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One of West Brom’s reported summer transfer targets has spoken out about his failed move to the Hawthorns this week, and it’s rather damning…

What’s the word?

Speaking to Belgian outlet Het Nieuwsblad, Club Brugge striker Emmanuel Dennis revealed that the Baggies had offered him “crazy” wages to make the switch, he said:

“Wages were not the problem. The wages were crazy. And I have also played enough international matches [to obtain a work permit]. The problem was that it was a loan and with the [option to buy] clause in the contract. West Brom was a good deal. If they stayed in the Premier League, they would have bought me. Then I would have been playing in the Premier League for at least two years.”

According to other reports during the window, the 22-year-old commanded an asking price of around €20m (£18m), which isn’t too dissimilar to the deal Albion struck with Huddersfield for Karlan Grant.

Clearly, though, the Belgian league champions wanted the finances upfront.

Inexcusable error?

Forwards signed from the Belgian Pro League have often struggled to get to grips with the Premier League, as seen with Wesley Moraes and Mbwana Samatta, who have both failed to hit the ground running up the road at arch-rivals Aston Villa.

However, Dennis could have been the exception.

Last season, the Nigerian international bagged nine goals in all competitions, which includes an incredible brace against Real Madrid in the Champions League. There aren’t any players within the Albion ranks that can boast such a feat.

It led to Gary Lineker dubbing him “Dennis the Menace” on Twitter whilst he’s even been tipped to become the next Jadon Sancho and been lauded as the ‘Nigerian Neymar.’

That form has continued into the current campaign where he has scored on the elite stage once again, scoring against Zenit St Petersburg on Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, the Baggies linger near the bottom of the Premier League table without a win so far this season.

The emerging forward is averaging two shots and 1.7 dribbles per game, via WhoScored which suggests that he’d have been the perfect fit under Slaven Bilic – someone who can drop deep to bring others into play as well as being lethal in front of the sticks.

You can’t help but feel that sporting and technical director Luke Dowling has made one inexcusable error here as he shouldn’t have tried to be too clever with a deal for a player that’s done it at the very top.

Grant is a good signing nonetheless, but his experience topped out at the Championship until his blank debut on Monday night.

AND in other news, Baggies may have just unearthed their next Harvey Barnes…

Leeds United have wasted no time at all in getting their transfer business started ahead of their first Premier League campaign in 16 years.

The Whites have already announced the permanent signing of Illan Meslier, and they’re also expected to announce Jack Harrison’s return on loan for a third time, with a re-negotiated option to buy at the end of the season.

United had the option to purchase Harrison for £8m this summer, but they’ve instead opted to move that to next year, keeping him on loan for one more season.

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Understandably, they’ve had to re-negotiate the fee with Manchester City, and Phil Hay has now revealed just how much they will have to pay for him if they want to sign him permanently.

What’s been said then?

The journalist was speaking on his podcast about the Harrison situation, going over the fact that he’ll be staying on loan for another year rather than signing permanently this summer.

Eventually, he got onto the fact that the fee will be slightly higher than originally agreed.

“If they take him on permanently next summer, which I expect them to, they will have to pay slightly more. You’d be looking at £10m rather than £8m, and it suits everybody to do that.” He said (The Phil Hay Show 24/2/20 23:30)

Great move

As things stand, Harrison is a winger proven at Championship level, and £8m for a player of that calibre doesn’t necessarily represent great value, but it would be a decent deal for Leeds to complete, considering the fees we’ve seen paid for the likes of Anthony Knockaert and Tom Ince in recent years, two players who haven’t produced at the same rate as Harrison this term.

However, Leeds do plan on being a Premier League outfit going forward, so having Championship standard players isn’t really what they’re going to be about, so if Harrison doesn’t show he’s up to top-flight standards next term, they can be rid of him with very little fuss, while if he does prove himself, £10m for a winger who can cut it in the Premier League is a great bit of business.

Celtic have already encountered some bumps in the road on their path to a tenth title in a row but a 6-0 thrashing to KR Reykjavik in midweek provides cause for optimism.

Neil Lennon’s side were last seen in the Scottish Premiership drawing 1-1 with Kilmarnock before Boli Bolingoli’s breach of lockdown regulations sparked a postponement to the next two fixtures on the list.

It seen the Hoops drift to six points adrift of the league-leading Rangers, who are yet to concede themselves.

Despite not playing a competitive match in over a week, the Bhoys romped to victory in their opening Champions League qualifier with five different names getting on the scoresheet.

But what was most interesting was the introduction of in-demand star Olivier Ntcham, who still sits as the third-choice central midfield option.

He came on and provided a sublime assist for Mohamed Elyounoussi’s second and Celtic’s final goal in injury time and it was merely a glimpse into the quality the 24-year-old Frenchman has at his disposal.

Might it finally be time for the baton to be passed down?

Scott Brown isn’t getting any younger at 35 and whilst he can still give the Scottish Premiership a run for their money, it’s time to give Ntcham a shot at being the starter.

The Parkhead veteran has only been able to average 0.4 key passes so far this season and his 6.27 rating by WhoScored in the SPFL is hardly inspiring either.

Premier League duo Southampton and Everton have been linked to Ntcham this summer whilst Lille nearly made an £8m ploy for him back in January, so he could be tempted to leave Celtic Park if he doesn’t earn a starting place anytime soon.

We know Lennon is a fan of his, calling him “unbelievable” in their defeat to Cluj and “excellent” amidst his uncertain future this summer.

Don’t bin off Brown completely, but at least give the coveted Frenchman a regular place as the club starts that transition into the future of that midfield position where the 35-year-old has been a mainstay for what seems like an eternity.

AND in other news, Hoops step up their scouting of gifted playmaker…

Newcastle United have been awaiting the decision regarding their prospective £300m takeover for nearly two months now.

It’s still with the Premier League, who are conducting their owners and directors test alongside having to get the 2019/20 campaign back underway.

ChronicleLive reporter Mark Douglas has revealed some insight into the goings-on where he claims that someone involved in the process believes it is the ‘most complicated’ takeover they’ve ever had to deal with.

In a recent Q&A, he said:

“Just impossible to put a date on it, so I won’t put my neck on the line. This has been – in the words of someone I spoke to – the most complicated takeover they’ve ever presided over. With that and the restart to deal with, I’m not surprised it’s taken longer than usual.”

With the situation continuing to drag out, plenty at St James’ Park are starting to get worried by the prospects of it not being passed by the PL.

This hasn’t been aided by fresh reports that have thrown the whole takeover into doubt. The Guardian revealed that the World Trade Organisation had found the Saudi state to be involved in pirate streaming service beoutQ, which broadcasts English top-flight games illegally.

Think you’re a big Magpies fan? Can you name these former players by looking at their careers? Go on, give it a go…

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However, it must be proven that those involved in the Magpies’ takeover are indeed involved in the controversy.

AND in other news, Paul Smith delivers PL update over Newcastle takeover…

According to Telefoot’s Julien Maynard, Tottenham are one of the teams interested in Lille attacker Jonathan Ikone.

What’s the word?

After drawing a disappointing blank against a relegation-threatened Bournemouth on Thursday night, it’s no surprise to see that Spurs are seemingly after another forward player this summer.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…



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And as per Maynard, both Spurs and Newcastle have inquired about signing Ikone, and that despite him having a contract with Lille until 2023, could leave the French side if a “significant offer” comes in.

Potential

At just 22, Ikone is already a fully-fledged France international, despite the wealth of attacking talent Les Bleus have at their disposal. With 11 caps and two goals to his name, it’s a testament to how highly-rated he is, that he is able to find his place in a squad including the likes of Kylian Mbappe et al.

Originally coming through the PSG academy, it was Lille’s sporting director Luis Campos who unearthed Ikone and brought him to the Ligue 1 giants’ rivals for a reported €5m (£4.4m).

Can you name every one of Spurs’ top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…



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Campos, of course has been linked with a move to Spurs to work alongside Jose Mourinho, whom he has admitted to having a close relationship with. Valued at £32.4m, Ikone is very much an exciting attacker who looks to take the game to the opposition.

Last season saw him play in multiple different positions, including through the middle as a number nine, just behind the central striker, and even on both flanks too. Averaging a very impressive 2.6 dribbles per game, Ikone perhaps doesn’t have the same kind of renown or recognition that Nicolas Pepe built up in his time at Lille, which eventually saw him make a big-money to Arsenal.

But still only 22, he has plenty of time to grow and develop, and could be the kind of under-the-radar signing that gives Spurs further strength in depth both out wide and up top.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

As the saying goes: attack is the best form of defence.

In Southampton’s case, their defence is statistically the worst in the Premier League this season having conceded 32 goals in 14 outings.

A report from The Mirror (print version, November 12, page 53) revealed that Ralph Hasenhuttl is targeting a ‘top quality centre-back’ and a new right-back in the January transfer window.

However, another report from The Telegraph outlined that Southampton owner Gao Jisheng will give the former RB Leipzig boss ‘limited’ funds to work with this winter, which isn’t ideal given the surgery needed in the Saints’ backline.

“Southampton are still also intending to appoint a specialist in player trading, although Ralph Hasenhuttl will be limited in his January budget and will largely need to turn Southampton’s season around with his existing squad.”

So, what could Hasenhuttl do to counterbalance his awful defence without spending huge amounts?

Well, while it may not necessarily stop the goals flying past Alex McCarthy, the Austrian must begin to play Moussa Djenepo and Sofiane Boufal together on the flanks.

This is something that Hasenhuttl hasn’t done from the start of any Premier League game so far this term, except for the 1-0 win away to Sheffield United – however, Djenepo oddly started at left wing-back.

In that particular game, there was no such evidence that the pair would cause havoc together, although their performance against Watford recently when Boufal came off the bench to play the last 34 minutes evoked extremely positive signs.

The former Lille man recorded a whopping five dribbles in just over half-an-hour on the field – only one player completed more.

Incidentally, that was Djenepo with seven, one of which led to Danny Ings’ crucial equaliser.

Boufal put Nathan Redmond to shame with his cameo showing, as the former Birmingham man could only muster up one dribble and no key passes.

It feels like it will take a couple of transfer windows to repair the lackadaisical personnel within Southampton’s defence, although by playing the African duo and allowing them to pin back opponents with their directness and flair, perhaps the Saints’ backline will be afforded some more respite.

In other Southampton news, Hasenhuttl may have suffered yet another transfer setback after an update in the Championship…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Eric Dier turned in a remarkably poor performance as Tottenham Hotspur lost to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.

On the chalkboard

The defensive midfielder played alongside Moussa Sissoko in central midfield against the German giants as Jose Mourinho rotated his starting XI.

Of course, the Portuguese made changes safe in the knowledge that Spurs had already secured their qualification for the knockout rounds via a second-placed finish behind the Bundesliga champions.

The likes of Kyle Walker-Peters, Ryan Sessegnon and Juan Foyth were subsequently included in the XI but Dier was perhaps the second-worst player on the pitch, after Lucas Moura, who completed just four passes across his 65 minutes.

Per WhoScored, the 25-year-old had 35 touches of the ball prior to his 81st-minute substitution when Victor Wanyama replaced him.

He had a pass success rate of just 64%, made just one tackle in his role as a ball-winning midfielder and was dribbled past on two separate occasions.

The 25-year-old failed to complete a dribble, win an aerial duel or have a shot on goal. This wasn’t so much an all-action performance as a stroll in the park for Dier, watching football being played around him.

No clues whatsoever: Which seasons do these iconic Spurs images belong to?

Stop playing him

Mourinho needs to drop Dier.

This is not a player who looks match fit, nor does he appear to be having much of a positive impact on any game he plays.

Overall, he has averaged a WhoScored rating of just 6.76 in the Premier League and a mere 6.17 in the Champions League.

This is just the latest example of a poor display and one has to believe that there are better options available.

Mourinho could potentially call upon the youth of Oliver Skipp or hope that Tanguy Ndombele returns to full fitness quickly.

One thing is certain, though; Dier simply isn’t good enough.

Meanwhile, a Spurs youngster has been compared with a Chelsea legend.

Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana is being lined up as a potential transfer target for PSG, according to the Daily Mirror.

Lallana, 31, has made just eight appearances this season for the Reds, finding difficulty in breaking into a team that sits at the top of the Premier League.

The former Southampton captain did score the equaliser at Old Trafford to ensure that Jurgen Klopp’s men maintained their unbeaten start, however.

He’s out of contract at Anfield in the summer, leaving the French giants free to pursue his signature on a free transfer when the January transfer window arrives.

Thomas Tuchel wants Lallana to replace forward Edinson Cavani, who is being linked with a move to the MLS.

LA Galaxy are chasing the Uruguayan to replace the recently departed Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who left the club after two seasons.

Lallana would hardly be a natural replacement; in his 186 Premier League games, the England intentional has scored 30 goals, a strike rate that falls some way short of Cavani’s.

Here’s how some Liverpool fans reacted to the transfer rumour:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Leeds United have been linked with a number of big-name players ahead of the January transfer window.

Indeed, the Whites have been touted with moves for the likes of Matej Vydra (The Mirror, 22/11, page 74) and Nahitan Nandez, but it doesn’t seem likely that any of these deals will happen after Phil Hay provided a rather worrying FFP update.

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What’s been said then?

Hay was hosting a Q&A session with The Athletic after the Whites’ 1-0 win over Reading on Tuesday night.

One fan asked the journalist about Leeds’ chances of signing Dwight Gayle, and the reporter’s response gave an insight into the club’s current financial situation.

“His wage is massive. To make it happen you’d have to push the boat up and Leeds are right up near the FFP limit. They could breach it and be damned but that wasn’t the attitude in the summer.” Hay responded.

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Concerning

We’ve known that Leeds have been cutting it fine with FFP for a while after Angus Kinnear gave an update on the situation earlier this year, but this update paints a worrying picture.

For Hay to say that Leeds are right up near the limit is really worrying, and while fans will want signings in January this makes it almost impossible.

This update also means that we can pretty much write off the possibility of some of the recent transfer stories that have emerged such as a move for the £19.8m-rated Nandez.

With Leeds set to sign Helder Costa for £15m next summer, they’ll have to look at being a little more cautious in January in case they fail to go up.

Of course, the sums of money granted from being promoted are huge. Aston Villa were set to earn £170m for winning the playoffs last term.

In other news, Phil Hay has delivered a triple transfer blow for Leeds.

A selection of Sunderland supporters have been reacting on social media to an EFL Cup last 16 memory ahead of Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup clash with Oxford United.

The Black Cats have not featured in the fourth round of the EFL competition since their relegation from the Premier League when they were beaten by Southampton, but three years prior it was the North East outfit who had the better of the Saints.

Sunderland hosted Southampton at the Stadium of Light on November 6, 2013, when goals by Phil Bardsley and Sebastian Larsson ensured the south coast side would be sent home as the defeated team.

Bardsley opened the scoring 14 minutes into the second-half, when he pounced on the ball after Saints shot-stopper Kelvin Davis could only parry Jozy Altidore’s header.

The American striker would again be involved in the action when he teed Larsson up to double the Black Cats’ advantage, with Altidore slotting his Swedish teammate through into the box to stroke the ball home under Davis.

Find out what happened when a world-record-holding freestyler attempting skills with the worst pair of boots available on eBay in the video below…

Sunderland would go on to reach the EFL Cup Final that season, where they would be beaten by Manchester City, having overcome Chelsea in the Quarter-Final and Manchester United over the two-legged Semi-Finals.

Fans have been reflecting on the EFL Cup memory from 2013 as they prepare for their Fourth Round meeting with Phil Parkinson’s Oxford United on Tuesday night.

The U’s booked their place in the last 16 after beating Premier League West Ham United 4-0 in the Third Round.

Here are some of the messages shared from Sunderland fans reflecting on the 2013 clash with Southampton…