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Sunderland’s sensational piece of summer business to sign Bailey Wright on a free following his release from Bristol City has proven to be an even better deal than first thought, with the defender now being likened to Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk by Black Cats icon Kevin Phillips.

What’s the word?

Wright initially joined Sunderland on a half-season loan in January and made five appearances for the North East giants before the campaign was cut short, only to return this summer and sign a two-year contract following the expiration of his Bristol City deal as CEO Jim Rodwell got a deal over the line.

The Australian has proven an integral aspect of manager Phil Parkinson’s side since, with Wright starting all six of the Black Cats’ League One fixtures and captaining the Stadium of Light natives against Peterborough and Charlton Athletic.

Parkinson has been more than happy with the form seen from Wright, too, noting ahead of this weekend’s clash with Portsmouth how the 28-year-old is offering Sunderland a leader he feared the Black Cats would not be able to sign permanently.

“Bailey was a great signing for us in the summer,” said Parkinson, via quotes by the Northern Echo. “He was a player I’d been speaking to all through lockdown, although we weren’t sure we would be able to get the deal done.

“Credit to the owner of the football club for enabling us to do that, and also to Bailey as well because he was realistic. He can see the potential at Sunderland, and enjoyed his loan time here.

“He’s a very good player. He’s a leader, he’s been a captain at Championship level, and he’s a great influence, on and off the pitch.”

The praise for Wright has kept on coming, too, with Sunderland icon Phillips taken back by what the centre-half has brought to his former home.

“He’s been a great signing,” Phillips told Football Insider. “I don’t know the player, but I just get the feeling that he’s a leader and a voice in the dressing room.

“Sometimes the manager can only say so much and then you want of your senior experience players to pipe up and put a few people in their place and give encouragement and be a leader. He seems like that.

“The stats just show what an important player he is. He’s almost to Sunderland what van Dijk is to Liverpool at the moment with those incredible stats.”

Sunderland’s Van Dijk?

Van Dijk is among the world’s best centre-halves with no better proof than in the Dutchman being named the runner-up to Lionel Messi for the 2019 Ballon d’Or, having already been named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, Premier League Player of the Season and UEFA Men’s Player of the Year.

For Wright to be compared to a player of that calibre shows what Sunderland were able to acquire this summer, while the leadership that Parkinson and Phillips both laud the Australian for will prove pivotal to any promotion push as the Stadium of Light natives strive to avoid a fourth campaign in the third-tier.

One of the standout aspects of Wright’s game that warrants the comparisons with van Dijk is that the Sunderland ace is yet to be dribbled past in a League One fixture this term, something the Liverpool star has frequently been praised for by using his pace and strength to devastating effect.

Liverpool’s £75million man restricted just eight players into being able to record successful dribbles against him over the last three full Premier League seasons, with no single player able to get the better of the Dutchman on multiple occasions.

Wright has also stood out this term with an average 5.8 duels won a game in the league, plus 5.7 clearances, 1.2 tackles, 0.7 interceptions and 0.8 shots, though missed his best chance to score his first Sunderland goal, per SofaScore.

AND in other news, a selection dilemma must see Phil Parkinson award a 20-year-old talent his Sunderland debut.

Memphis Depay shined while on international duty for the Netherlands versus Spain in a friendly game last night.

The match finished 1-1 as Manchester United star Donny van de Beek cancelled out an opener from Sergio Canales, with Premier League players such as Nathan Ake, Gini Wijnaldum, Hector Bellerin and Rodri on show.

However, it was the performance of Depay that may have caught the eye for several members of the Goodison Park faithful.

Indeed, the Merseyside club were linked with a move for the Holland international back in June, and may well rekindle their interest in the January transfer window given that he seems to have opened the door to a possible move away from Lyon this week.

Depay shone for his country

Indeed, Depay shone for his country on the night, achieving a 100% shot accuracy and also an 86% pass success rate. The 26 year-old also won no fewer than five of his duels, and managed to record five crosses, three successful dribbles and one key pass in the game (Fotmob).

This is not the first time that he has impressed while on international duty either, as former Toffees boss Ronald Koeman once described him as ‘a joy to watch’ when he was manager of the Oranje.

Depay could be a good signing for Everton

Indeed, Depay could be a good signing for the Blues as he is more than capable of stepping in if the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Richarlison are injured or misfiring in front of goal.

He has already scored five goals and supplied a further three assists in ten appearances in Ligue 1 so far in the 2020/21 season (Transfermarkt), highlighting that he has an eye for both a goal and an assist.

Nonetheless, time will tell if Ancelotti opts to renew his summer interest when January rolls around.

In other news, find out which Everton player has been linked with a January exit here!

Robert Platek, who was once linked with a takeover of Sunderland has purchased a new club in Danish side SønderjyskE Fodbold.

With the new 2020/21 season underway for Sunderland, talk of a potential takeover has somewhat softened.

Current Black Cats chief Stewart Donald has pressure mounting on his shoulders as his search for a new buyer of the club continues, having took over the Wearsiders in 2018 before sensationally revealing after just 19 months in charge that he wanted to sell the club.

A whole host of names have since been touted as his successor, including Sammy Yu, Mark Campbell, Michael Gray and energy drink entrepreneur William Storey to show an interest.

Linked with a potential takeover previously, Platek was a key member of FPP Sunderland, the trio of New York-based businessmen who held talks with Donald last year.

A deal did develop but not for Platek and his partners to take over but instead to loan Donald money to operate the club.

Taking over SønderjyskE Fodbold, a statement from the Danish club said: “The Platek family has just bought SønderjyskE Fodbold, which will thus have the opportunity to consolidate and develop further in the 3F Superliga.

“The organization will be the same, and so will the values ​​and the light blue colors. If the local support continues unabated, there is good reason to see light blue on the future of the South Jutland Superliga project.”

With talk somewhat subduing regarding a potential takeover at Sunderland this year, William Storey, linked with the club, has been the most recently vocal, providing fans with an update on how his talks with the Wearsiders are progressing.

Another potential owner takes his money elsewhere and it does look extremely unlikely that a takeover deal will develop anytime soon.

Stewart Donald continues to want to sell but little talk has seen a deal progress and focus must remain on the pitch at this present time.

Do you think someone will takeover Sunderland before the end of the season? Let us know in the comments section below…

Manchester United were one of the busiest sides on Deadline Day, signing several players including Brazilian left-back Alex Telles from FC Porto.

What’s the word?

According to the BBC’s Simon Stone, Telles has signed a four-year deal with the Red Devils retaining the option to extend his contract for a further year.

The Brazil international, who has won one cap for his country at the time of writing, has moved to Old Trafford for a reported fee worth £13.6m with add ons.

It means that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer finally has a full-back who can compete with Brandon Williams and Luke Shaw for a place in the starting line-up.

Solskjaer had been desperate to add a player in this position all summer and now he has hit the jackpot.

Shrewd signing

By all accounts it had been a relatively quiet transfer window at Old Trafford by their standards but the club were forced into a dramatic upturn after missing out on Jadon Sancho.

The Red Devils are in dire need of a full-back, even more so after Solskjaer’s side were on the receiving end of a 6-1 drubbing by Spurs which saw Shaw exposed several times.

And they have brought in Telles from Porto which may not only bring Solskjaer’s nightmares at the back to an abrupt end but could also stop Harry Maguire from dramatically regressing even further.

Per SofaScore, Shaw may live to regret his mistakes, as he lost possession 16 times throughout the game, whilst he committed three fouls and failed to make a single tackle.

The 25-year-old played 24 games in the Premier League last season, averaging 1.8 tackles, 1.3 clearances and at least 1 interception per game, via WhoScored.

In contrast Telles made 31 appearances for Porto in the Portuguese top-flight, averaging 1.1 tackles, 1.2 clearances and 1.8 interceptions per game, as per WhoScored. He also scored 13 goals and supplied 12 assists in all competitions for the club last season.

Solskjaer insists that “he is a fighter and a winner” which is surely a sign of things to come.

And former Brazil left-back Roberto Carlos believes that “Alex is a phenomenon. He is another player who, before long, will be part of the national team.”

Whilst it may seem like a press of the panic button, this is a transfer the club have been pursuing for some time, and it could turn out to be a shrewd bit of business by Ed Woodward. It could take the club to the next level from a left-back point of view as he is surely an upgrade on what they had at Old Trafford.

AND in other news, Man United’s failure to sign Jadon Sancho spells certain doom for Solskjaer…

Arsenal’s chase of Gabriel has been the story for the Gunners in the ongoing summer transfer window. But now, they really do seem like just one step away from announcing the defender and finally getting the deal over the line.

Or so Newcastle United would hope, at least. And this is a rather interesting situation as well because Steve Bruce is reportedly counting on Mikel Arteta to land his target so that he has a chance of scooping up Rob Holding on loan.

That’s what the Daily Mail have stated in their latest update and it seems the Magpies are keen on taking the 24-year-old to St. James Park. The same source confirms, however, that Holding would only be allowed to leave if Gabriel’s signature is first secured by Arsenal.

So Newcastle are very much rooting for their rivals to land the big-money target from Lille but will also have to be wary of other potential suitors. The Daily Mail say Leeds United are also interested since Marcelo Bielsa is looking for a Ben White alternative.

As things currently stand, Holding could very well quickly become a wanted man once his club does finalise the deal for Gabriel. And that could be just around the corner as well.

The transfer window is heating up and the Magpies are on a lookout for their first big signing of the summer.

Verdict

Even though he seems to be expendable and has been struggling at the Emirates as of late, Holding can still be a big reinforcement for Bruce. All that remains is beating the opposition in the race and secure the defender’s signature as soon as Arsenal announce Gabriel.

If the latest reports are to be believed, that should be done sooner rather than later. Maybe even today of all days.

Only time will tell.

Brentford once again fell short right at the end of the race and have ultimately missed out on their promotion chance for the Premier League. But that’s not the only thing they will have to yield this summer as Mirror claim Tottenham Hotspur are ready to invest around £16m for Said Benrahma in the ongoing transfer window.

Of course, the famous  ‘BMW’ trident consisting of Benrahma, Ollie Watkins and Bryan Mbeumo scored 58 for them throughout the campaign but now, as it seems, the Bees are finally ready to listen to offers and break up the band. Initially, as the same outlet informs, they wanted to get £25m for their forward with Arsenal and Chelsea also in the race.

But now that the Gunners are close to securing a deal for Willian and the Blues have already bought both Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, it seems the interest has dropped ever so slightly. This, of course, opens the door for Spurs to swoop in and get Benrahma for a cut-price deal.

Daniel Levy is reportedly ready to sanction a £16m investment into a player that would essentially serve as a back-up for Harry Kane. Even though their offer is still £9m short of Brentford’s evaluation, it has been suggested they might be open for negotiations.

The situation would’ve largely been different had the Bees actually secured Premier League football for 2020/21 but now, they won’t exactly have as much power in this deal as they probably would’ve hoped for.

For Spurs, however, this is a perfect opportunity to strike with no rivals to fend off and the value for their target being just right.

Benrahma will help lighten Kane’s load

Benrahma seems like a versatile option that could indeed be good support for Jose Mourinho’s front line. He was predominantly played on the left side at Brentford but he does often cut inside and position himself more centrally in attack.

And we know that Kane’s fitness can’t always be counted on, with the Englishman missing 17 games due to an injury last season, and players like Vincent Janssen and Fernando Llorente not impressing with their attempts to emulate his contribution.

Of course, Benrahma, while a quality player, can’t exactly match Kane’s output but he can definitely ease the load and give Spurs some of that much-needed depth on the bench.

Key information about Meadow Lane

Meadow Lane was built in 1910 and is now the home of National League’s Notts County. The ground is located in Nottingham, England and is actually only 300 yards away from the City Ground, Nottingham Forest’s stadium.

Its current capacity soars up to 21,388 and the pitch measures 104m by 70m. The field is not surrounded by a running track but the surface is covered with natural grass, albeit they don’t have undersoil heating installed just yet.

The record attendance is 47,310 as people flocked in to watch Notts County yield a 1–0 victory to York City in the FA Cup Sixth Round on 12 March 1955.

A history of Meadow Lane

Before they finally moved to Meadow Lane in 1910, Notts County were actually playing their football across the River Trent at Trent Bridge as a tenant of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. Needless to say, this was far from an ideal situation since the pitch was mostly used for cricket rather than football and this forced the club to play their fixtures either far too late in the evening or far too early in the morning to avoid overlaps.

This was of course deemed unacceptable by the Football League and the club was asked to either relocate or negotiate more favourable terms with their ‘landlord’. Shortly after that, they leased some land on the other side of the river and constructed a stadium there and got it ready for the beginning of the 1910/11 season.

The first game played there took place on 3 September 1910 and the grand opening was celebrated with a 1-1 draw against old rivals Nottingham Forest, watched by 27,000 supporters. Even though they would still face some problems with the lease, they settled at Meadow Lane and started with the upgrades in the early 1920s. The first of those was the expansion with earth banks and a newly built main stand. This was followed by the addition of another stand in 1923 that saw the old Sneinton Side replaced with the County Road Stand.

Further renovations were necessary after World War II since Meadow Lane was badly damaged by the bombing and there were no fixtures played during the 1942 campaign. Interestingly, in times of need, the stadium would also host their rivals, Nottingham Forest, on two occasions when their own ground was unavailable first after the war and then once again in 1968.

In 1978, the club also demolished the Meadow Lane End and subsequently replaced it with a building which housed new dressing rooms, a social club and a variety of other facilities but around that time, their capacity dwindled to only 24,000 places, a far cry from their plateau that was reached in 1955 when 47,310 supporters watched Notts County face York City.

Meadow Lane was modernised in the 1990s, which was also a reaction to the Bradford City stadium fire and Hillsborough disaster with the Meadow Lane End, County Road Stand and Spion Kop all getting replaced in 1992 by the Family Stand, the Jimmy Sirrel Stand and the Spion Kop Stand respectively and the main stand by the Derek Pavis Stand two years after that.

In 2002, the stadium was briefly called Aaron Scargill Stadium due to sponsorship reasons but that couldn’t last and after the deal fell through, the ground’s name reverted back to Meadow Lane. Over the years and in modern times, there were several changes but none too drastic.

The Derek Pavis Stand now has a number of conference and function facilities to complement their Broken Wheelbarrow bar which is located behind the Family Stand. And the Family stand also got renamed to the Haydn Green Family Stand in 2007.

Tickets to watch Notts County at Meadow Lane

All the tickets to watch Notts County at Meadow Lane can be found on the club’s official website. The price range will vary depending on the seat you choose and the time of the purchase but you can find tickets for around £22-£24 for adults.

They also offer season tickets to their fans with the price for adults and seniors previously being £276 and £184 respectively. More information can be found on their website.

Related links

https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Notts County

This article forms part of our Profit Players feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.

Manchester City scored in stoppage time to be crowned champions for the first time in 44 years as they beat Queen’s Park Rangers to snatch the Premier League title away from Manchester United on goal difference.

If you cast your mind back to 2012, Tottenham Hotspur were firmly in contention for the title, although history has long since forgotten them.

Tottenham began the campaign with a pair of disappointing defeats to both Manchester clubs before bouncing back with a remarkable run of 31 points from a possible 33 which spurred the Lilywhites into life.

Ultimately they came up short, as back-to-back defeats to United and Arsenal triggered a collapse in February which all but ended their hopes and dreams, yet this was a season where legends were made.

After arriving from Real Madrid on deadline day in 2010, Rafael van der Vaart’s Spurs spell was short but sweet. Daniel Levy made a surprise move to sign the midfielder just two hours before the transfer window closed and he managed to get the deal over the line, although this wasn’t without controversy.

Technology problems caused a discrepancy, which led to a nervous wait. However, the club were reassured after the Premier League sanctioned the signing following an investigation into the claims.

Van der Vaart’s arrival coincided with the club’s first ever Champions League campaign. It is fair to say the 27-year-old carried the burden of expectations on his shoulders, as he had just helped his country to reach the World Cup final.

Harry Redknapp had developed a habit for getting the best out of players who were arguably past their prime – Paolo di Canio being an obvious example. In a bizarre twist of fate, Van der Vaart had been deemed surplus to requirements by then-Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, who is now in charge of Tottenham.

The Dutchman, affectionately known as ‘Rafa’, didn’t allow this to deter him and subsequently scored on his home debut against Wolves. He went on to score three goals in his first four Premier League games. He finished his first season at White Hart Lane with 15 goals to his name, forming a potent partnership with Peter Crouch, who had created eight of those efforts.

Van der Vaart missed his chance to write his name in the history books after he saw his penalty saved in the club’s first home game in the Champions League against FC Twente, but quickly made amends almost immediately after the break to set Spurs up for a famous 4-1 victory.

This sparked a memorable run in the competition, including the iconic back-and-forth games with Inter Milan, opening the scoring in the second game at the Lane before Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko added the extras. Gareth Bale gets most of the credit for that night but it was actually his teammate who got the ball rolling.

He established himself as a cult hero at the club as he developed a penchant for scoring against Arsenal. In fact, he ended up bagging four goals and three assists against the Gunners in as many games in the Premier League.

Van der Vaart scored another 13 goals in the 2011/12 season before returning to his former side Hamburg.

The fact he achieved so much in such a short space of time is quite remarkable, as it was reflected by his market value, which skyrocketed from £13.5m in August 2010 to £22.5m by February 2012 (stats provided by Transfermarkt).

While his time at Tottenham was ultimately cut short, as it was inextricably linked to Redknapp’s sacking in the summer of 2012, fans will never forget his heroics in front of the home crowd for many years to come.

Levy, forever the businessman, managed to sell him for £10.3m, making a tidy profit in the process.

All things considered, signing Van der Vaart turned out to be a fantastic decision by the Spurs chairman, as he played a key part in several priceless moments in the club’s history during a two-year stint, before being sold for £2m more than what they initially paid for him.

Tottenham fans, do you think Rafael van der Vaart was a shrewd signing by Daniel Levy? Have your say by commenting below!

However, this video might come as a surprise to supporters as the club tried to re-sign the Kenyan international this season, according to the Daily Mail and The Sun, but the player chose Montreal Impact, where he has only managed one appearance at Thierry Henry’s club before football was postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The player has also spoken about wanting to return to the Hoops, according to The Athletic, via celticbible, as he said: “I want to play for Celtic again before I finish. I have unfinished business there. I love that club.”

Wanyama made 91 appearances for the Hoops, managing to score 13 goals and grab nine assists, whilst winning the league twice as well as the Scottish Cup once (as per Transfermarkt) before moving to the English Premier League to play for both Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur.

It will be interesting to see whether he will be welcomed back with open arms if he does return to Parkhead.

Celtic fans, what are your thoughts on Wanyama’s post? Comment below with your views!

Name: Ethan Laird

Club: Manchester United

Date of Birth: 5 August 2001

Position: Full-back (Right, left)

Ethan Laird – his career so far

Ethan Benjamin Laird has been a part of Manchester United’s family ever since a young age and has progressed through the academy ranks and into the development squads, impressing the right people and turning some heads along the way.

The academy graduate became a regular presence as he broke into the squad in the season 2017/18 as a first-year scholar. That marked the beginning of a great journey full of success and impressive feats in the process as well.

Interestingly enough, despite being the youngest player in Man United’s academy intake for the year 2017, he ended up with 19 appearances under his belt and also featured for their U23 squad and in the UEFA Youth League as well.

Still, he continued his stay with the U18s throughout 2018/19, which was unfortunately marked with an unlucky injury that prevented him from registering meaningful minutes across some parts of the campaign, and would then explode in the following season, staking his claim once again.

Apart from scoring his first EFL Cup goal in a win at Rotherham United, he would also bounce back from another injury setback to finally make his full senior debut in the Europa League match against Astana in Kazakhstan at the end of November. That one would be followed up by his second first-team appearance in a 4-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar not even a month later.

As a whole, Laird registered 28 appearances for the U18s, scoring three goals and assisting further seven as well. Across 14 games he played for the U23 squad, however, he mustered one goal and three assists.

Of course, he would also feature in the UEFA Youth Cup, tallying 11 appearances and three assists once again. Unfortunately, he is yet to register another senior team game after the initial two in November and December of 2019.

But given his talent and ceiling, that could still very well be on the agenda in the not so distant future for the youngster.

Transfer latest

Laird’s current contract is still viable until 2023 and the youngster seems to be in the Red Devils’ plans for the future at the very moment. At least that’s what some of the recent transfer rumours surrounding his teammate Diogo Dalot could suggest if we try to read between the lines.

Reportedly, Dalot is linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain and just the fact that the transfer is a possibility could be a big sign for the young 19-year-old full-back. If Man United were to be deprived of another wide defender, that could possibly suggest they do have faith in their academy graduate as well, otherwise there’d be no chance of that going through.

Of course, no Manchester United news can actually confirm Laird is in Solskjaer’s plans for the future but there’s also nothing out there among the transfer news that would suggest otherwise.

One way or the other, the following season could be a huge one for the young full-back.

Player profile

Laird is a pacey full-back who has always excelled defensively but has managed to add more attacking flair to his profile over the years of his development at Man United’s academy. When he does enter the final third, either with or without the ball, he has the ability to link up with his teammates well and even threaten the goal himself.

But it’s his ability to keep the defence organised and ticking that makes him a huge asset in the backline. Apart from being quite solid in duels as well as a commanding presence on the pitch, his work rate and determination could be what makes the difference further down the line of his career.

And Laird can also boast with good technical abilities which make him cool in possession and secure on the ball. Overall, he has the makings of a great modern defender who can excel in both the attacking and the defensive phases of play.