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Wolves: Lage shares Mosquera injury update

Having gone unbeaten in their five previous Premier League games, Wolves are currently eighth in the Premier League table with 34 points on the board, just four behind Manchester United in fourth place.

In addition to their good run of form and positive league position, it seems as though the Old Gold could be set to welcome one of their rarely-seen players back to action in the coming weeks to help Bruno Lage’s side make a push for European football.

What’s the news?

Wolves centre-back Yerson Mosquera has been recovering from a serious hamstring injury which he picked up back in September and has kept him out of action for a large period of the season,

Lage has been discussing the matter and have a hint as to when the Colombian could make a return, saying: “Maybe another month, I don’t know exactly, but he’s working hard in the gym. He feels better and doesn’t have any pain, he can do a lot of things in the gym.

“I have seen him outside running. It was a hard injury and he needs time to recover.”

Wolves signed the 20-year-old last summer from Atletico Nacional but he has only played nine minutes for the Old Gold in their Carabao Cup defeat against Tottenham early in the season, when he was unfortunately struck with his hamstring injury.

Fans will be thrilled

While the defender has yet to enjoy the chance to prove himself to the Molineux faithful, they will undoubtedly be happy to hear that he has been making steps towards a full recovery and could be back with the rest of his team-mates in the next few weeks.

With Lage also revealing his need for another centre-back in his squad earlier in the month but then saying that it will be unlikely for the club to sign one before deadline day, Mosquera’s return to full fitness could be just what the Wolves boss needs to make sure he ends his first season in charge at Molineux on a high note.

If the Colombian can make a full recovery as soon as possible, get into the Wolves team and show what he can do on the pitch, that would be the perfect way for the defender to put his nightmare start to life in England behind him. It is a huge boost for him and for his manager to hear Lage putting a not-too-distant timeframe on a possible return date for the 20-year-old.

In other news – Forget Traore: Lage can fix big Wolves issue with swoop for “fabulous” £4.5m-rated gem

Man United fans erupt over Cavani update

Flocking to Twitter, many Manchester United fans have gone wild for an update involving Edinson Cavani as reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano shares the latest.

Cavani, who was a regular for the Red Devils last campaign, making 26 Premier League appearances in total, has found himself playing more of a bit-part role since extending his stay at Old Trafford.

The Uruguayan, after contributing with 10 goals and three assists over his top-flight outings last year, has so far managed just two starts and three cameos off the bench – scoring once in that time (WhoScored).

This has led to rumours linking him with a move away as soon as January as top European clubs circle for the striker, but as per Romano, it appears United fans may not have to worry.

According to the transfer journalist, despite his lack of game time so far, United and new manager Ralf Rangnick still consider him an important member of the team with no approach made by La Liga giants Barcelona (Twitter).

He also refutes links to Corinthians, insisting supporters breathe easily as no club have taken a step to sign Cavani.

Man United fans buzz…

Given his impact last season and flashes of brilliance when given the opportunity this campaign, the 34-year-old could still have a role to play under Rangnick and it’s safe to say United fans are overjoyed he’s nowhere closer to the exit door.

Find all of their best reactions to the ‘amazing’ player news down below.

“Xmas has come early”

Credit: @charlton_88

“Let’s gooooooooo. I was really sad that’s he’s going now this is amazing news can’t be happier.”

Credit: @mo24_187

“Yessssss! Please stay, Edi!”

Credit: @alexcalin25

“Beautiful”

Credit: @Dhruvkundu4

“Thank you fab!!!”

Credit: @AhmadManny

“Good news for us”

Credit: @BishalKoley

“HE’S STAYING!!! MY STRIKER”

Credit: @JoshPinhoUTD

“Oooooooh”

Credit: @moLuffy22

Celtic: O’Rourke makes Carter-Vickers claim

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Celtic have already been in talks with Tottenham Hotspur over a possible permanent deal for Cameron Carter-Vickers for a few months. 

The lowdown

The £22k-p/w centre-back joined Ange Postecoglou’s side on a season-long loan from Spurs on transfer deadline day last August, and The Daily Record recently reported that Celtic hope to strike a permanent deal this month.

The loan agreement was believed to contain a £6m option to buy with ‘significant’ add-ons, but Spurs have indicated that there could be room for manoeuvre on the fee and the payment structure.

Celtic have spelt £2.2m so far this month on four new arrivals – Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi, Daizen Maeda and Johnny Kenny.

The latest

O’Rourke believes that the dialogue between Celtic and Tottenham over a permanent deal dates back to the early part of the season, with Carter-Vickers quickly making a big impression on Postecoglou at Parkhead.

The journalist told Give Me Sport: “I’m sure both clubs have been talking ever since Carter-Vickers made the move to Celtic Park in the summer. He’s established himself as a key player under Ange Postecoglou.”

The verdict

Carter-Vickers has been a regular at Celtic from the outset. He went straight into the team for the clash with Ross County on 11 September, the Hoops’ first game after he joined, and has only missed one Premiership match since.

The 24-year-old has been in excellent form, too. His average SofaScore rating of 7.45/10 ranks him fourth in the Celtic squad, above their top two goalscorers Kyogo Furuhashi and Jota.

Postecoglou said last month that he ‘wouldn’t have brought him in’ if he didn’t think there was long-term potential, while Parkhead legend Kenny Dalglish has dubbed the American an ‘excellent professional’.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the Hoops have apparently been working away at this move for an extended period, and hopefully the months of communication with Spurs won’t go to waste.

In other news, one pundit has been left very impressed by Celtic’s transfer window so far

Everton Predicted XI vs Crystal Palace

Everton will travel to Selhurst Park today in an important game where the Toffees must take their chances for a win that could put them back in the top half of the table.

Rafa Benitez’s side have only won one of their last five games, but their only victory was a convincing one, where they beat Arsenal 2-0 at Goodison Park on Monday evening, with Richarlison looking back to his best and their most recent win should take them into the Crystal Palace game full of confidence.

With that being said, here is how Football FanCast expects to see Everton line up vs Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

With only two changes to the starting side in the victory over Arsenal, just Mason Holgate and Andre Gomes get into the predicted XI for Sunday’s clash with Crystal Palace.

Mason Holgate comes in for Yerry Mina as the defender sustained an injury in the 31st minute of the Arsenal game, with Rafa Benitez ruling him out of the Premier League fixture this week.

The £64k-per-week defender has made seven appearances for the Toffees so far this season, so shouldn’t have a problem integrating back into the backline amidst Mina’s injury.

One player who caught the eye against Arsenal but was not in the original line up was Andre Gomes, who put in a fantastic performance when he was subbed onto the pitch in the 66th minute of the game. That substitution effectively changed the game as the midfielder worked well in the centre to lead to two late goals for Demarai Gray and Richarlison.

The Portuguese should get into the team over Andros Townsend today, although the wide man has found good form with Everton, it could be a good chance to give the 30-year-old a rest ahead of a huge clash against Chelsea midweek.

Gomes assisting Gray to secure the winning goal of the game against Arsenal should comfortably cement his place in the team at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon and we’re sure that the 28-year-old will be hoping to make an impact that will give Benitez a positive dilemma in the way he sets up his team in future.

Richarlison will also be hoping to make an impact as he got back to his scoring ways on Monday evening against Arsenal, with two goals disallowed the Brazilian finally netted a goal that stood in the 80th minute and we’re sure his performance will inject some confidence into the striker going into the game.

In other news: Everton receive yet another injury setback ahead of Palace clash

Ajax ‘really serious’ about Steven Bergwijn

According to De Telegraaf journalist Mike Verweij (via Sport Witness), Ajax are seriously interested in signing Tottenham winger Steven Bergwijn and any potential deal for the Dutchman depends on Erik ten Hag’s side rather than Antonio Conte’s.

The Lowdown: Previous interest in Bergwijn

De Telegraaf and Voetbal International have previously reported that Ajax have made contact with Tottenham over the potential signing of the winger in the January transfer window. Verweij then reported that the 24-year-old is quite keen to join the Eredivisie champions.

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Conte has recently insisted that Bergwijn is ‘totally committed to what I ask of a player’, but the Netherlands international has started just three games in the Premier League this season. As a result, he has attracted a lot of interest from various clubs across Europe, including Sevilla.

The Latest: Ajax ‘really serious’ about Bergwijn

According to reports by Verweij (via Sport Witness), Conte’s comments will have no bearing on the forward leaving the north London club. He claims that any potential deal is solely reliant on Ten Hag and Ajax rather than Conte and Spurs.

Speaking on De Telegraaf’s podcast, he said: “We do not have to attach too much value to Conte’s words. In the coming games we will see if he gets more playing time and then you can see if they really want to continue with him.

“Ajax are really serious about him. The interest has been officially announced to Spurs.

“Bergwijn has been polled by Ajax twice before. The first time when he still played for PSV, and then last summer. Twice, however, Ajax did not go through. The chance that Bergwijn will come to Ajax depends very much on Ajax. He is no longer waiting for Ajax.”

The Verdict: Potential departure for the right price

With a lack of game-time this season, it would not be a surprise if Tottenham were to let Bergwijn go if he pushes for a move in the January transfer window.

Conte has previously praised the winger, saying that ‘he has a lot of quality’ and that, as a part of the Italian’s squad, he is counting on the player.

However, with serious interest coming from Ajax and Sevilla, it does not seem unlikely that Bergwijn will leave Spurs in January, if a suitable offer is made for him.

In other news: 52-cap star already has proposal from Tottenham with Paratici in pole to sign him

Tottenham: Levy may make Kulusevski move

Italian outlet Calciomercato have claimed that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy could launch a move for Juventus winger Dejan Kulusevski.

The Lowdown: Kulusevski profiled…

The 21-year-old has already turned out on 156 occasions at club level and has 19 appearances under his belt for Sweden.

The right winger, who can also play in an attacking midfield role, was labelled as ‘excellent’ by former Juve team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo and is extremely quick, clocking a top speed of 31.1 km/h in this season’s Champions League.

He has plied his trade in Italy with Atalanta, Parma and Juventus, but it now seems as if he could be on the move to either England, Germany or France.

The Latest: Late night news…

Calciomercato shared a story late on Wednesday night regarding Kulusevski, admitting that a January move is complicated.

They claimed that Juventus are willing to entertain offers and expect to receive some, with Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain all name-checked as possible destinations.

The report added that Tottenham could also be a contender in the race to sign the Swede, suggesting that Levy could be serious in trying to get him.

The Verdict: Paratici knows him well…

Tottenham’s director of football Fabio Paratici was the man who brought Kulusevski to Turin last year in a deal worth £31.5m, so he’ll be able to tell Levy and Antonio Conte just what the 21-year-old would bring to the table in north London.

However, the Swede may not fit Conte’s system, with the Italian set to switch to a 3-4-1-2 system with two centre forwards following the international break.

Should that turn out to be the case and if it proves successful, then there may be no need to bring in another winger, with the manager already having a number of wide options on the books at this moment in time.

Kulusevski can play in an attacking midfield role, but perhaps an out-and-out creative attacking midfielder would be a better target for the winter window.

In other news: Journalist drops ‘serious’ Tottenham transfer claim on Twitter.

Newcastle: Chris Waugh reveals Howe wishes

Eddie Howe has requested that a centre-back and full-back be signed in January amid Newcastle United’s defensive struggles. 

That’s according to Chris Waugh, the club’s correspondent for The Athletic.

The lowdown

Newcastle find themselves rock bottom of the Premier League after suffering a seventh defeat in 13 matches on Saturday.

Their tally of 15 goals scored is actually better than seven teams, including Wolves and Tottenham in sixth and seventh positions respectively. However, it’s their league-worst defensive record which is costing them – they’ve shipped 29 goals so far, an average of more than 2.2 per game.

Continue at the current rate, and they could concede 85 before the end of the season. For context, Derby County’s 11-point side in 2007/08, statistically the worst in Premier League history, shipped 89.

The latest

In tweeting a link to his article for The Athletic outlining the Newcastle manager’s transfer wishes, Waugh said that “Howe wants defenders in January” but fears that it “could be too late by then” to fix a “porous, ageing & error prone defence”.

A further tweet from the journalist claimed that centre-backs and full-backs are ‘being scouted’ heavily by the club’s recruitment staff, with Howe regarding these reinforcements as crucial.

Waugh added that scouts have been scanning Europe for players entering the last six, or last 18, months of their contracts, while the manager also has some British-based targets in mind.

The verdict

It’s hard to argue with Howe’s assessment, but who could Newcastle actually end up signing?

The club are said to be ‘reasonably confident’ of striking a deal for Burnley’s James Tarkowski, who has failed to agree a new deal at Turf Moor. The Clarets defender is valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, while one potential full-back target in Kieran Trippier is rated at £18m.

Tarkowski featured in the WhoScored Premier League team of the season for 2020/21, while the Atletico Madrid right-back has been capped 35 times by England.

The duo also boast plenty of English top-flight experience, with 171 and 107 appearances respectively in the division, so both could be ideal recruits for January if Newcastle can persuade them to join the Howe revolution.

In other news, this Newcastle trio struggled against Arsenal

Spurs: Antonio Conte contract revealed

According to Italian media outlet Sportmediaset, Tottenham are set to offer an 18-month contract to Antonio Conte worth €15m (£12.7m) per season.

The Lowdown: Spurs need new manager

Spurs parted with manager Nuno Espirito Santo on Monday after just four months in charge after the Lilywhites had lost five of their last seven Premier League games (Sky Sports).

As such, the hunt is on for a new manager, and it seems that the Italian is a front-runner for the role.

The Latest: Conte contract revealed

According to Sportmediaset, it appears that an 18-month contract has been offered by Spurs to Conte, who has been out of work since leaving Inter Milan at the end of last season.

The deal is said to be worth €15m (£12.7m) per season which, for a season-and-a-half, would be worth about €22.5m (£19m).

The Verdict: Worth it?

There is no doubting Conte’s pedigree. The 52-year-old is a five-time league title winner, having won Serie A with both Inter Milan and Juventus and the Premier League with Chelsea. He also led Italy to a Euro 2016 quarter-finals – quite frankly, he is a winner.

However, he does not always have the best relationship with those above him. He left Inter in the summer as the club sold top players such as Achraf Hakimi and Romelu Lukaku, while he fell out with the hierarchy at Chelsea as well (via The London Evening Standard).

Daniel Levy is known as a tough negotiator – Conte may get results on the pitch, but it might come to the detriment of the club spirit. At what could come out at more than £287,000 per game – there are 28 top-flight matches left this season and 38 next term – that could be an expensive risk.

In other news, Tottenham want to sign this up-and-coming centre-half

Is this Southamptons new Che Adams?

Following the departure of Danny Ings, who scored 46 goals in 100 appearances across all competitions for Southampton, Che Adams has had to take the mantle of being their main goalscorer, alongside summer arrival Adam Armstrong.

Adams, however, has only managed to score one goal for the Saints in the Premier League so far this season which came in their 1-0 win over Watford last month.

Despite this, the 25-year-old, who is currently valued at £18m according to Transfermarkt, has played in eight of their 11 league games, showing that he is a fairly important figure for Ralph Hasenhuttl.

Looking ahead to the future, we feel that Southampton could have their ideal next version of Adams in their youth ranks with 17-year-old attacker Luke Pearce.

Southampton added Pearce to their U18 side back in August 2020 from Walsall’s U18 team. Upon his arrival at the south coast club, the teenager was labelled as a “very promising” young player by Southampton’s academy director Matt Hale, showing how much potential they saw in Pearce, which should be very exciting for the Saints fans to have such an exciting attacking prospect in their club’s youth ranks.

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Since then, Pearce has made 24 appearances for Southampton’s U18 side, managing to score six goals as well as making one appearance for their B team where’s netted one goal in the process, showing how capable he is of playing at that level despite such a very young age.

So far this season, Pearce has also shown how versatile he can be in attack, having played as a centre-forward and a right-winger, similarly to Adams who has played as a centre-forward and on both wings during his time at St. Mary’s.

In addition to this, Pearce has also been described as a player that is “full of energy” and a “well-liked figure” at the club in a report from Hampshire Live. That draws up another similarity to Adams who has been labelled by the PFSA as an “imposing presence who’s extremely strong and quick,” which highlights the athleticism of the two forwards.

While Pearce may not be close to breaking into Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side anytime soon, we feel that the teenager has shown already that he has what it takes to go on and make a name for himself as a regular performer in their B team. If he continues to do that then he’ll be knocking on the door to get himself some first-team minutes and become a player that the Southampton fans will love.

In other news: Southampton could replicate Livramento masterclass with swoop for “hungry” 19 y/o gem – opinion

Newcastle: Steve Bruce’s position secure

Steve Bruce’s job is ‘not under threat and is unlikely to be any time soon’, according to The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards. 

The lowdown

Newcastle sit 17th in the early Premier League table, having failed to win any of their first six matches.

They were held to a draw by newly-promoted Watford last weekend despite positing an xG of 2.23, relative to their opponent’s 0.77.

Their defending is also a worry. Only bottom-of-the-table Norwich City (16) have conceded more goals than Newcastle’s 14.

The latest

Edwards has been ‘reliably informed’ that Bruce has the confidence of the powers-that-be at the club. They don’t see him as being ‘under pressure’ at the present time.

In fact, they believe ‘performances have deserved more points’ and that ‘the dressing room is united’ in support of the 60-year-old behind the scenes.

There’s also satisfaction at the style of play, with Newcastle now ‘more entertaining to watch than previous years’.

The verdict

When Callum Wilson returns from injury, the likelihood is that Newcastle will start picking up the points to move up the table and away from danger.

But this ringing endorsement of Bruce is still a little worrying. It points to a major disconnect at the club, with fans sure to take serious offence to the verdict on Bruce’s play style.

It’s also claimed that the dressing room are all behind him, but then how do they explain the fractious atmosphere at the training ground? 

In other news, fans slammed this man’s display against Watford. 

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