Nottingham Forest have reached an agreement for their sixth signing of the summer as they gear up for the upcoming Premier League season, with a medical booked for their latest addition.
Nottingham Forest expected to do late business
So far, Nuno Espírito Santo's side have added just five new faces to their ranks this summer. Led by the £35m addition of Elliot Anderson from Newcastle United, they have also signed highly-rated Serbian defender Nikola Milenkovic to replace Moussa Niakhate, who completed a move to Lyon.
They have also added goalkeeper Carlos Miguel from Corinthians, as well as signing young pair Marko Stamenic and Eric da Silva Moreira from Red Star Belgrade and St Pauli repsectively.
Nottingham Forest's new signings
Player
Fee
Elliot Anderson
£35m
Nikola Milenkovic
£12m
Marko Stamenic
£4.6m
Carlos Miguel
£3.3m
Eric da Silva Moreira
£1m
But they are expected to remain busy for the coming month of the transfer window. As per reliable reporter John Percy, they are eyeing up at least five new faces.
"Forest will look to make further additions", he reports, with the "priority" being "two wingers, a forward, a left-back and another goalkeeper" between now and the end of the transfer window.
They have been linked with a shock loan move for Arsenal no.2 Aaron Ramsdale, while they are also thought to be set to submit an offer for impressive Brazilian teenager Wesley Gassova. And there is another deal that the club are on the verge of completing.
Winger set for Nottingham Forest medical
That comes in the shape of Portuguese attacker Jota Silva, who is set to fly to England to complete a medical with the Reds this week ahead of completing a move to the City Ground.
That is according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who reveals that the Midlands outfit have reached a "verbal agreement" over a deal with Vitoria, which will see Forest pay €7m up front plus a potential €6m in further add-ons.
Jota Silva
Those add-ons consists of €3m if he plays 15 games, and a further €3m should he score 10 goals, while he is likely to be in for a major increase on his current £3,000 a week deal in Portugual.
Still just 24-years-old, Silva scored 11 goals and grabbed 7 assists from right wing last season, and will add more firepower to Nuno's attack.
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It was a "top" season, according to analyst Ben Mattinson on X, who added that he "plays a lot like" Manchester City ace Jack Grealish, who once plied his trade across the Midlands with Aston Villa.
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As such, it is no surprise that his nickname has become the "Portuguese Jack Grealish" within Vitoria, in part thanks to his low socks and low gravity shifts and turns when dribbling with the ball, though he himself reveals that it is another Premier League player who he sees similarities with,
"I can see a bit of myself in Diogo Jota’s style", he told the Guardian. Now, he will have the chance to play against both players this season should a deal get over the line.
Newcastle United are confident in seeing their latest offer for an England star accepted, as they continue to strengthen their side for the campaign ahead. The Magpies are preparing for their opening Premier League game this weekend as they welcome Southampton to St. James’ Park on Saturday.
Newcastle will be disappointed with how last season panned out, so everyone at the club will be looking to improve on those standings and possibly end their drought for a trophy.
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FFC keeps you up to date with all the latest Newcastle news involving injuries as they face Sheffield United in the Premier League.
ByJack Salveson Holmes Newcastle United transfer news
Eddie Howe will be keen to see his side get off to a good start, and the aim this season will be to fight for a place in Europe alongside some domestic cup runs. The fact that Newcastle are not in Europe this season could have had an impact on their summer transfer window, as the club hasn’t been as busy as probably expected.
The Premier League side have brought in five new arrivals, but one of them is defender Lewis Hall, who was at the club last season, and another is goalkeeper John Ruddy on a free transfer.
Therefore, there could be anticipation from Newcastle supporters that the club will continue to be busy right up until that August deadline. Chelsea’s Noni Madueke has emerged as someone of interest to Newcastle in recent days, with the Blues potentially looking to move the player on.
Chelsea winger Noni Madueke
While it has also been claimed by Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke that Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga is someone who has emerged on Newcastle’s shortlist as they look to improve their attacking options. However, either deal may have to wait, as Newcastle prioritises wrapping up a deal for a Premier League defender.
Newcastle now confident latest Guehi bid will be accepted
According to Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle are increasingly confident in getting a deal done for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi. Romano states that a new proposal has been sent to the London side, and negotiations are continuing between the two clubs, but vitally suggests the Magpies believe their latest bid will get the job done.
England defender Marc Guehi
The Magpies have already seen two bids rejected for the defender, who played a starring role in England’s run to the Euro 2024 semi-finals. Now the club have made a third offer, and according to the Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel, the fresh offer is worth an initial £55 million, which rises to £60 million depending on payment add-ons.
He goes on to add that the previous offer from Newcastle was in the region of £48 million, rising to beyond £50 million.
Guehi has been with Palace since July 2021, when he joined the club from fellow Premier League side Chelsea. The 24-year-old has been a key component in Palace’s defence for a few years now, and given his performances for the South London side and England during the summer, it isn’t much of a surprise that teams such as Newcastle are looking to sign him.
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The centre-back has two years left on his current contract at Selhurst Park, so this transfer window may represent the best time to cash in on a valuable asset.
Marc Guehi’s 2023/24 season for Crystal Palace
Last season was the first time since joining Palace that Guehi failed to play more than 30 games in the Premier League for the club. His first two seasons saw the 24-year-old play 36 times and then 37 times, but in the 2023/24 campaign, the defender played 25 times, as well as another four games in the FA Cup and EFL Cup combined.
Marc Guehi's stats at Euro 2024
Apps
6
Tackles per 90
0.5
Interceptions per 90
0.3
Fouls per 90
0.8
Clearances per 90
2
Blocks per 90
1
Average passes per 90
74.5
Pass success rate
93.5%
Stats as per Whoscored.com
Guehi had a few injury concerns last season, but it didn’t stop him from having a very impressive Euro 2024. The defender played in six of England’s seven games in the tournament, during which he averaged 0.5 tackles, 0.3 interceptions, and two clearances. His ability on the ball also shone through, as he averaged 74.5 passes, and he finished the tournament with a pass accuracy of 93.5 per cent.
Derby County fans only have one more day to wait until they're able to watch their beloved Rams play Championship football once more, with Paul Warne's men travelling to John Eustace's Blackburn Rovers for a Friday night affair at Ewood Park.
Warne will still be itching to get more bodies in through the door between now and the close of the month though, with a real position of worry for the Rams coming in between the sticks, as a move for lofty Swedish goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström continues to be delayed.
Derby County manager Paul Warne.
The ex-Rotherham United manager could well also want to improve the forwards he has at his disposal heading into the tougher league, with this tricky attacker on the agenda of the newly promoted outfit once more.
Derby determined to snap up former EFL ace
Last weekend journalist Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, reported that Derby are very much keen on a move for Brest winger Karamoko Dembele this summer, and could have an upper hand now in their pursuit of the enigmatic forward.
Dembele, according to Nixon, fancies a move to the second tier over a switch anywhere further down the EFL, which doesn't bode well for Birmingham City, who are known to be another interested party alongside the Rams.
Derby County target Karamoko Dembele in action for Blackpool.
What Dembele can offer alongside Ozoh
Starring out on loan in the third tier last season with Blackpool, before heading back to France, Warne and Co would love to be able to win his services, knowing how slippery he can be on the ball when bombing forward at opposition defenders.
Derby would reportedly be able to snap Dembele up on a permanent basis too, and based on his pre-season performances before the bread and butter of Championship football finally kicks into gear, the diminutive forward could star in his new location partnered alongside Crystal Palace loanee David Ozoh.
The promising 19-year-old central midfielder would pop up with a strike in Derby's final pre-season fixture against Real Valladolid, to help his new loan employers to a 2-1 victory, which could mean he has laid down a significant marker for a starting spot against the Riversiders tomorrow night.
At youth level for Oliver Glasner's Eagles, Ozoh has shone too, with four goals and three assists managed from a combined total of 68 games in and around the U18s and U21s.
Dembele's numbers for Blackpool (23/24)
Stat (* = per 90 mins)
Dembele
Games played
39
Goals scored
8
Assists
13
Shots*
1.3
Big chances missed
0
Big chances created
15
Key passes*
2.0
Stats by Sofascore
Dembele will know very well the importance of having a formative loan spell away from your parent club, with his time at Blackpool last campaign in League One finally seeing him live up to the hype that came his way when he was a wide-eyed kid at Celtic, with eight goals and 13 assists tallied up from 39 league games.
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Described as "unique" in the way he goes about playing his football by his ex-Tangerines manager Neil Critchley, with a constant focus on entertaining onlookers with dazzling displays, Dembele might well become a fan's favourite at Pride Park if he does sign on the dotted line, with Warne's style of football known to be more attritional at times than free-flowing.
Signings such as Dembele entering into the building could further help Derby in their quest to at least stay up next season in the Championship, as Warne aims to build an exciting squad that can take on the second tier and succeed, rather than sinking back down to the murky depths of League One.
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West Ham United have been the busiest Premier League side this summer, making eight signings already, spending a total of €144.40m (£123m), and it doesn't seem like they are done quite yet.
Despite huge investment, the Hammers suffered an opening day defeat at the hands of Aston Villa, with striker target, Jhon Duran, scoring the winner.
The Hammers will want to put that loss behind them quickly, moving onto a London derby against Crystal Palace this weekend, before facing Manchester City the following week.
West Ham transfer news
As reported earlier this week, West Ham are keeping an eye on Sunderland winger, Jack Clarke. Crystal Palace and Wolves have also been mentioned previously, but it seems the latest reports have West Ham and Southampton as the two potential suitors.
The 23-year-old is mainly deployed from the left hand side, however has shown in the past he can play through the middle, playing once as an attacking midfielder, and once as a centre-forward for Sunderland last season.
Sunderland winger Jack Clarke
Clarke – who has been touted at around £25m – made 42 appearances for Sunderland last season in all competitions, scoring 15 goals, providing four assists, and totalling 3,623 minutes played.
Clarke vs Summerville comparison
Of course, West Ham have already dipped into the Championship market this summer, picking up Championship Player of the Year, Crysencio Summerville from Leeds United. The 22-year-old made 49 appearances for Leeds last season, scoring 21 goals and providing ten assists.
But with West Ham's recent ambition, there is a possibility they could acquire Clarke, to provide instant competition to Summerville for that left-wing spot, as both players excel in different ways.
Clarke vs Summerville comparison
Stats (per 90 mins)
Clarke
Summerville
Goals
0.37
0.49
Assists
0.10
0.25
Progressive Passes
4.64
4.40
Key Passes
2.35
2.88
Progressive Carries
7.89
5.04
Successful Take-Ons
3.81
2.52
Shots
2.69
3.27
Shots on Target
1.01
1.23
Carries into Pen Area
4.54
2.57
Stats taken from FBref
Clarke was described as "insane" by analyst Ben Mattinson, waxing lyrical about the 23-year-old's ability as a ball carrier, playmaker, and direct threat. This is backed up by his exceptional progressive carrying numbers, averaging 7.89 per 90 during the 2023/24 campaign.
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His one-versus-one ability is a huge factor for his success, combining his brilliant carrying numbers with the ability to beat his man, averaging 3.81 successful take-ons per 90. This allows Clarke to access dangerous areas of the pitch through his own progression, even averaging 4.54 carries into the penalty area per 90, compared to Summerville's 2.57.
One area that Summerville comes out on top though, and something Clarke has to improve upon, is their output. Summerville, averaging higher goal and assist numbers per 90, has delivered output at a more consistent rate. However, this could also be down to the quality of teammates.
Jack Clarke
Having the pair of left-wingers on the books could provide West Ham with solid competition for that side of the pitch, with Clarke's ability to drive the team forward with his carrying qualities, and Summerville's more consistent output adding extra goals and assists to the side.
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Sealing their summer in style, Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly reached an agreement to sign a midfield partner for Joao Gomes with a medical already booked.
Wolves transfer news
It's been a damaging summer for Wolves, who have lost both Max Kilman and Pedro Neto to West Ham United and Chelsea respectively in big-money deals. They most recently felt those exits to their full extent in a 6-2 mauling at the hands of Chelsea, in which Neto assisted the sixth in an added blow.
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What's more, it remains to be seen whether they've spent the Neto and Kilman money well, having welcomed inexperience rather than established stars. That said, Jorgen Strand-Larsen has at least shown plenty of signs that he's the real deal and even netted his first goal for the club in that aforementioned defeat, and with just over a day left to complete business, there could yet be further arrivals.
Among those looks set to be Sam Johnstone, who lost his place to Dean Henderson at Crystal Palace and is now reportedly on his way to the Midlands in search of a starting place. But he's not the only one. According to Ben Jacobs, Wolves have now reached an agreement to sign Andre Trindade from Fluminense in a deal worth €22m plus €3m in add ons to create a package of €25m (£21m).
Andre Trindade
The midfielder was once linked with solving Liverpool's midfield problem, but is now on his way to the Molineux and will reportedly undergo a medical on deadline day before completing a move.
Just 23 years old, Andre will be joining fellow Brazilian Joao Gomes at the heart of Gary O'Neil's midfield in what could quickly prove to be a difference-making partnership.
"Aggressive" Andre has earned Premier League move
There's a reason why Andre has been linked with a move to the Premier League for the last year or so, having starred for Fluminense as a player who's only likely to get even better at 23 years old. Next to compatriot Gomes, who enjoyed a stellar debut campaign in English football last time out, he can form an underrated partnership and set the defensive foundations for the likes of Larsen and Matheus Cunha to thrive.
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Analyst Ben Mattinson previously praised the midfielder in his report, describing the Brazilian as "very strong & aggressive in duels" in November of last year.
An aggressive midfielder could be exactly what O'Neil needs in Wolves' next game too – a Midlands derby against Nottingham Forest – in what could prove to be quite the debut for Andre if he is registered in time.
Rangers are now reportedly willing to sell an "exceptional" player who they rejected bids for during the summer transfer window, with clubs in Europe readying offers for his services.
Rangers struggling after new signings
In terms of new faces this summer, the Gers brought in a huge number of players, adding a significant amount of depth to Philippe Clement's squad. The hope was that they would take the Scottish Premiership giants to another level, but as things stand, they are still waiting to gel together, which is understandable.
In the league, Rangers have already dropped points in two of their opening four matches, including away to Celtic last Sunday, succumbing to a hugely disappointing 3-0 defeat at Parkhead. There are now already five points to make up on their rivals, which feels like a significant amount, given the relentless nature of Brendan Rodgers' side.
Clement will be hoping to click into gear the more the season goes on, as new signings grow accustomed to one another, but there is no room for error now, with victory away to Dundee United in their next Premiership outing feeling absolutely essential.
While the Scottish transfer window is shut, there is still a chance for players to swap Ibrox for countries whose windows remain open, and it looks as though some key business could happen in the coming days.
Rangers willing to sell "exceptional" hero
According to HITC, a number of clubs are preparing offers for Rangers ace James Tavernier, having been linked with a move away from Ibrox numerous times during the summer window. In fact, the Gers are even thought to be willing to sell the £30,000-a-week defender, despite rejecting bids from Turkey earlier this summer. His availability "has alerted clubs in Turkey and Qatar, who are now ready to make moves before their deadlines close".
It would be a shame to lose Tavernier in many ways, considering the technical brilliance at his disposal and the incredible impact he has made since moving to Rangers from Wigan Athletic, edging towards spending a decade at the club.
For a right-back, the Englishman's statistics are remarkable, with 125 goals and 131 assists registered in 467 appearances for Gers, while Clement himself hailed his player after he broke the British goalscoring record for defenders.
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"To be there on top – it’s an amazing achievement and we’re all proud of him. I said it in the dressing room also after the game. I don’t too often point out individual players, I don’t like it too much, but I had to do it this time. All the players are really proud of him, all the staff and the fans and everybody involved with Rangers. It’s really quite exceptional."
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That being said, Tavernier is now 32 years of age, which means there is an element of sense in cashing in on him, allowing Rangers to receive good money and use it on younger signings in the future.
Arsenal chiefs believe one good value striker would be a much better signing than Sporting Lisbon superstar Viktor Gyokeres, even if manager Mikel Arteta would actually prefer the latter.
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Over the summer window, sporting director Edu Gaspar elected not to bring in a new number nine, instead placing their full faith in Kai Havertz – following the German’s excellent displays in a makeshift centre-forward role.
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The Premier League title hopefuls were linked with a host of interesting strikers, including the likes of Victor Osimhen before the Nigerian was ultimately forced to settle for a loan move to Turkish Süper Lig champions Galatasaray.
Arsenal have decided not to go for Osimhen in January, despite his rumoured break clause which would allow him to leave Turkey for another club mid-season. The north Londoners also had their eyes on Ivan Toney, who eventually sealed a lucrative switch to Saudi Arabia with Al-Ahli.
dominic-solanke-ivan-toney-tottenham-opinion
Arteta decided against signing Toney due to holding a theory that the Englishman wouldn’t fit in with the squad’s chemistry, according to some reports. Then, of course, there was their widely reported pursuit of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko.
Benjamin Sesko’s stats in all competitions for RB Leipzig last season
The numbers (Transfermarkt)
Appearances
42
Goals
18
Assists
2
Minutes per goal
115
Minutes played
2,057
Arsenal made a proposal for Sesko, as did Chelsea and Man United, but the Slovenia international decided against a move to England and penned a contract extension at Leipzig instead.
Reports since the summer window’s closure have refused to rule out the possibility of Arsenal bringing in a new forward at the turn of the year, with Edu considering a “big-money” striker bid in January.
Arsenal chiefs think Jhon Duran would be better than Gyokeres
According to Football Transfers, both Arteta and those within Arsenal are seemingly at odds over who to bring in.
Indeed, it is believed both Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran and Sporting’s Gyokeres are being internally monitored, but there is a disagreement over whom to go for. Arsenal chiefs believe Duran would be a better signing than Gyokeres, while Arteta would prefer the Swedish sensation, who’s stood out as one of Europe’s most prolific frontmen lately.
Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran
Duran, valued at around £40 million by Villa, has started the season in rip-roaring fashion after being heavily linked with an exit all summer.
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“Unai Emery thinks in the next few years he can become one of the best strikers in the world,” said Villa director Monchi.
“He is 100% convinced. But what is the problem? We also have Watkins and Duran wants to play. He thinks he is better than Watkins. That is normal because every player thinks he is better than their teammates. To manage Ollie Watkins and Duran is not easy but in the end it is the best for the team. If you have two big strikers it is better than only one.
“Did Duran want to leave the club? Yes. That is normal because he wants to play. But now we spoke with him yesterday and he is happy. He is training well.”
Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke will be hoping to maintain his record of never going more than two seasons without a promotion from the Championship.
The German tactician won the second tier title in two of his three campaigns with Norwich City earlier in his career and is now in his second term in charge at Elland Road.
A defeat to Southampton at Wembley in the play-off final back in May, thanks to a strike from Adam Armstrong, stopped the manager from achieving promotion at the first time of asking.
His side finished third in the Championship during the regular season, just shy of Ipswich Town and Leicester City in the automatic promotion places, before beating Norwich in the semi-finals and losing to the Saints in the play-off final.
Farke was backed by the 49ers in the transfer market last summer as they allowed him to sign the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Joel Piroe, Ilia Gruev, and Glen Kamara to bolster his options across the park.
The German boss decided that he needed attacking reinforcements to add more of a goal threat to his side and the 49ers opted to snap up Piroe from Swansea.
Joel Piroe's form for Leeds
The Dutch forward was brought in from the Swans for a reported fee of £12m after he had racked up an eye-catching 46 goals in 96 appearances for the Welsh outfit.
He arrived at Elland Road as a proven Championship goalscorer, with 22 and 19 goals in the division in his two seasons with Swansea, and Leeds paid a sizeable fee to reflect that.
Leeds forward Joel Piroe.
Unfortunately, Piroe’s goalscoring record took a hit in his first season in West Yorkshire. The left-footed attacker ended the campaign with a return of 13 goals and three assists in 45 appearances in the Championship.
This shows that he did not reach the same levels that he did during his two years in Wales, as he did not get near 20 goals in the league, whilst he also rarely provided quality as a creative threat.
The 25-year-old striker, who has also been deployed as an attacking midfielder by Farke, has started the 2024/25 season with one goal in five appearances in the second tier.
24/25 Championship
Joel Piroe
Appearances
5
Goals
1
Assists
1
Pass accuracy
70%
Ground duel success rate
36%
Aerial duel success rate
0%
Stats via Sofascore
Overall, Piroe has racked up 15 goals and four assists in 55 appearances for Leeds in all competitions since his £12m move from Swansea last year.
This shows that the centre-forward has not provided a reliable source of goals or assists for the Whites since his big-money move from Swansea.
Whilst the 49ers ultimately secured a deal to sign Piroe to bolster Farke’s attack last summer, the German head coach was reportedly interested in another forward, who has since flourished in Europe.
Leeds wanted Viktor Gyokeres
It was reported in the summer of 2023 that Leeds were battling it out with Portuguese giants Sporting to sign Coventry City centre-forward Viktor Gyokeres.
However, it was also claimed that it would be a very difficult deal for the Yorkshire-based outfit to get over the line, as they had just been relegated from the Premier League and Sporting could offer European football.
Farke wanted to bring the Sweden international to Elland Road to improve his attacking options after his impressive season in the second tier with Mark Robins’ side.
22/23 Championship
Viktor Gyokeres
Appearances
46
Goals
21
Big chances created
9
Assists
10
Key passes per game
2.1
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Swedish sensation caught the eye with his contributions as both a scorer and a creator of goals, with 31 goal contributions in 46 outings.
He helped the Sky Blues to reach the play-off final, which they lost on penalties to Luton Town, and their failure to earn promotion ultimately led to his move away from the CBS Arena.
Unfortunately, however, Leeds were unable to win the race for his signature as Sporting swooped to sign him for an initial fee of £17.5m, just over £5m more than the Whites ended up paying to snap up Piroe from Swansea later that summer.
Victor Gyokeres' current market value
Gyokeres recently confirmed, via Fabrizio Romano, that his release clause at Sporting is valued at a staggering €100m (£84m), which means that the Portuguese side could make a gigantic profit on the £17.5m they paid for the forward if that clause is activated.
When you consider the 26-year-old ace’s form over the last 13 months or so, it is easy to see why the club have placed a clause with that value in his contract, especially amid reported interest from Premier League giants Arsenal and Chelsea during the recent summer transfer window.
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The former Coventry star has produced a stunning 51 goals and 18 assists in 58 appearances in all competitions for Sporting since the start of last season, after a return of 43 in 116 for the Sky Blues.
23/24 + 24/25
Gyokeres (Liga Portugal)
Piroe (Championship)
Appearances
38
50
xG
30.82
13.54
Goals
37
14
Assists
11
4
Big chances created
13
3
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Gyokeres has significantly outperformed Piroe as both a scorer and a creator of goals over the last 13 months at league level.
The 26-year-old sensation has been prolific for Sporting, with 37 goals in 38 league matches, and clinical, outperforming his xG by just under seven goals.
These statistics show that Gyokeres has been a sensational signing, which is backed up by his market value and the quality of teams interested in bringing him back to England, for the Portuguese side.
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ByDan Emery
Therefore, the 49ers may look back on last summer with regret as they were unable to land the striker for Farke, possibly due to his unwillingness to stay in the Championship or because of their reluctance to pay £17.5m for his services, although it remains unknown as to the exact reason why they went for Piroe instead.
It’s fair to say Wolverhampton Wanderers have struggled during the infancy of this Premier League season so far, with Gary O’Neil already having his work cut out for him in the Molineux hot seat.
O’Neil will hope he’s given time to turn things around, with the Old Gold currently occupying a space in the bottom three in the top-flight, considering the ex-AFC Bournemouth boss did steer Wolves to a safe and secure finish above the drop-zone last season in 14th spot.
Wolves manager Gary O'Neil
He will be well aware that performances will need to improve, however, if he is to stay fixed to his current job post, with the attackers at his disposal failing to strike fear into Premier League defenders currently.
Only Matheus Cunha has really looked dangerous in attack, with two strikes next to his name from six league games to date, whilst other members of the Wolves frontline have unfortunately faded into the background.
Matheus Cunha
Namely, both Sasa Kalajdzic and Goncalo Guedes are failing to justify their extortionate price tags in O’Neil’s camp up top, with Kalajdzic still in the treatment room whilst his Portuguese teammate continues to struggle on the periphery in the West Midlands.
Kalajdzic's struggles at Wolves
You would forgive even the most ardent Wolves fan if they had forgotten about the existence of Kalajdzic, who has been plagued with dreadful luck when it comes to injuries ever since entering the building in the summer of 2022.
He was a bumper buy under the Bruno Lage regime too, costing the club an excessive £15m fee at the time, only for him to now be known as an injury-ravaged asset.
The Austrian centre-forward did warrant the bumper amount two years ago on his arrival arguably, having bagged a promising 24 goals from 60 games playing for former employers Stuttgart, before making the cursed move to England a reality.
The 27-year-old, since his switch to Molineux, has only been fit to play 14 games in total for the West Midlands side, with only three strikes coming his way when he hasn’t been rushed back into the treatment room.
His miserable injury record was only further compounded out on loan with Eintracht Frankfurt last campaign, with the injury-prone attacker picking up his third ACL tear injury in five years, after initially impressing with three goal contributions picked up from six games out in Germany.
It’s led to Kalajdzic not even being registered as a part of O’Neil’s squad for this top-flight season, with the towering 6 foot 7 colossus sidelined for some time once more.
Goncalo Guedes for Wolves
Away from the Austrian’s continued woes off the pitch, Guedes hasn’t found it any easier himself to fit in at Wolves, having also been a bumper buy in the same window Kalajdzic joined the ranks.
Guedes' struggles at Wolves
Guedes is arguably more of the flop out of the two, with his ex-Stuttgart counterpart at least able to fall back on his wretched luck with injuries, away from simply putting in poor performances when playing.
On the contrary, the lacklustre Old Gold number 29 has never sparked into life on the pitch since moving to England, having cost Wolves a whopping £27.5m to get in through the door.
Helping himself to 66 goal contributions donning a Valencia strip before his switch to the Premier League, Guedes just hasn’t ever been able to leave his mark on proceedings regularly enough in the tough demands of the English top-flight, with this above goal his only strike in the league to date.
He has shown off his prowess somewhat in the EFL Cup this campaign, with three goals from two in that competition, but he continues to be pushed into the background by O’Neil in the bread and butter of the Premier League.
Guedes’ goal record away from Wolves on loan
Club played for
Games played
Goals scored
Benfica
29
2
Villarreal
19
3
Sourced by Transfermarkt
The misfiring Wolves flop has even been chucked out on loan to try and get him up and running again, but those moves saw Guedes recede into his shell instead of shaking off his goal-shy image, with only five goals managed from a combined 48 appearances for both Benfica and Villarreal.
Any Wolves supporter would hold their hands up now and realise that both of these buys recklessly dented the bank account, as both figures in question go down as major duds two years on from first entering the building.
Wolves boss Gary O'Neil
To further pile on the misery for O’Neil’s men, Wolves could have signed this “elite” star to improve their attacking options – as he has been described by football talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past – around the same time period, who is now taking the Premier League by storm.
The player who Wolves tried to sign
According to a report from 90min back in 2022, Wolves were once in the running to sign exciting winger Noni Madueke, way before he exploded onto the scene with Chelsea.
This would have been a far less costly decision to make than snapping up either Kalajdzic or Guedes would prove to be, with the current Blues star only worth in the region of £14.9m at the time, as per Transfermarkt.
Wolves’ error would end up being Chelsea’s major success story, however, as the former PSV Eindhoven winger has been at his blistering best so far this season under the new managerial methods of fresh Blues boss Enzo Maresca.
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There would have been a worry in the air last season that Madueke would ultimately end up being another unnecessary splurge on Chelsea’s end, with the now one-time England international only managing to score an uninspiring six goals in the Premier League across his first two flat seasons at Stamford Bridge.
Now, however, there are no such concerns, as Madueke – who cost just a little more than Guedes to obtain in 2023 at around the £29m mark – has a blistering four goals from seven appearances so far this campaign.
Madueke’s performance vs Wolves
Stat
Madueke
Minutes played
90
Goals scored
3
Assists
0
Shots
6
Touches
38
Accurate passes
15/18 (83%)
Key passes
1
Big chances created
1
Stats by Sofascore
Funnily enough, the standout display of the stellar 22-year-old’s season to date came against the side who were once noted as being keen on his services, with Madueke firing home a hat-trick to play a major role in Chelsea humiliating Wolves 6-2 on their own patch at the tail end of August.
Whilst Chelsea look to be on the up under Maresca with Madueke coming into his own among other top performers in West London, O’Neil will be stressed in the West Midlands that a long and hard battle against relegation is now on the horizon, with a lack of a tricky winger like the Blues attacker at his disposal after Pedro Neto’s disappointing exit this summer.
In an alternate reality, Wolves might well have been able to land the ex-PSV man before Chelsea swooped in, but all focus now rests on O’Neil attempting to get a tune of what he was in the here and now in a bid to push the Old Gold up the league sooner rather than later.
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Thinking ahead to the future of Arne Slot’s side, Liverpool are now reportedly plotting a move to sign a former Manchester United player who could eventually replace Andy Robertson.
Liverpool transfer news
For what they’ll feel is the first time in forever, it’s been an international full of fairly positive news for Liverpool, with Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah both leaving their respective international camps early. Meanwhile, the transfer rumours have stolen plenty of headlines in that time too.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk
The Reds have been linked with moves for the likes of Orkun Kokcu and Serbian teenager Andrija Makisimovic in the last week or so in deals that would focus on both the present and future of their midfield.
Kocku would be a particularly interesting arrival, given that he previously worked so successfully under Slot at Feyenoord before securing a move to Benfica. Now on Liverpool’s radar, he could get a reunion with his former manager.
When 2025 arrives, those at Anfield will certainly be expected to be a lot busier than in the last transfer window, in which they welcomed just two fresh faces in the form of Federico Chiesa and Giorgi Mamardashvili. And if that does prove to be the case, then they even sign a former Manchester United ace.
Liverpool star outshone the "best defender in the world" for his country
The Liverpool hero has been immense for Arne Slot this season.
ByAngus Sinclair
According to Jornal de Noticias in Portugal, via Paisley Gates, Liverpool are now plotting a move to sign Alvaro Carreras ahead of Real Madrid in a deal that would see those at Anfield trigger the left-back’s £42m release clause. The report claims FSG are “not scared” to stump up the cash to hit that number, competing with the likes of Real, Barcelona and Manchester United.
Graduating from Real Madrid’s academy, Carreras completed a move to Manchester United in 2020 before heading out on loan to Preston North End, Granada and Bencia, with the latter moving to make his arrival permanent in the summer just gone. Since thriving, Carreras has entered Liverpool’s radar in what would be quite the way to prove the Red Devils wrong in 2025.
"Dominant" Carreras can become Robertson heir
Whilst there’s no doubt that Robertson already has both his Anfield and Premier League legacy as one of the best left-backs to ever step foot in England’s top flight, the Scotland captain can’t go on forever. Now 30 years old, Robertson’s peak may just begin to allude him more and more as the years go by, leaving the door ajar for Carreras to potentially step in and become the heir to his Liverpool role.
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The Benfica gem is certainly rated among Liverpool fans already, with Watch LFC dubbing him a “physically dominant” player and “calm under pressure” when recently evaluating his talents.
Still just 21 years old, Carreras represents an investment that Liverpool would be wise to make at just £42m, especially when considering the added blow that they’d deal former clubs Real Madrid and Manchester United.