praised Iwobi's form at the time in an interview with Football Insider.
“I like his versatility," said Robinson.
“His performances have been outstanding. He’s shown that he can play off the left, off the right, he can play centrally.
“I think you can see that Frank Lampard is getting the best out of him right now.
“He’s playing some of the best football of his career right now.”
Celtic are edging closer to appointing former manager Brendan Rodgers at Parkhead and his prospective return to Parkhead 'might be able to work', according to journalist Dean Jones.
What's the latest news involving Brendan Rodgers?
According to The Guardian, Celtic are close to appointing Rodgers as their new manager in what would be a headline-grabbing return to the scene of some of his finest former glories.
The report states that discussions between the 50-year-old boss and Celtic majority stakeholder Dermot Desmond have 'progressed positively' to the point where his appointment is all but confirmed.
The Daily Mail have detailed that Rodgers has pitched an exciting vision regarding how to make Celtic a 'competitive force' in Europe, with a focus on improving the playing squad and infrastructure surrounding the club.
Rodgers is already in the process of assembling a backroom team to take on the challenge of trying to maintain the Hoops' domestic dominance and it is said that attempts to keep hold of assistant manager John Kennedy, who is wanted by Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur, are already underway.
Ex-Norwich City boss Daniel Farke, Bodo/Glimt's Kjetil Knutsen and Manchester City assistant Enzo Maresca were among the alternative names that were considered for the role, though it now looks like Rodgers is in pole position to take over at Celtic.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Rodgers returning to Celtic could work out for both parties after hearing the recent reports.
Jones told FFC: "There are definitely a few concerns about whether he'd want to go back to Celtic, but the fact that you hear that he is keen to talk is definitely interesting and it's perhaps the safest bet. If he could actually go back, if he was willing to get his head around that, it might be able to work."
Would Brendan Rodgers be a good appointment by Celtic?
Judging on his time previously at Celtic, there is no doubt that Rodgers, on paper at least, would be a sensible appointment by the Hoops as they look to continue to topple Rangers at the summit of the Scottish Premiership and make advances in European competition.
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During his first spell in charge, Rodgers swept all before him domestically, winning seven trophies from seven available and laying down a marker of dominance in Scotland, as per Transfermarkt.
Brendan Rodgers winning the FA Cup
His acrimonious exit to take the reins at Leicester City in 2019 was received badly in the east end of Glasgow; however, at the Foxes, Rodgers in the main did a commendable job, recording two fifth-placed finishes in the Premier League, winning an FA Cup trophy alongside a FA Community Shield and taking the East Midlands outfit to a Europa Conference League semi-final.
Nevertheless, his credentials to return to Celtic more than stand up to scrutiny and he now looks to be odds-on favourite to be installed as their new boss, which is a turn of events that nobody would've been able to predict even just a couple of weeks ago.