Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has revealed he is open to the idea of Adama Traore returning to Villa Park.
According to MailOnline, Wolves are willing to listen to offers for the 25-year-old this summer after demanding an incredible £70m for him last year, and Hendrie believes the Villans bringing their former player back to the club would be a good move.
Traore was a real handful for teams last season, tearing up that right flank before putting dangerous balls into the box. He finished the 2019/20 Premier League campaign with nine assists and a ridiculous average of five dribbles per game (via WhoScored).
For Hendrie, that kind of attacking threat out wide is something Dean Smith could definitely do with.
On the Spanish winger, the ex-Villa player told FFC:
“I feel he would be a good signing, I really do. I just feel that with a wide man that’s got pace and ability and can put a decent delivery into the box, it would suit Dean’s style of play. Now whether or not he’d come to Villa is a bit of a big question, come back to Villa obviously because he was there beforehand.”
Hendrie finished off by saying:
“Yes, he’d be a great addition with his pace and strength. I feel he’s a player that’s built and got better since coming into the English game so, yeah, I’d have Traore all day in my side because he’s just direct and he is something that I feel would work well for Villa.”
While there is nothing to suggest that Villa will make a move for Traore in the summer, the Midlands club do look set to strengthen the wide positions, with The Telegraph reporting that signing a winger is a priority.
Sunderland are trophy winners for the first time in 48 years. That is well and truly a sentence to savour.
With the Mackems now sitting third in League One as well, there are plenty of reasons to be positive and hopeful for the future.
Lee Johnson has led a fantastic revival in the north-east and with Kyril Louis-Dreyfus now the club’s owner, negativity and bad vibes have been eradicated.
The Frenchman already has a trophy to his name and more could follow suit if they earn promotion.
That is the number one priority at Sunderland right now but another is to blood young talent. Louis-Dreyfus has reshaped the academy structure and a number of young players have been handed trials at the club.
He is desperate to improve the academy and who can blame him? The Black Cats’ U23 side didn’t win a single game last term.
We were given a glimpse into the future just by looking at Sunderland’s bench on Sunday at Wembley. They may have a number of injuries but it was pleasant to see the likes of Dan Neil, Ollie Younger, Jack Diamond and Benji Kimpioka all among the substitutes.
Though, one name who wasn’t but deserves a run out in the not too distant future is Josh Hawkes. The 21-year-old was signed from Hartlepool a few months ago but hasn’t seen a great deal of senior action since.
Hawkes was on the bench for the match against Rochdale a few weeks ago and did receive minutes during their successful EFL Trophy run. That being said, despite injuries, he hasn’t been able to sufficiently force his way into Johnson’s plans.
Judging by his form for the club’s U23 side, that should change. The attacking midfielder, who can also play on the wing, has been a breath of fresh air to Elliott Dickman’s team.
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He has scored six goals and registered three assists in 13 Premier League 2 outings. Hawkes has long been a goal-scoring midfielder and in 2018/19, hit the back of the net on nine occasions for Hartlepool in the National League.
Speaking about his qualities to Sunderland blog Roker Report, Hartlepool expert Dan Patton said: “Josh is a player with clear ability, which was most evident in his first season with the club after scoring nine goals from midfield.”
Patton continued: “His best position is an attacking midfield role, however he can also play in a wide attacking role if needed. He is a player that won’t shy away from shooting, no matter the distance, and brings a real energy into the midfield.”
Possessing a midfielder who can make late runs into the penalty and score goals is a fantastic attribute to have in your team. Certainly, with qualities like that, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Johnson soon called on him.
After all, Diamond’s shoddy performance against Accrington on Wednesday evening will have him looking over his shoulder. The youngster managed just three passes and 18 touches of the ball before being dragged off at half time in their 2-0 win.
The future may well be bright for Diamond, but Hawkes is someone who could rival him for a place in the senior side.
AND in other news, Fewer touches than Burge: SAFC gem who made 3 passes all night badly let Johnson down…
Everton chief Farhad Moshiri must see that Marcel Brands puts pen to paper on a new contract at Goodison Park so that the Dutchman can implement stage two of his vision for the club.
What’s the word?
According to the Daily Mail, Brands is close to signing new terms to end speculation over his future as the Toffees’ Director of Football.
The 58-year-old is currently out of contract at the end of May when his £2m-a-season deal expires, but Carlo Ancelotti has welcomed the former PSV Eindhoven chief extending his stay on Merseyside.
Brands is noted as having faced criticism from supporters for his early transactions at Goodison Park with former boss Marco Silva, though has enjoyed a positive shift in the past 12-months by clearing out fringe players and making positive signings with Ancelotti.
It had been speculated that Blues majority owner Farhad Moshiri could wait until Brands’ existing deal expired before making a decision on his future, yet the Dutchman – who sits on the Everton board – wants to stay.
Progress appears to have been made since, and a deal for the chief Ancelotti believes has “important” qualities as a recruitment-expert appears to be near to completion.
Should Everton retain Brands?
Brands is often credited with playing an instrumental role in the arrivals of players at Everton since his appointment in 2018, including Niels Nkounkou last summer and for resurrecting Lucas Digne’s career from the FC Barcelona sidelines.
He has also spent the past two-and-a-half years trying to shift the deadwood left behind by his predecessor Steve Walsh, with new homes found for Morgan Schneiderlin, Sandro Ramirez, Nikola Vlasic, Henry Onyekuru and Kevin Mirallas, as well as a handful of loans for Yannick Bolasie to get his £75,000-per-week contract off the books.
But Bolasie’s deal and that belonging to Muhamed Besic will expire at the end of the season and the fringe players Ancelotti has no use or want for will decrease with it, allowing the summer to be arguably Brands’ first window where a majority of his focus can be spent strengthening the squad rather than trying to reduce a bloated wage bill.
He has already worked wonders when one hand was tied between his back in bringing Digne to Merseyside, as well as the arrivals of Andre Gomes and more recently Ben Godfrey, who is seen more as a signing by Brands and his scouting team than Ancelotti who can take credit for James Rodriguez.
And if a partnership of Brands and Ancelotti can return signings like Rodriguez and Godfrey, who knows where it could take Everton with the allure of European football with the Blues in contention to secure a UEFA berth for next term.
A new contract would be a dream deal for Everton’s long-term vision, as the Toffees put the groundwork in place for a bright future in the Bramley-Moore Dock, so Moshiri must get it done sooner rather than later.
AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti is willing Everton to pay £26.5m for a £176k-p/w gem…
Manchester United had a frustrating afternoon on Sunday after labouring to a goalless draw with Chelsea.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer definitely thought it was a case of two points dropped in west London, with the Norwegian bemoaning Stuart Attwell’s controversial refereeing decision not to award United a penalty in the first half.
But putting that doom and gloom aside, Solskjaer was glowing in his praise of James and gave him “top, top marks” for his performance.
On the Chalkboard
The Welshman has struggled to get a consistent run of game time in the squad, but the winger’s hard graft in that draw with Chelsea earned plenty of appreciation from his manager.
He has also found his shooting boots again after a well-publicised drought and followed a first goal of the season against Istanbul Basaksehir in November with vital strikes against Southampton, Real Sociedad and Newcastle United in recent weeks, showing he’s having somewhat of a renaissance at Old Trafford.
James is benefitting from Paul Pogba’s injury-enforced absence too, with Solskjaer using his pace to full effect down the right flank in a position that had been taken by the Frenchman – notably away at Liverpool.
The inclusion of James in the side also allows Marcus Rashford to revert to his preferred position on the left-hand side, making the England man much more of an attacking threat with his habit of cutting inside on his right foot.
What should happen?
Once Pogba returns to action, one would hope that James continues to get a good run of game time under his belt in the side.
While undoubtedly gifted, Pogba’s position in an attacking wide area often slows down the pace of United’s play and is arguably more suited being deployed as a central attacking midfielder.
James’ main quality is his electric pace that scares the life out of opposition full-backs, but his lack of assists is arguably the missing ingredient to his game.
He has just one of those to his name so far this campaign after teeing up Bruno Fernandes in United’s emphatic 4-0 Europa League Round of 32 first leg victory away at Real Sociedad.
But after being given the license to play with his manager’s confidence, it is surely only a matter of time before James starts to provide the goals for United’s attacking players on a regular basis. If it’s not, then he’ll likely find himself back on the sidelines.
And in other news, Manchester United’s Daniel James stole the show against Real Sociedad in the Europa League
It’s easy to see why Nigel Adkins took the Charlton Athletic job.
The vastly-experienced 56-year-old has a proven track record in the lower leagues of English football and would’ve leapt at the opportunity to save them from their freefall.
He arguably made his name at Southampton, where he led the south coast outfit to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League, handing them a shot at the big time after a seven-year absence.
There are plenty of similarities between that Saints side and the Addicks now; former top-flight teams dwindling in the third tier, foreign owners prepared to stump up the cash to save the club, and a fanbase to fit a 27,000-seater stadium.
But could Adkins take inspiration from a side that won promotion a decade ago? He’s certainly well-equipped to…
On the Chalkboard
In Preston loanee Jayden Stockley, the Charlton manager could find his next Rickie Lambert – a powerful striker fit to lead the line at this level.
The 27-year-old talisman has very much had a comparable career to that of the Saints legend, prior to their arrivals at their respective clubs, both were well-travelled.
Lambert jumped from club to club in the lower leagues, playing for the likes of Blackpool, Macclesfield Town, Stockport County and Bristol Rovers before finding his feet at St Mary’s.
Stockley has played for 14 different clubs, thanks largely to boyhood club AFC Bournemouth shipping him out on loan every year.
Both stand at 6 foot 2, and are known for their target man ability. Indeed, WhoScored list the £810k-rated forward as a threat from set-pieces whilst a whopping 6.3 aerial duels won across League One and the Championship only reinforces that thinking.
No other Addicks star is managing to win as many battles in the air as Stockley (9.4). Speaking about his strength, former teammate Sean Maguire once said: “He’s a fantastic player. The guy can hold up a house. He’s strong and his hold-up play is one of the best I’ve played with.”
This sort of ability should see Stockley fit in a range of systems and tactics – two-up top? one-man? He should be able to do it all. Just like Lambert at the Saints.
Adkins could be onto a winner if he draws inspiration from his old side, and the five-goal loan star must be at the centre of it all up top.
AND in other news, Forget Famewo: Charlton ace who lost possession 21x vs AFCW has already badly let Adkins down…
Arsenal are making a poor decision by keeping hold of Eddie Nketiah, amid reported transfer interest from West Ham.
What’s the story?
The England U21 international has had a mixed start to the season thus far, breaking Alan Shearer’s goal-scoring record for the Young Lions, but struggling to replicate that form at club level with Mikel Arteta’s side – he’s managed just one goal in 12 Premier League appearances.
Reports in recent days have suggested the Gunners’ Premier League rivals West Ham are eyeing him as a potential replacement for Sebastien Haller, but The Athletic have now revealed that the north Londoners are adamant that they will not be selling him.
It’s claimed that Arsenal seem determined to keep him until at least the summer, with Arteta himself very recently responding with a definitive “no” when asked about whether he would consider allowing the young striker to leave in this January transfer window.
Arteta must reconsider
When Nketiah broke onto the scene at the Emirates with that iconic brace against Norwich City in the Carabao Cup, it seemed like Arsenal had unearthed yet another quality young striker who might be able to lead the line for the years to come.
Instead, the 21-year-old hasn’t quite progressed as much as he, or the club, would perhaps have wanted. He is still not yet an established part of the first-team, and sometimes, he is not even making it off the bench, as has been the case for the past three Premier League games that the Gunners have won.
What makes Nketiah’s situation even more important is the future of another one of Arsenal’s rising stars, Folarin Balogun. The teenager’s contract is set to expire come the end of the season, with reports recently even indicating he was close to joining a foreign team on a pre-contract deal as he wants more regular game time.
The question really then becomes ‘who do the Gunners really feel will be the better player going forward?’
Per Mertesacker, the club’s academy manager, has surely seen first-hand what both Nketiah and Balogun can bring to the table, whilst the latter has taken his brief opportunities this season with aplomb, scoring two goals and providing one assist in four Europa League games.
It’s highly unlikely the Gunners will be able to convince both of the players that their future lay at the Emirates, given they both play in the same position. But with Balogun almost two years younger, and the £18m-rated Nketiah still not truly laying a marker down after 57 first-team games, Arteta must surely reconsider his stance on the latter’s future, thus paving a way for Balogun to get more game time, which could then see him stay at the club.
As a young English striker, Nketiah could command a hefty price in the modern transfer market, and given the financial situation facings clubs around the world and the fact that the Gunners need to start pulling in big fees themselves, selling the 21-year-old might see sum more funds given to Arteta.
Arsenal forked out a hefty sum to bring Thomas Partey to the club in the summer, and it would make sense if the owners will be expecting the Gunners to balance the books with some sales before investing any more money this month. Selling Nketiah would go a long way to doing exactly that, and yet Arteta is making a rather hasty call by seemingly deciding to keep him and by proxy, pushing Balogun further towards the exit door.
Meanwhile, Arteta can finally unleash Thomas Partey if he does this…
Southampton were linked with a move for SC Heerenveen midfielder Joey Veerman during the summer and considering his impressive form with the Eredivisie side so far this season, the Saints should return for him in the upcoming January transfer window.
The Saints were touted with an interest in the 22-year-old right at the end of the summer window but Southampton scout Piet Buter suggested at the time that the South Coast club would be more likely to target him in January instead.
He also spoke very highly of the Dutchman, saying:
“He (Veerman) is, of course, a very good football player.
“And it would be foolish not to follow a 21-year-old boy with those qualities; then we are asleep.
“He is a game player with great technique. He has very good insight into the game, a nice pass and takes all corners and free kicks. An interesting player.“
Veerman has enjoyed a superb start to the 2020/21 campaign, having contributed three goals and five assists in 11 Eredivisie appearances, which has seen him average an impressive 7.84 rating (per WhoScored).
This currently ranks him as the fourth-best player in the Dutch top-flight so far this season, so it could definitely be argued that he is ready to make the step up to a Premier League side.
Ralph Hasenhuttl is certainly low on midfield options, with just James Ward-Prowse, Oriol Romeu, Stuart Armstrong and Ibrahima Diallo as senior players in his first-team squad, so perhaps we will see them return for Veerman in the upcoming winter transfer window.
It could certainly be argued that Southampton have a hole in their squad following the departure of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer, so perhaps Veerman could go some way towards replacing the Danish international.
Certainly, his performances in recent seasons have caught the eye, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig identifying why he is playing so well on Twitter, whilst also suggesting that he is a “fantastic box-to-box midfielder”, who is “ready for his big move.”
Meanwhile, in an article for BreakingtheLines, the Dutch midfielder was compared to Barcelona maestro Frenkie De Jong, who also established himself in the Eredivisie with Ajax before earning his big move.
Martin Semmens and the rest of the Southampton board should surely consider a move for Veerman next month, therefore, as his current market value of £5.4 million has soared in recent years, so the Saints could save themselves a lot of money by splashing the cash on him in January, rather than waiting until other sides begin to take notice of the talented youngster, which would surely increase his value further.
And, in other news… 0% duels won, fewer touches than McCarthy: Southampton ace had a nightmare against Brighton…
Wolves have received a potentially a huge boost in their reported pursuit of Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic.
Jovic Molineux-bound?
Nuno Espirito Santo has previously hinted that he would be willing to dip into the transfer market to seek out a replacement for star man Raul Jimenez, who fractured his skull during his side’s victory over Arsenal at the beginning of the month.
Reports previously suggested that an approach to take Jovic on loan was rejected, but it now appears that a U-turn has been made in relation to the Serbia international’s situation.
According to AS, the 23-year-old has been given the green light by manager Zinedine Zidane to go out on loan for the rest of the 2020/21 campaign.
Despite Jovic not having the best of starts at the Santiago Bernebeu, he made his name at Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, where he scored 36 goals and provided nine assists from 75 appearances (TransferMarkt).
This led to huge praise being given to him, especially from Serbia coach Mladen Krstajic who compared him to Barcelona’s Luis Suarez (via Bundesliga).
Transfer Tavern Verdict
Jovic would be a fantastic signing and would perfectly fill the boots of Jimenez.
The Serbian frontman has proven pedigree, especially in Europe, and would likely salivate at the chance of playing in the Premier League to rediscover his form, having scored just twice in 32 outings for Madrid.
Now that Jovic has been given the go-ahead to leave, time will tell if the Molineux club decide to go back in for him.
In other news, Jamie Redknapp makes huge claim about Wolves star who can go “to the top.”
Manchester City will be looking to avoid an upset when they travel to Whaddon Road to face Cheltenham Town in the FA Cup on Saturday, but the game should represent an opportunity for Pep Guardiola to play some of the academy talents at the club.
City beat Birmingham City in the third round playing a strong side, although youngsters such as Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Felix Nmecha did feature.
If City win on Saturday afternoon, then they face another away trip to either Swansea and Nottingham Forest in the fifth round.
Here’s how Football FanCast expects the Spanish manager to line his side up against Cheltenham, with nine changes from the side that beat Aston Villa in midweek…
Zack Steffen comes back in for Ederson in goal, having impressed for Guardiola’s side in the absence of the Brazilian earlier this season.
There are two changes in defence, as Benjamin Mendy comes in for the injured Kyle Walker, with Joao Cancelo reverting to right-back.
18-year-old centre-back gem Taylor Harwood-Bellis partners John Stones in defence from the start, although if City are comfortable you would imagine the former Everton man will be replaced at the earliest opportunity, as we saw in the Birmingham game with Ruben Dias.
Fernandinho provides the experience in an otherwise youthful midfield, as Nmecha and Tommy Doyle earn rare starts for the Citizens, with Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan sitting this one out, whilst Kevin De Bruyne is now set for a spell on the sidelines.
There are three changes in attack, as Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden drop to the bench, with Riyad Mahrez and Ferran Torres starting on the wing, supporting 17-year-old Liam Delap up front.
And, in other news… Txiki can sign Pep his next Walker in “fearless” £18m-rated speed demon
It's been a surprisingly quiet summer on the transfer front for Arsenal this year.
The last two summer windows saw Mikel Arteta welcome in a swathe of new faces like Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and more.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
Yet, over the last few months, the only new face added to the first team has been Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori, while the move for Mikel Merino continues to drag on and on.
That said, Edu Gaspar and Co have been much busier with outgoings than in years gone by, with Emile Smith Rowe moving to Fulham for big money and Eddie Nketiah edging ever closer to Nottingham Forest.
Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah
However, if the Gunners number 14 is to leave, a replacement must be signed, and interestingly, the club were linked with the perfect candidate earlier this summer.
Nketiah's exit and his potential replacement
It's been a confusing couple of weeks regarding Nketiah's future at Arsenal, as earlier this month, it looked as if he would be joining Marseille, only for the French side to walk away when Arsenal stuck to their valuation of between £30m and £35m.
Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah
Then Forest entered the fray, and while they too have had an offer rejected by the Gunners – around £25m – The Athletic's David Ornstein reported earlier this week that they were still negotiating with the North Londoners.
The latest update came from the BBC yesterday evening when it was revealed that the final fee for the Englishman could reach up to £30m, which would vindicate Edu and Co's staunch rejection of all previous offers.
However, if the 25-year-old does leave in the coming days, the club need to sign Arteta another backup striker, to replace him, and while links to potential forwards have gone cold for the moment, the Gunners were linked with someone who'd be the perfect replacement earlier this year: Santiago Gimenez.
The Feyenoord marksman has been touted for a move to the Emirates multiple times over the last nine months, with the links reemerging last week.
Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez.
Interestingly, while it's unclear how much the Dutch club want for their star attacker, Forest are also working on an offer for the Mexican international worth around €30m – £26m – after seeing their original bid of €25m – £21m – rejected.
If Arsenal are clever, they could offload Nketiah to the Tricky Trees in the coming days and then use the money from that deal to get ahead of them in the queue for Gimenez, as he'd be a brilliant bench option for Arteta, and maybe even someone who could challenge Kai Havertz at points.
How Gimenez compares to Nketiah and Havertz
So, if the Feyenoord ace is going to be the Gunners' replacement for Nketiah and potentially even challenge Havertz in the future, how does his record from last season stack up with the Arsenal strikers?
Well, unsurprisingly, the "unstoppable" Mexican marksman, as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him, was far more effective than the Englishman, racking up an impressive 26 goals and eight assists in 41 appearances, equating to a goal involvement on average every 1.20 games.
In contrast, the North Londoners' number 14 scored six goals and provided three assists in 37 appearances, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 4.11 games, and while he didn't play as many minutes, his performances on the pitch weren't good enough to justify more.
Appearances
41
37
51
18
Goals
26
6
14
8
Games
8
3
7
7
Goal Involvements per Match
0.82
0.24
0.41
0.83
It's interesting when we get to the former Bayer Leverkusen ace; if you were to take his entire season, his goal involvement-to-game ratio would be worse than that of the Buenos Aires-born poacher. However, when you look at just the games in which he played as a striker, it's much more even.
For example, in those 18 games, he scored eight goals and provided seven assists, equating to an average of one goal involvement every 1.20 matches, or the same as the man who could be gunning for his place in the team later this season.
Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez
Ultimately, it looks like Nketiah is on his way out of the Emirates this summer and heading to Nottingham Forest, and if Arsenal want to be clever and bring in the best candidate to take his place as the go-to option off the bench, then they must go back in for Gimenez.
Arsenal could send Martinelli packing with "sizzling" £34m sensation
The “unstoppable” attacker would be a brilliant addition to the Gunners’ attack, although perhaps not for the Brazilian.