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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…

Wolves owners Fosun International have decided they may well sell a stake in the club as it gauges the market for a potential public listing in the future.

And their latest comments only go to show just how far the club has come under their control.

What have they said?

It is thought that this move, which has been going on for several months without attracting a suitor, is to determine how such an offering would be received if the club were to go public with their ownership.

A recent upturn in financials is expected to tempt investors further after the club recorded approximately £20m profit last term – that was no doubt aided by Nuno Santo’s men finishing seventh in the Premier League at the first opportunity.

Speaking to the Financial Times, club chairman Jeff Shi said:

“It’s more to test the market, to see the value of Wolves. It’s more about getting the right partner with strategic connections.

“We are not just trying to sell the shares to anybody, we are very picky. We are doing it slowly.

“When we won the Championship, Wolves was not strong enough to be independent and we could only depend on our parent group.

“But now we are much stronger. Now is not the time to always get funding from Fosun.”

Measure of success

Fosun only paid £45m for the west Midlands club back in the summer of 2016, and since then, they have guided the club through Championship glory and now onto the European stage, which should help with their desire to attract new investment.

Wolves is now valued at around £350m, over a sevenfold increase in the space of just three years. Phenomenal.

The report suggests that the selling stake would be worth between £50m and £100m, which is only going to boost their coffers even more.

Watch Wolverhampton Wanderers Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

But it is also a sign that Fosun will decrease their own investments having paid out over £75m interest-free over the past few years.

Either way, Wolves have been transformed from your ordinary Championship club to a potential world-recognised outfit, that’s if Fosun can fully set this next stage of their plan in motion.

Achieving a place in the Europa League has certainly helped their cause for the time being as well.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Football Insider, Newcastle sent scouts to keep an eye on QPR left-back Ryan Manning in the R’s 2-0 defeat to Leeds United on Saturday afternoon.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Magpies are keeping tabs on the Irish full-back ahead of the January transfer window, with a view to making a move for the impressive Manning, who could be available for a cut-price fee this winter.

The 23-year-old’s contract at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium expires next summer, and the aforementioned report states that the former Rotherham man could be available for a sum between £2m-£3m.

If Newcastle can secure his services for a fee as small as £2m-£3m there is no doubt it will be considered a shrewd piece of business.

QPR do have the option to extend his deal by 12 months, something that the Londoners might need to do in order to resist Premier League advances this January – Southampton are also believed to be interested in Manning.

Would fit Steve Bruce’s wing-back system perfectly

If Newcastle can get this deal over the line, Manning would be an ideal fit for Bruce’s preferred system.

The former Sunderland manager has set his side up with wing-backs in the majority of this season’s games – in fact, every game except for the 5-0 loss to Leicester has seen wing-backs involved in either a three-man or five-man backline.

Coincidentally, this is a system that Manning is well accustomed to as R’s boss Mark Warburton has also used wing-backs on five occasions so far this season.

One game in particular – a 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday – saw Manning take to the role like a duck to water, and his impressive individual statistics from the campaign so far emphatically emphasise his attack-minded nature – a trait needed for a wing-back.

Manning has scored two goals and recorded three assists and has played every minute of the season so far, while also making 2.2 key passes per game and drawing 2.5 fouls per game in the Championship.

If Manning did end up on Tyneside, he would be a ready-made option for Bruce’s system.

Already making up for a disappointing summer transfer window, Paul Mitchell’s Newcastle United recruitment team have now reportedly agreed to sign a new gem ahead of interest from Real Madrid.

Newcastle transfer news

It’s fair to say that sporting director Mitchell didn’t exactly have the best start to life at St James’ Park, with profit and sustainability concerns coupled by their inability to get a deal to sign Marc Guehi over the line making for a frustrating few months. All eyes have since been turned towards 2025 and a shot at redemption, however, with transfer rumours already beginning to arrive.

Alan Shearer laid into Newcastle star after signing, now he's undroppable

He is a key player under Howe following a tough first few years at Newcastle.

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 25, 2024

Reports have been quick to link the likes of Luca Koleosho from Burnley in a move that would boost Eddie Howe’s attacking options. Meanwhile, the Magpies have also been linked with signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose Everton contract comes to an end next summer, meaning that a cut-price deal may be lined up in the winter window.

The England international would likely replace Callum Wilson as Newcastle’s backup for star man Alexander Isak, whilst adding a more physical threat to Howe’s frontline. Before Koleosho and Calvert-Lewin though, the Magpies look set to sign a future star.

According to Graeme Bailey for HITC, Mitchell has now agreed a deal to sign Vakhtang Salia from Dinamo Tbilisi in the Erovnuli Liga. An obscure signing, the deal will see Newcastle win the race for a young forward that Florentino Perez reportedly wanted to sign for Real Madrid and one that both Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain had their eyes on as well.

Those at St James’ Park will have to wait until next season to see the 17-year-old in action, however, given that he’s set to head straight back on loan to Dinamo Tbilisi for the rest of the current campaign. One for the future, Mitchell has certainly got off to a good start ahead of the winter window.

Signing Salia is early statement from Newcastle

Whilst Salia is of course one for the future, the fact that Newcastle are seemingly set to beat some of Europe’s top sides to his signature represents a much-needed statement of intent from Mitchell and others around St James’ Park. The young forward will be one to watch when he does arrive next season, having already earned comparisons to countryman Kvicha Kvaratskhelia.

If the young Georgian, who can play up front or on either wing, is of the same calibre as the Napoli star, then the Magpies will be in for a treat for years to come. Given that Isak, himself, is still just 25 years old, there’s a high chance that Howe will be able to form a fresh strike partnership between the arriving Salia and his star man to refresh Newcastle’s frontline.

The way that Howe’s side have started the Premier League campaign suggests that they’re gunning for a return to European football once again in a move that would only attract further talents of Salia’s reputation. Meanwhile, off the pitch, Mitchell will be looking to continue matching the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG in the transfer market.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have made some impressive signings over the past few seasons. Since they returned to the Premier League in 2018/19, they have not spent heavily, but have signed some quality players and managed to sell them on for a superb profit. The likes of Pedro Neto spring to mind, whom they sold to Chelsea for £51m.

This has certainly been a consistent transfer policy for the Midlands club, and other players who fit that include the likes of Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes, who now play their trade for Al Hilal and Manchester City, respectively. Their current squad certainly has players who fit such a mould, too.

Wolves’ recent major signings

Over the course of the past few seasons, the Old Gold have brought in several enterprising players to Molineux, who have put in some important contributions to their survival in the Premier League.

One of those players is Matheus Cunha. He cost £43m from Atletico Madrid, a deal that went through in the summer of 2023, after moving to Molineux on an initial loan deal in the previous winter transfer window. He has been superb for the club so far, last season scoring 12 goals and registering seven assists.

The Brazilian attacker was the Old Gold’s leading scorer and leading assist-maker last campaign, finishing with 19 goals and assists in the Premier League in total, as per Sofascore. Finishing slightly behind him was South Korean attacker Hwang Hee-chan.

The 28-year-old cost the Old Gold £14m from RB Leipzig, also joining the club on an initial loan deal, as Cunha did. He was also impressive last season, scoring 12 goals and registering three assists in 29 Premier League games.

Player

Number of G/A

Matheus Cunha

19

Hwang Hee-chan

15

Pablo Sarabia

11

Pedro Neto

11

Mario Lemina

5

Other notable additions for Wolves over the past few seasons include the likes of midfielder Joao Gomes and experienced attacker Pablo Sarabia. However, one player who has not lived up to expectations since joining the Old Gold is Sasa Kalajdzic.

Sasa Kalajdzic’s Wolves career so far

It has been an incredibly tough career at Molineux so far for 27-year-old striker Kalajdzic. He has been sadly plagued by injuries and has not really been able to show the form he did at his former club, VFB Stuttgart.

The Old Gold signed the attacker from the German club in 2022, for a fee in the region of £15m. This deal came off the back of 24 goals and 12 assists in 60 games for Stuttgart, including 16 Bundesliga goals in 33 games in 2020/21.

He was previously linked with Borussia Dortmund, and the German giants believed that he could be their long-term replacement for Manchester City star Erling Haaland. Standing at 6 foot 7, the similarities between the deadly City marksman and the Austrian centre-forward are clear to see.

Eventually, it was Wolves who managed to bring the striker to the club. However, almost immediately he suffered a terrible anterior cruciate ligament injury which saw him out for the remainder of the season.

The 27-year-old returned the following campaign but struggled to find form so was loaned out back to the Bundesliga, to Eintracht Frankfurt the following season. Sadly, he managed just six games before suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury once again. It is an injury he is still sidelined with, and is now back at Molineux to undergo rehab.

It is incredibly frustrating for both Kalajdzic and Wolves that he has not been able to live up to the hype he came with, and has struggled so much with injury issues.

So far, the Austrian has played just 14 games for the Midlands outfit scoring three goals and registering one assist. In that same time frame, Haaland has scored 97 goals in 102 games for City.

There is no doubt that Wolves will hope their number 18 can overcome his recurring injury issues and rediscover his best form, with the aim of getting him back to the type of player who was once touted to fill the shoes of Haaland.

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He is crucial for Gary O’Neil

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 12, 2024

Arsenal take on Serie A side Atalanta on Thursday evening in their next all-important fixture of an action-packed football calendar, but there are a few concerns for manager Mikel Arteta heading into the contest.

Atalanta vs Arsenal – team news and injury updates

Arteta’s side travel to the Gewiss Stadium in very good mood, having just taken all the spoils in their North London Derby clash away to fierce rivals Tottenham – despite being without a host of key players during their 1-0 victory.

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Defender Gabriel Magalhaes rose highest to thump a header past Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario from close range – feeding off an in-swinging corner – which was eventually enough to gift Arsenal three points and all the bragging rights on derby day.

Beating Ange Postecoglou’s side gets the first of three very difficult games out of the way, but a completely different test now looms in Arsenal’s first Champions League game of the 2024/2025 campaign.

Date

Result

15th Sept 2024

1-0 Arsenal win

28th April 2024

3-2 Arsenal win

24th Sept 2023

2-2 draw

15th Jan 2023

2-0 Arsenal win

1st Oct 2022

3-1 Arsenal win

12th May 2022

3-0 Spurs win

26th Sept 2021

3-1 Arsenal defeat

Atalanta were the side to end Bayer Leverkusen’s unprecedented unbeaten run last season, handing Xabi Alonso’s league champions their first and only 2023/24 defeat with a 3-0 victory over them in the Europa League final, so Gian Piero Gasperini’s side are not to be underestimated.

Heading into the tie, Arteta will have star midfielder Declan Rice back in the team, and reports suggest that Bukayo Saka is likely to be available for Arsenal against Atalanta, having gone off against Spurs with cramp and nothing too serious.

Takehiro Tomiyasu remains out with a knee injury, though, as does summer signing Mikel Merino. The latter is yet to feature after arriving from Real Sociedad, with Merino fracturing his shoulder in training. The Spaniard isn’t expected to be back for weeks as a result, and question marks surround a few of his star teammates as well.

Indeed, there are doubts over the availability of Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf), Riccardo Calafiori (calf) and captain Martin Odegaard (ankle) – who all missed the derby through injury.

Ornstein suggests Odegaard has "significant" Arsenal injury

Zinchenko, Calafiori and Odegaard could miss Atalanta as a result, but we will have to wait for official confirmation from Arteta.

Speaking on The Athletic’s podcast this week, reliable journalist David Ornstein shared his view on the latter’s ankle problem after hearing from the Arsenal boss. Ornstein suggests Odegaard has suffered a “significant” injury at Arsenal, after he was hauled off during Norway’s 2-1 win over Austria in the Nations League last Monday.

“He was never going to make it, it was what Arteta said. And it looks like a significant injury, but look, we don’t know,” said Ornstein.

“The last I heard, they didn’t have full clarity from the scan still, because of the extent of the swelling, but the extent of the swelling concerns you, if you’re an Arsenal fan.

“Because, maybe it could be quite tough, but there’s an international break coming up as well, so they’ll be praying that their creator in chief, their captain, is okay, but they will also have to cope without him if it is going to be a prolonged absence.”

Arteta sparked hope among supporters when the Spaniard refused to rule Odegaard out of the North London Derby on Sunday, but he wasn’t included in the squad after all and remains a doubt for Thursday’s 20:00 kick off.

The £240,000-per-week star is one of Arsenal’s most crucial players, and Arteta will be keen to get him back out on the field as soon as possible.

David de Gea's future is hanging "in the balance" at Manchester United as Erik ten Hag is yet to make a decision on whether to hand the Spaniard a new contract, according to Dharmesh Sheth.

What's the latest on De Gea?

De Gea endured a somewhat turbulent season with the Red Devils last year.

The 32-year-old won the Premier League Golden Glove award, as well as being nominated for Save of the Season accolade, but made a number of high-profile gaffes throughout the campaign that led to question marks over the shot-stopper's future.

Much of the discourse surrounding De Gea has been due to his inability to play with his feet, certainly in comparison to other goalkeepers in the division, leaving Ten Hag questioning whether a more progressive, modern goalkeeper is needed for his squad.

Despite his contract expiring at the end of June, United left the Spaniard off their retained list at the end of the season, suggesting that contract discussions are taking place.

De Gea has already agreed a pay cut to his £375,000-a-week salary, but talks have seemingly not progressed, even prompting the goalkeeper to post a yawning emoji on his Twitter account.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Dharmesh Sheth admitted that De Gea's future is still very much uncertain at Old Trafford.

"I’ve spoken to him many times about David de Gea, and it looked like it was odds on he was going to stay at Manchester United. Erik ten Hag would make all the right noises in news conferences particularly after high-profile errors David de Gea would make. He would say ‘Look, he’s kept the most clean sheets in the Premier League."

Sheth added: "But the information we’re getting now is that David de Gea’s Manchester United future is in the balance, and that both parties, Manchester United and David de Gea, are considering all of their options."

If De Gea were to leave the club for free, United would need to dip into the market to find a new goalkeeper, leaving even fewer funds to be spread across the rest of the team.

De Gea has enjoyed a fruitful 12-year career at the Theatre of Dreams, appearing 545 times for the Red Devils and winning five major trophies with the club.

Who could United replace De Gea with?

Links with several goalkeepers have already surfaced as United prepare for a potential future without De Gea, the most prominent of which has been rumours of a deal for Inter's Andre Onana.

According to reports, Onana's agent has already met with Manchester United to discuss a move, with Ten Hag being told his side need to cough up over £40m for the recent Champions League finalist.

There have also been strong links with Everton and England stopper Jordan Pickford, as well as Porto's young goalkeeper Diogo Costa.

However, it appears that Onana is the priority should De Gea be pushed out of Old Trafford this summer.

Crystal Palace are keeping close tabs on FC Koln star Ellyes Skhiri ahead of a potential move to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Ellyes Skhiri?

Skhiri is a defensive midfielder who’s been playing his football for Steffen Baumgart’s side having joined there from Montpellier back in 2019. He’s since gone on to make a total of 133 appearances to date, but he will be moving onto new pastures during the ongoing window.

The Tunisia international’s contract in the Bundesliga expires at the end of this month and having not taken up the chance to extend his stay, it means that he will be available on the market as a free agent waiting to be snapped up ahead of the 2023/24 term.

The CAA Stellar client last season ranked as his side’s second-best defensive and third-best overall player with a WhoScored match rating of 7.04 so he’s clearly strong in all aspects of his game, and if the following update is to be believed, his form has caught the watchful eye of Roy Hodgson.

Are Crystal Palace signing Skhiri?

According to TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness), Crystal Palace have been "strongly" following Skhiri as they weigh up whether to make an official move this summer. AC Milan are also extremely keen having already made the midfielder an offer, though it's stated that it's his "dream" to play in the Premier League, with a final decision expected to be made "in the coming days".

Where could Skhiri fit in under Hodgson?

Crystal Palace will love the fact that they could sign up Skhiri for literally nothing, and having confirmed the departure of Luka Milivojevic, they will need to enter the market to find a long-term successor for their captain, with the 28-year-old being the ideal successor, lauded as "very impressive" by journalist Josh Bunting.

The World Cup participant is extremely strong in the natural aspect of his game sitting in front of the backline, having made 79 tackles last season, which was the second-highest total throughout his squad, via FBRef. He also averaged 1.8 interceptions and 1.3 clearances per league game, as relayed by WhoScored.

The Lunel native, however, can also pose a threat at the opposite end of the pitch having clocked up eight goal contributions (seven goals and one assist) in 32 Bundesliga outings during the previous term, so for a player who has such a positive impact both defensively and offensively, this feels like a no-brainer of a deal to complete.

It seems as though Arsenal are pretty close to pulling off their first transfer of the summer with all the rumours suggesting Declan Rice is heading to the Emirates.

What is the latest on Declan Rice to Arsenal?

Yes, as per The Guardian, the Gunners are closing in on a £100m deal to bring the West Ham United captain to North London in the near future.

It's noted that while a bid is yet to be submitted, talks between the sides have been progressing smoothly and there is confidence that the deal will be finalised shortly.

And with the transfer market now officially open, it seems as though it could be only a matter of time before we see Rice unveiled as Arsenal's first summer signing.

Interestingly, however, it appears that he's been on the club's radar for some time. Indeed, a 2019 article from the Evening Standard recalls how former boss Arsene Wenger first encountered Rice as a youngster.

The article claimed that back in 2015, the iconic manager was watching an academy game between Arsenal and West Ham and needed just 20 minutes to recognise that the English midfielder was the best player on the pitch.

It explained: "Arsene Wenger had been watching for 20 minutes when he decided he had seen enough.

"It was early one afternoon in September 2015 and Wenger had been standing by one of the pitches at Arsenal’s training ground watching his Under-18s play West Ham.

"As he walked away, he turned to a member of his coaching staff and pointed out that the best player on the pitch was Declan Rice.

"A 16-year-old Rice was playing at centre-back for West Ham. Arsenal went on to win the game 1-0 but Wenger was left in no doubt that he was a real talent.

"Just 18 months earlier, Rice had been released by Chelsea and the way he stood out that day in front of Wenger was an early sign of how hard he would work in a bid to rise to the top."

Can Declan Rice play centre-back?

It's fascinating to remember that Rice was initially seen as a centre-back and even last year the 24-year-old had to insist that his best position was further up the pitch.

He told TalkSport: "Look, if I had to drop back in to a centre-half in a back-three, of course I'd do a job for the team.

"But my best position is midfield. I don't want to be at the back because I feel like then I won't be able to show my full qualities that I can do on a football pitch like I do in midfield."

Well, it seems certain that he'll be playing in his favoured role at Arsenal and it will certainly be interesting to see how he gets on under the coaching of Mikel Arteta.

With the deal expected to cost around £100m, though, perhaps Wenger should have acted on his instincts all those years ago and convinced the Gunners to snap up the youngster back then when his potential was yet to be fulfilled.

It certainly would have saved the club a pretty penny.

Tottenham Hotspur are considering a swoop for Galatasaray centre-back Victor Nelsson this summer, with the north London club desperate for some defensive reinforcement.

For the first time since 2009/10, the Lilywhites have failed to reach European competition and will now need to work diligently on the transfer front to ensure that the seasonal misfortune is not replicated next term.

The somewhat shrewd appointment of Ange Postecoglou from Celtic has installed cautious optimism that a grounded coach with an eye-catching philosophy can dispel the malaise.

And his first order of business could be to swoop for Nelsson and provide the Premier League with its latest hot prospect, according to Turkish newspaper Takvim, with the Danish ace's contract containing a €25m (£22m) release clause.

Previous reports have linked Premier League rivals Newcastle United and Serie A giants Napoli and AC Milan to a transfer, while a recent report from Fanatik claims Arsenal could yet swoop, which only emphasises the need to strike swiftly in order to tie up a deal.

Should Tottenham sign Victor Nelsson?

Postecoglou will have his work cut out this summer, but this burgeoning defender could create a foundation from which more prosperous fortunes can be gleaned.

The 24-year-old played 33 times in the Turkish Super Lig this season as Galatasaray revelled in title-winning glory, with Sofascore recording his average match rating at a solid 6.95 as he completed 86% of his passes, averaged one interception, 3.3 clearances per game and succeeded with 65% of his aerial duels.

The ten-cap Denmark international has left the likes of Jacek Kulig waxing lyrical, with the talent scout saying: "Nelsson is a great mix of a pure defender and ball-playing centre-back. He can also play as a defensive midfielder.

"Great defensive skills combined with really good ball skills. The future leader of the Danish defence. Another pearl produced by FC Nordsjælland."

Given Postecoglou's preference to implement a fast-paced and possession-centric system, with centre-halfs expected to be comfortable on the ball, this could set Nelsson up nicely to cement a starting berth in the Lilywhites' team, potentially displacing Eric Dier in the process.

Dier has made 361 appearances for Spurs since signing from Sporting Lisbon for a bargain £4m in 2014 and has been a dynamic presence in north London, though he has been culpable for lacklustre performances this year. One such performance against Bournemouth attracted vast criticism after his poor clearance led to a Cherries goal.

The 49-cap England international matches up to Nelsson's skill set, completing 86% of his passes in the top flight this term, averaging 1.1 interceptions and 3.3 clearances per game, also winning 70% of his aerial duels.

Described as a "Danish lion" by Resit Omer Kukner, one of Cimbom's board members, Nelsson is on the cusp of prominence and will be hoping to earn a move to the Premier League this summer to take the next step in his progress, and at Tottenham, he could be provided with a starring role.

Burnley outscored every other team en route to finishing as winners of the Championship this past season, but Vincent Kompany is ready to add to his attacking options ahead of embarking on his first season as a Premier League manager.

Queens Park Rangers striker Lyndon Dykes is being eyed up by the Clarets, according to the Daily Mail, and he could bring something a little different to Turf Moor should he arrive.

Who is Burnley target Lyndon Dykes?

Dykes spent the first seven years of his career in his native Australia and Scotland – whom he now represents at international level – before being given a break in English football with QPR in August 2020.

The 27-year-old finished his first season at the club as top scorer with 12 goals and a further five assists, and has scored eight goals in each of the past two Championship campaigns, the most recent of which was disrupted by a worrying health scare in January.

After returning from a two-month lay-off, Dykes made up for lost time with a strong end to the 2022/23 campaign, scoring twice in QPR's final six matches and being named Man of the Match by WhoScored in half of those games.

Dykes also has a respectable eight goals in 28 caps for Scotland, but there is more to his game than simply finding the net, as reflected in the 4.8 aerial duels won per game in the Championship last season – the most of any QPR player.

Do Burnley need a Chris Wood 2.0?

Alan Hutton previously described Dykes as a "focal point" that one of his previous clubs, Rangers, could have done with at a time they were being linked with the striker in 2020.

Given his size, with QPR's official website putting him down as 6 foot 2, there are obvious comparisons to be made with former Burnley player Wood, who himself measures in at 6 foot 3.

A career-wide comparison of the two players only highlights their similarities in terms of playing style. Sofascore gives Wood a rating of 62 for his attacking play compared to 61 for Dykes, while the pair are both rated at 44 for creativity, as per Sofascore.

However, it is the physical side of the game where they are really alike, with the New Zealand international ranking in the top 9% of strikers in Europe's top five leagues for aerials won per 90. Comparatively, Dykes ranks among the best 8% in the next eight best divisions for the same metric.

Wood reached double figures for goals in all four full Premier League seasons with Burnley, before earning a move to Newcastle United in January 2022, so he undoubtedly has more goalscoring quality than unproven Dykes.

Yet, for a player who is rated at a small fee of just £2m, according to Football Transfers, it is clear to see why Burnley are showing a reported interest in the Aussie-born forward.

For while Kompany has transformed Burnley's style of play in his first year in charge, bringing on Dykes from the bench could act as a perfect back-up plan next season.