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…
Everton’s Djibril Sidibe has been tipped to feature in Marco Silva’s starting XI by The Athletic’s Greg O’Keefe.
What did he say?
The Frenchman joined Everton this summer on a season-long loan from Monaco. He has since struggled to nail down a consistent spot at right-back, playing just 211 minutes in the Premier League so far. Sidibe has, however, played in two out of the three League Cup fixtures.
Plus, with Seamus Coleman playing 90 minutes against Watford on Tuesday, perhaps it shows Sidibe has become the main right-back in the league.
When asked by a fan if Sidibe will return to the XI, O’Keefe replied, per The Athletic: “Sidibe should be back in and I suspect he will be. Seamus had a really difficult first half against Watford.”
Time is up for Coleman
The Irishman has been a regular for Everton in the right-back slot for a number of years, but his form this season has been questionable throughout. The Frenchman is only on loan but Marco Silva should look to include him throughout the season to assess his credentials ahead of a potential permanent deal.
Coleman was sent off for club and country within 10 days of each other in October, and that’s done nothing to aid his reputation.
The 31-year-old has, in fact, made the same amount of fouls per game as he has tackles in the Premier League this season. As shown on WhoScored, Coleman has averaged 0.9 fouls per game and 0.9 tackles per match.
On the other hand, Sidibe has averaged 3.3 tackles each game and 1.3 dribbles per match going forward.
Indeed it could now be time for the Monaco loanee to take the spot as Everton’s main right-back.
Charlton fans have taken to Twitter to express their love for Patrick Bauer, after he made his first appearance at The Valley since leaving for Preston back in the summer.
The German centre-back scored the stoppage-time winner over Sunderland in last season’s League One playoff final win, securing the south Londoners a place in the Championship with his last touch for the club.
Bauer’s contract with the Addicks expired and he decided to join Preston on a three-year deal instead of renewing his terms with Lee Bowyer’s side, and The Valley faithful got their first sighting of the 27-year-old since his departure in the 1-0 loss against North End on Sunday.
The 6 foot 4 defender put in a colossal display when keeping a clean sheet on his return to the capital, winning a huge 11 aerial duels as Alex Neil’s side rose to the top of the Championship.
Despite getting one over on his old club, it appears as though there really isn’t a shred of ill-feeling between Charlton and Bauer, a sentiment reinforced by their messages to him following the game.
It’s fair to say Wolverhampton Wanderers have struggled during the infancy of this Premier League season so far, with Gary O’Neil already having his work cut out for him in the Molineux hot seat.
O’Neil will hope he’s given time to turn things around, with the Old Gold currently occupying a space in the bottom three in the top-flight, considering the ex-AFC Bournemouth boss did steer Wolves to a safe and secure finish above the drop-zone last season in 14th spot.
Wolves manager Gary O'Neil
He will be well aware that performances will need to improve, however, if he is to stay fixed to his current job post, with the attackers at his disposal failing to strike fear into Premier League defenders currently.
Only Matheus Cunha has really looked dangerous in attack, with two strikes next to his name from six league games to date, whilst other members of the Wolves frontline have unfortunately faded into the background.
Matheus Cunha
Namely, both Sasa Kalajdzic and Goncalo Guedes are failing to justify their extortionate price tags in O’Neil’s camp up top, with Kalajdzic still in the treatment room whilst his Portuguese teammate continues to struggle on the periphery in the West Midlands.
Kalajdzic's struggles at Wolves
You would forgive even the most ardent Wolves fan if they had forgotten about the existence of Kalajdzic, who has been plagued with dreadful luck when it comes to injuries ever since entering the building in the summer of 2022.
He was a bumper buy under the Bruno Lage regime too, costing the club an excessive £15m fee at the time, only for him to now be known as an injury-ravaged asset.
The Austrian centre-forward did warrant the bumper amount two years ago on his arrival arguably, having bagged a promising 24 goals from 60 games playing for former employers Stuttgart, before making the cursed move to England a reality.
The 27-year-old, since his switch to Molineux, has only been fit to play 14 games in total for the West Midlands side, with only three strikes coming his way when he hasn’t been rushed back into the treatment room.
His miserable injury record was only further compounded out on loan with Eintracht Frankfurt last campaign, with the injury-prone attacker picking up his third ACL tear injury in five years, after initially impressing with three goal contributions picked up from six games out in Germany.
It’s led to Kalajdzic not even being registered as a part of O’Neil’s squad for this top-flight season, with the towering 6 foot 7 colossus sidelined for some time once more.
Goncalo Guedes for Wolves
Away from the Austrian’s continued woes off the pitch, Guedes hasn’t found it any easier himself to fit in at Wolves, having also been a bumper buy in the same window Kalajdzic joined the ranks.
Guedes' struggles at Wolves
Guedes is arguably more of the flop out of the two, with his ex-Stuttgart counterpart at least able to fall back on his wretched luck with injuries, away from simply putting in poor performances when playing.
On the contrary, the lacklustre Old Gold number 29 has never sparked into life on the pitch since moving to England, having cost Wolves a whopping £27.5m to get in through the door.
Helping himself to 66 goal contributions donning a Valencia strip before his switch to the Premier League, Guedes just hasn’t ever been able to leave his mark on proceedings regularly enough in the tough demands of the English top-flight, with this above goal his only strike in the league to date.
He has shown off his prowess somewhat in the EFL Cup this campaign, with three goals from two in that competition, but he continues to be pushed into the background by O’Neil in the bread and butter of the Premier League.
Club played for
Games played
Goals scored
Benfica
29
2
Villarreal
19
3
The misfiring Wolves flop has even been chucked out on loan to try and get him up and running again, but those moves saw Guedes recede into his shell instead of shaking off his goal-shy image, with only five goals managed from a combined 48 appearances for both Benfica and Villarreal.
Any Wolves supporter would hold their hands up now and realise that both of these buys recklessly dented the bank account, as both figures in question go down as major duds two years on from first entering the building.
Wolves boss Gary O'Neil
To further pile on the misery for O’Neil’s men, Wolves could have signed this “elite” star to improve their attacking options – as he has been described by football talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past – around the same time period, who is now taking the Premier League by storm.
The player who Wolves tried to sign
According to a report from 90min back in 2022, Wolves were once in the running to sign exciting winger Noni Madueke, way before he exploded onto the scene with Chelsea.
This would have been a far less costly decision to make than snapping up either Kalajdzic or Guedes would prove to be, with the current Blues star only worth in the region of £14.9m at the time, as per Transfermarkt.
Wolves’ error would end up being Chelsea’s major success story, however, as the former PSV Eindhoven winger has been at his blistering best so far this season under the new managerial methods of fresh Blues boss Enzo Maresca.
There would have been a worry in the air last season that Madueke would ultimately end up being another unnecessary splurge on Chelsea’s end, with the now one-time England international only managing to score an uninspiring six goals in the Premier League across his first two flat seasons at Stamford Bridge.
Now, however, there are no such concerns, as Madueke – who cost just a little more than Guedes to obtain in 2023 at around the £29m mark – has a blistering four goals from seven appearances so far this campaign.
Stat
Madueke
Minutes played
90
Goals scored
3
Assists
0
Shots
6
Touches
38
Accurate passes
15/18 (83%)
Key passes
1
Big chances created
1
Funnily enough, the standout display of the stellar 22-year-old’s season to date came against the side who were once noted as being keen on his services, with Madueke firing home a hat-trick to play a major role in Chelsea humiliating Wolves 6-2 on their own patch at the tail end of August.
Whilst Chelsea look to be on the up under Maresca with Madueke coming into his own among other top performers in West London, O’Neil will be stressed in the West Midlands that a long and hard battle against relegation is now on the horizon, with a lack of a tricky winger like the Blues attacker at his disposal after Pedro Neto’s disappointing exit this summer.
In an alternate reality, Wolves might well have been able to land the ex-PSV man before Chelsea swooped in, but all focus now rests on O’Neil attempting to get a tune of what he was in the here and now in a bid to push the Old Gold up the league sooner rather than later.
Wolves wanted £75m superstar under Lage, they signed Trincao instead
Bruno Lage wanted a current Serie A star back in 2021…
West Ham United are thought to be leading the likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle United in the race to sign an international defender who Michail Antonio already knows.
West Ham still eyeing more signings after busy summer
The Hammers, led by technical director Tim Steidten, backed new manager Julen Lopetegui during the recent transfer window, signing 10 new players ahead of the Spaniard’s first season in charge at the London Stadium.
West Ham summer signings
From
Fee (Transfermarkt)
Max Kilman
Wolves
€47.5m
Crysencio Summerville
Leeds United
€29.3m
Niclas Fullkrug
Borussia Dortmund
€27m
Luis Guilherme
Palmeiras
€23m
Mohamadou Kante
Paris FC
Undisclosed
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Man Utd
€18m
Wes Foderingham
Sheffield United
Free transfer
Guido Rodriguez
Real Betis
Free transfer
Jean-Clair Todibo
Nice
Loan transfer
Carlos Soler
PSG
Loan transfer
West Ham summer departures
To
Fee (Transfermarkt)
Flynn Downes
Southampton
€17.85m
James Ward-Prowse
Forest
Loan
Maxwel Cornet
Southampton
Loan
Nayef Aguerd
Real Sociedad
Loan
Said Benrahma
Lyon
€14.4m
Angelo Ogbonna
Watford
Free transfer
Thilo Kehrer
Monaco
€11m
Nathan Trott
FC Copenhagen
€1.5m
Ben Johnson
Ipswich Town
Free transfer
Joseph Anang
St. Patrick’s Athletic
Free transfer
However, on the pitch, things aren’t going to plan for Lopetegui, who has won just one of his first five Premier League games incharge of the Irons. Four points from a possible 15 sees the Hammers in the bottom half of the table, with improvements clearly needed over the coming months.
Talking after the 3-0 defeat to Chelsea last time out in the league, Lopetegui said: “The message for supporters is first to say we are sorry about today. We had a big expectation today, and we are going to do all that we can to do our best, to work more and to change things, for sure, because the season is going to be very, very long, very long and I am sure that this team is going to change a lot of things. But okay, I think it’s a moment to work, to not talk a lot, and to look forward.”
Away from the pitch and behind the scenes, despite the transfer window shutting, West Ham have still been linked with more signings, using the free agent market to bolster Lopetegui’s defensive options.
The likes of Joel Matip has been a mooted target, with rumours earlier this month suggesting that West Ham had offered the former Liverpool defender a two-year deal. John Egan was another linked with a free switch to the London Stadium but has since moved to Burnley, and by the looks of things, a new defensive target has emerged on Steidten’s radar.
West Ham leading race to sign international defender
According to HITC, West Ham are leading the race to sign Richard King from Cavalier FC, who are the Jamaican Premier League champions for 2023/24.
The 22-year-old defender already knows West Ham forward Antonio due to playing alongside each other for the Jamaican national side, with the Irons in pole position to secure his services.
Lopetegui must axe West Ham man who earns more than Summerville & Todibo
This Hammers talent is approaching the end of the line…
ByAngus Sinclair Sep 24, 2024
Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United are also name-checked with an interest in King, who stands at 6ft 1, but the report states that they are behind West Ham in the transfer race.
King has won 19 caps for his country and has played just under 90 games at club level. He could be one name to keep an eye on as we head into 2025, potentially being seen as competition for the likes of Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and Konstantinos Mavropanos.
Sheffield Wednesday are believed to have turned down an approach for a “very good” player who Danny Rohl values, according to a fresh transfer update.
Sheffield Wednesday news
The Owls are badly in need of finding some form in the Championship, even though they made it into the fourth round of the EFL Cup midweek, following their 1-0 win away to Blackpool.
In the league, Rohl’s side haven’t tasted victory since thumping Plymouth Argyle on the opening weekend of the season, losing their next three games in the competition after that, before drawing 1-1 at home to Queens Park Rangers last weekend. The manner of that result was hugely disappointing, however, given the ludicrous nature of the visitors’ scrambled last-gasp equaliser.
On Saturday, Wednesday make the trip to a Luton Town side who are only one place ahead of them in the table, and on the same number of points, arguably underperforming since their return to the Championship from the Premier League.
Away from the league action, transfer rumours have continued to emerge regarding the Owls, too, with youngster Sam Reed linked with a move away from Hillsborough on loan. He is wanted by National League clubs, who will be able to sign him outside the summer transfer window. Now, another exit update has also dropped with another player.
Sheffield Wednesday turn down approach for "very good" ace
According to a new update from The Star, Sheffield Wednesday have turned down an approach from Maccabi Tel Aviv for the signing of Pol Valentin this week, with contact made between the two clubs.
The report says that the Europa League side “had been keeping tabs on the full back’s progress and were considering making an offer” prior to the Israeli transfer window closing, but the Owls “shut it down”.
Pol Valentin for Sheffield Wednesday.
Keeping hold of Valentin makes complete sense for Wednesday even if he isn’t a vital player, with Rohl even stating that earlier this week, saying: “He is part of my squad. We need the competition at the right full-back position. That’s for me, no. No question mark.”
The 27-year-old has been a solid addition since arriving at Hillsborough last summer, providing competition at right-back and making a total of 48 appearances to date.
Admittedly, he has been limited to only one Championship start in 2024/25 to date, but he has been involved in every match in the competition, showing that he is an important squad figure. Meanwhile, former Wednesday manager Xisco Munoz once lauded his qualities, having brought him to the club:
“He has very good intensity. I know a lot about Pol, not only his capacity as a footballer but a personality as well and this is very good. This is important because I know exactly what he can give to the team. He was with me when he was very young with Gimnastic and I know how he has progressed.”
Rohl a fan: Clubs keen to sign Sheffield Wednesday 21 y/o on loan right now
The Owls could sanction the move.
ByHenry Jackson Sep 17, 2024
Valentin may understandably be keen for more playing time, but given the number of fixtures this season, he may soon get more starts to his name, dovetailing with the likes of Yan Valery and Liam Palmer in the process.
Manchester United are still suffering the consequences of their protracted takeover process as the search for a new number nine has resulted in "nothing at the moment", according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
The unintended side effect of this lack of progress in the market means that the prospect of Marcus Rashford being utilised as the club's "central striker" must now be "considered."
Manchester United transfer news – what's the latest in the club's search for a striker?
The Times reported earlier this month that regardless of the speed at which United's takeover is completed, it would be unlikely for the new owners to be in charge of the club before next season had begun.
Erik ten Hag
It is perhaps no surprise then that transfer dealings have appeared somewhat more challenging for the club so far this window, though Chelsea's Mason Mount does look set to join.
However, it hasn't been easy as there was hope earlier this year that Harry Kane might make his way to Old Trafford over the summer, with the England captain entering the final 12 months of his contract in North London.
However, a tough stance from Daniel Levy ultimately made any negotiations untenable, so United pulled out.
What has transfer insider Dean Jones said about the search for a striker at Manchester United?
Jones was pessimistic about the progress the club has been making regarding the search for their new number nine and pointed out that the longer they delay, the more and more likely it'll be that Rashford has to be used down the middle.
Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "There's nothing at the moment and the longer it goes on, the more you start to wonder, does Marcus Rashford end up having to be used as United's central striker next season? That wouldn't be ideal, but I think that that is something that has to be considered."
How good was Rashford last season?
It was a good year for Erik ten Hag's team last year; a Carabao Cup triumph and a top-four finish would have been the kind of level they were aiming for in preseason, and they have Rashford to thank for that success.
According to WhoScored, the Manchester-born-dynamo averaged a great match rating of 7.08 across his 35 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 17 goals and assisting a further five.
England'sMarcusRashfordcelebrates
Ex-United striker Michael Owen was a massive fan of the 25-year-old's exploits last season, saying: "It's scary numbers we're looking at, and we're looking at a player that we're talking about at world-class level in years to come if he keeps this going."
His underlying numbers were equally outstanding and only go to prove – if it needed to be – that his season wasn't just a fluke.
According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, he sits in the top 1% for non-penalty goals and non-penalty expected goals, the top 2% for total shots, and the top 8% for touches in the oppositions penalty area, all per 90.
If United can't get their hands on a quality striker in time for the start of the season, Rashford should be able to provide high quality cover if required.
That said, if they want a repeat of his outstanding performances from last season, they need to keep him out wide and spend the cash required to get a central striker through the door.
Sunderland may have been handed a boost in their efforts to sign Ellis Simms this summer, with Phil Smith of The Sunderland Echo reporting that the player himself could be keen on a switch back to the Stadium of Light.
What is the latest Sunderland transfer news?
The Championship side appear to have a few irons in the fire when it comes to transfer dealings, as they look to try and push on and seal a potential promotion into the Premier League next season.
The Black Cats are clearly keen to bring in attacking reinforcements, with the side revealed as one of the teams wanting to bring in Sonny Perkins on loan this summer. The Leeds man could be available on a short-term basis and the Black Cats have thrown their hat into the ring over a potential deal to sign him for the duration of the campaign.
In turn though, they lose some of their key players to those higher up the pyramid. Jack Clarke put himself on the map with his displays on Wearside last season and Burnley are now trying to snap up the winger.
One big striking target for Sunderland though has been former loanee Simms, with the Black Cats keen to get him back through the door at the Stadium of Light. It seems that a decision will be made soon over where the striker's future lies after a bid was made last week.
Are Sunderland signing Ellis Simms?
Now, according to a report from Phil Smith for The Sunderland Echo, there has been a fresh update over a potential deal. That's because the player himself is open to a return to the Championship side and "keen" to link back up with his old teammates.
That means that if the previously reported bid is accepted he will surely choose Sunderland. Other clubs are also interested, but it looks as though the Black Cats' previous association with the youngster has handed them a huge leg up in the race.
He's received high praise in the game already for his efforts up front, with Karen Carney calling him "unbelievable" in terms of his finishing ability. The Toffees starlet already possesses an excellent ability to find the back of the net despite being just 22-years-old and a transfer back to Sunderland could see him get more minutes and allow him to really hone that ability in front of goal.
It seems as if the player himself could fancy bagging goals again for the Black Cats too, so that will be positive news for fans of the club.
West Ham are interested in signing Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria this summer but don't want to spend the reported €20m asking price, according to a new report.
Did Zakaria have a good season?
The Hammers are on the lookout for some significant transfer business in the summer window, as they look to kick on after a disappointing Premier League season, but a campaign that ultimately saw them crowned winners of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
With Declan Rice looking almost certain to leave the London Stadium for a fresh challenge in the coming weeks, finding a replacement in midfield will be of the utmost importance for West Ham.
One player who has been linked with a move to east London recently is Zakaria, who is currently at Juventus but spent last season on loan at Chelsea, where he earned £90,000 per week. The Swiss had an underwhelming spell at Stamford Bridge, though, being part of a struggling Blues team and only starting five league games in total.
Despite this, it looks as though he remains a transfer target for West Ham, though, and with an approach already made, a fresh update has emerged regarding his future.
Chelsea'sDenisZakariaapplauds fans after the match as he is substituted
Could Zakaria be off to West Ham?
According to Gazzetta dello Sport [via Sport Witness], the Hammers "having carried out a survey" for Zakaria, with Juventus happy to let him leave the club before the beginning of next season. That being said, the mooted €20m (£17.1m) asking price is "too much" for West Ham, so a move is only likely to materlialise if they lower the price.
There is competition for the Juve man's signature, however, with Bundesliga pair Borussia Monchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund believed to have "sniffed out" a deal for him.
While Zakaria's time at Chelsea hasn't exactly enhanced his reputation as a player, he could still be an exciting signing by West Ham this summer, helping fill what is likely to be a sizeable void left by Rice in the middle of the park.
Former Chelsea and England star Joe Cole hailed him as "excellent" at one point last season, while a tally of 49 caps for Switzerland shows what an experienced international player he is, not to mention the fact that he has 125 Bundesliga appearances to his name.
At 26, Zakaria could be a strong signing for West Ham for four or five years, bringing a combination of 1.3 tackles and 1.1 clearances in the Premier League in 2022/23, while also ranking in the 99th percentile for medium and long passes completed.
Liverpool aren't just after midfielders this summer it seems, with the Reds preparing an offer to bring in Federico Chiesa, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, via Rousing the Kop.
How many goals has Federico Chiesa scored?
The winger has had a somewhat torrid year for Juventus in the 2022/23 campaign, with knee injury troubles meaning he was limited to very little playing time. He started on just six occasions in Serie A for example, although he did manage to play in 21 games in total – meaning that he largely had to make do with coming off the bench.
Even though that meant his minutes were limited, he was still able to score two goals and assist five times – it meant that he actually bettered his totals from the 2021/22 season, despite playing for slightly less time.
When able to get onto the field frequently though, the Italian has already showcased in the past what he can do. The last season in which he managed over ten lots of 90 minutes for example brought him eight Serie A goals and the same amount of assists. That meant he had a rate of 16 goal contributions in 28 starts for the Old Lady.
Now, according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport, via Rousing the Kop, the player could be given an escape from the Turin side. That is because Liverpool do appear to have an interest in him and, not only that, they are already preparing an offer for the player to try and tempt Juventus into letting him leave.
That bid will reportedly be worth around £34m and they will be hopeful it can be enough to convince the Italian side into a sale – although it's believed that they are more likely to want just above £50m for the player.
Chiesa clearly still has a lot to offer a football club when he is fit, as football journalist Josh Bunting recently praised his "wonderful" talents after witnessing a "special" goal from the Juve starlet on international duty.
It shows that the forward can still fulfil his potential despite his injury hell over the last 18 months, and given the chance to thrive elsewhere, we could see the best out of him – perhaps Liverpool could be that team.
Liverpool will not be making a move for Alex Scott this summer, according to a report from reliable journalist Ben Jacobs.
Who is Alex Scott linked with?
The midfielder has had an electric year in the Championship for Bristol City and has become a key player for the side already despite being only 19-years-old. He featured in a total of 42 second tier games for the Robins in the 2022/23 season – nearly every single league fixture for the club – and 40 of those came as starts. It led to one goal and five assists from the centre of the field, the teenager's best ever career tally for assists.
In addition, when compared to others in his position in the Men's 'Next 8' competitions in Europe, he ranks extremely highly despite his youth and relative inexperience (he's only had two years of first-team football).
He sits nicely in the top 11% for progressive carries for example with a rate of 2.34 per 90 and also fits into the 83rd percentile for successful take-ons, with a total of 1.22 per 90 to boot.
It's led to plenty of clubs from higher up the pyramid sniffing around his signature – but one club that won't be making a move is Liverpool according to journalist Ben Jacobs. He states that the Reds have indeed scouted and had a look at Scott but that they won't be making a move to sign him. Instead, that leaves the path empty for some of the other interested Premier League sides, namely Wolves and Tottenham.
What is Alex Scott's transfer value?
A deal won't be cheap for the player even though he is only 19. That's because Jacobs adds that Bristol City want around £25m for his signature – a huge fee for a player who has yet to leave the Championship.
However, when you consider the impact he has had on the game already and some of the high praise he has receieved, it comes as no surprise. Even Pep Guardiola has hailed Scott for example, as he called the midfielder an "unbelievable player."
Indeed, some Reds fans may feel that, considering his talent, their club should be in the race to try and bring Scott to Anfield.