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As Wolverhampton Wanderers look to turn what has been a disastrous campaign around, those in the Midlands could reportedly swoop in ahead of both Liverpool and Arsenal to sign an MLS talent in 2025.

Wolves transfer news

A 4-1 victory at Fulham looked destined to be a turning point in Wolves’ season. It felt as though Gary O’Neil’s side would simply kick on from there and eventually leave their poor start behind. One 4-2 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth – in which they conceded three penalties – and a 4-0 loss against Everton at Goodison Park later, however, and O’Neil’s job has never been in a more fragile state.

Three points adrift of safety and sat as low as 19th on just nine points, things couldn’t be much more bleak for Wolves, who desperately need to January transfer window to arrive. Whether it’s O’Neil in charge by that point or his successor remains unknown, but there’s no doubt that his side need reinforcements if they want to survive.

With that said, according to Caught Offside, Wolves could now swoop in ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool to sign Gabriel Pec from MLS side LA Galaxy when 2025 arrives. The talented winger has attracted plenty of potential after rising to stardom in America and is seemingly on the radar of Wolves alongside their Premier League rivals as well as Atletico Madrid, Napoli and Inter Milan.

Wolves plot to extend £60k-p/w star's contract as transfer interest grows

Wolves are looking to tie down one of their most important players to a new long-term deal.

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By
Brett Worthington

Dec 3, 2024

It would be fairly ambitious to suggest that Wolves are favourites for his signature. In fact, in their current position, they should find themselves low down on the list of suitors, but what they can crucially guarantee the Brazilian over the chasing pack is consistent game time. With the chance to replace Pedro Neto once and for all, Wolves should go all out for Pec.

"Phenomenal" Pec can finally replace Neto

Whilst Carlos Forbs arrived in the summer transfer window, the Ajax loanee has yet to show the level needed to break into O’Neil’s side or go as far as replacing a player of Neto’s calibre. Without that firepower, Matheus Cunha has of course stepped up, but when it’s not him then it’s difficult to find another player who is capable of dragging Wolves to unlikely victory. Fellow Brazilian, Pec, could change that though.

The LA Galaxy star is enjoying a “phenomenal debut season” according to MLS insider Tom Bogert and has deservedly earned the attention of some of Europe’s top clubs as a result.

The 23-year-old has only continued his form since that praise too, scoring 21 goals and assisting a further 18 in all competitions for LA Galaxy in 2024. Involved in 39 goals in 40 games, Pec is clearly one to watch.

Angel City FC secured a thrilling 2-1 victory over Seattle Reign as Portman and Riley cheered from the stands

• Portman showed her continued support for the team she helped create
• Riley, sidelined due to injury, joins fans to cheer on her teammates
• Angel City FC's win strengthens their position in the NWSL standings

• WHAT HAPPENED

  Angel City FC hosted Seattle Reign in a closely contested match that ended in a 2-1 victory for the home team. The game was made even more special by the presence of Hollywood star and team co-founder Natalie Portman in the stands, who also met USWNT head coach Emma Hayes. Ali Riley, on the other hand, joined the fans to support her teammates from the sidelines as she is currently out with an injury. The game ended 2-1 with Alyssa Thompson and Riley Tiernan scoring either side of Ji So-Yun’s equaliser for Seattle Reign.

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• WHAT ANGEL CITY FC POSTED

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ali Riley has been placed on the season injury ending list (SEI) since August 2024 due to a chronic and persistent leg injury that saw her miss most of the 2024 NWSL season. She also missed the Paris Olympics because of the injury and fears that the injury may force her to retire soon.

  “Even now, when I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to play football again, that’s the reality of the injury I have now,” Riley said in August 2024.

• Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
  

  WHAT’S NEXT?

  Following their 2-1 win, Angel City FC have continued their unbeaten start to the 2025 NWSL season and sit fourth on the league table, with five points. They are four points behind league leaders Orlando Pride and face Houston Dash on the road next on April 12 post the international break before hosting Gotham FC on April 18.

Thanks to their sensational Premier League victory over Southampton on Sunday evening, the feeling around Tottenham Hotspur is a little more positive than it was a week ago.

It was practically the complete performance from Ange Postecoglou’s side; five goals were scored, none conceded, and they were able to coast through the second half without exerting too much effort.

The likes of James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Pape Matar Sarr all looked back to their brilliant best, and club captain Son Heung-min rolled back the years.

However, while he was excellent, the club need to start looking for his replacement, and the good news is, they might have already found him in a player compared to Cole Palmer, of all people.

Why Spurs need a Son replacement

So, the first thing to say is that, over the last nine years or so, few players have had even close to Son’s impact on English football.

The South Korean superstar is undoubtedly a Tottenham great, and you’d be hard-pressed to find many people who’d deny him being a Premier League great as well.

For example, in just 316 appearances in the competition, the Chuncheon-born dynamo has scored 125 goals and provided 68 assists, equating to a fantastic average of a goal involvement every 1.63 games.

However, as spectacular as the former Bayer Leverkusen ace has been for the Lilywhites, time comes for us all, and at 32 years old, his ability to impact games from out wide is beginning to wane.

That isn’t a slight on him either, as research carried out by The Athletic found that the age at which wide players peak is 26, so there can be no doubt that while he’s still capable of a brilliant performance here and there, he cannot be relied upon to perform week-in-week-out.

Moreover, this season has seen him fade out of games more than ever, making it clear that he cannot be a long-term option as Postecoglou looks to build a title-winning team over the next few years.

The good news is that reports have linked the club with someone who’d be an ideal replacement for Son, someone who’s been compared to Palmer.

The dream Son replacement

To get straight to the point, the player in question is Lyon star Rayan Cherki, who, according to a report late last week from GIVEMESPORT, is one of several players being looked at by the club.

There is no mention of a price in the story, but other reports from this month have claimed that he could be available for as little as £25m due to the French side’s financial issues.

With that said, before we look at his numbers from this season, let’s examine this comparison to Chelsea’s Palmer and where it comes from.

It primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, has concluded that the Englishman is the second most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Frenchman.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries, shots on target, goal-creating actions and passing accuracy, all per 90.

However, it’s not just the comparison to the Blues’ new superstar that makes the 21-year-old such an exciting candidate to replace Son; he’s also putting up impressive numbers this season.

For example, in 17 appearances, the incredible youngster, who respected analyst Ben Mattinson described as having “Ballon d’Or potential,” has scored five goals and provided seven assists, equating to a goal involvement every 1.41 games.

Ultimately, Spurs will need to sign someone genuinely spectacular to replace the output Son has provided them over the years, and while it would represent something of a gamble, Cherki looks like he has the potential to become that player.

Spurs may have the next Dele in teen "cheat-code" who's outscoring Solanke

The incredible youngster could be a future star for Spurs.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 14, 2024

Kylian Mbappe dismissed any suggestion that there is tension between himself and Vinicius Junior, saying he joined Real Madrid to “play with him”.

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• French forward moved to Spain in 2024
• Has become another 'Galactico'
• Working with fellow forward, not against him

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  France international Mbappe became another 'Galactico' at Santiago Bernabeu during the summer of 2024. He joined a star-studded squad in the Spanish capital that boasts plenty of talent, but also a few big egos.

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• GOAL/Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Brazilian forward Vinicius has been a talismanic presence for Los Blancos in recent years, helping them to two Champions League titles, but is now having to share the spotlight with the likes of Mbappe and Jude Bellingham.

• WHAT KYLIAN MBAPPE SAID

  There have been reports of divides in the Real camp, but Mbappe insists there is no substance to those rumours. He told when discussing his relationship with Vinicius: “The relationship is very good, it’s normal for people to talk about us, about two famous players who make a difference, but I came with the idea of playing with Vinicius.

  “I can’t imagine a Real Madrid without Vini. We play well, we can be better. People expect more from us and that’s normal. We’re good together and it’s the most important part of the season. We’re going to try to help Madrid win as much as we can.”

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• Getty
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Mbappe has also discussed why he linked up with Real when reaching the end of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain and becoming a free agent. He added: “There are things more important than money. I wanted to play for Real Madrid, here at the Bernabeu. For me, the most important thing is to be happy.

  “I was absolutely certain (that I would end up at Madrid). I had great confidence in my abilities, and it was what I had wanted with all my heart since I was a child. I always had in my head the idea of playing for Real Madrid.”

Manchester United have produced some fantastic footballers in their academy in recent years. Of course, one could look as far back as the Class of ‘92 for an example of these talented players. The likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville, to name but three, are some of the biggest legends in United history.

Nowadays, there are far fewer players flying the flag for Carrington in the first team. Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho have become prominent players at Old Trafford, and both scored in last season’s FA Cup final win over Manchester City.

The other notable academy graduate in the United first team today is Marcus Rashford.

Rashford’s United career

Wythenshawe-born Marcus Rashford is a boyhood Red Devil. He is currently living his childhood dream, playing for the side he supported growing up, although there have naturally been plenty of ups and downs.

Rashford’s contribution to the football club has been fantastic. He has played an incredible 426 times for United, scoring 138 goals and grabbing 63 assists in that time.

He is 12th on the list of all-time top goalscorers for the club and needs eight strikes to break into the top ten, which would see him overtake Cristiano Ronaldo.

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Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Perhaps the winger’s best season in that famous Red shirt came in 2022/23. That season, he scored 30 times and grabbed nine assists in 56 games.

There were many memorable goals in 2022/23, but his goal away to FC Barcelona is one that will surely live long in the memory of United fans.

Recently, things have turned sour for the United legend at Old Trafford. He has been left out of the last two matchday squads by Ruben Amorim and gave a shattering interview on Wednesday afternoon. He told journalist Henry Winter he feels “ready for a new challenge”, fueling rumours he will leave.

If the Red Devils number ten does leave Old Trafford, it is time for another academy attacker to step into his shoes and become the face of the club. That man could be Gabriele Biancheri.

Man Utd's next Rashford

Welsh youngster Biancheri joined the Red Devils academy from Cardiff City as a 16-year-old in February 2023. Now 18, he has a professional contract at the club and has been making waves for the academy at Old Trafford.

It has been a phenomenal start to the 2024/25 season for the youngster, who simply cannot stop scoring. Across all competitions for both the under-18 and under-21 sides at United, he has 13 goals in 16 games.

That is already more goals than Rashford scored for youth sides at Carrington, impressive given the number of goals he has scored at first-team level.

So, just based on his goal-scoring stats, it is fair to say that Biancheri is a clinical scorer, even bettering some of Rashford’s numbers. He has scored more goals this term than any of United’s first team stars. Garnacho is currently leading the way with eight goals.

Indeed, football analyst Ben Mattinson seems to agree and described the Welshman as a “fox in the box”, which is exactly what Amorim would surely like to see in his strikers. That is to say, a genuine goalscorer, which is what United have lacked of late.

If Rashford does end up leaving Old Trafford, perhaps Biancheri could be the man to step into his shoes, while following in the Englishman’s footsteps as an emerging centre-forward star from the youth ranks.

Red Devils fans should not necessarily expect big things immediately, but he could certainly become the next great academy graduate, especially if he continues this electric form.

Man Utd make bid for "one of the best" who's a massive upgrade on Rashford

Manchester United have made a bid for a star who could send Marcus Rashford packing.

By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 19, 2024

Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee was forced to leave the pitch against Newcastle United after suffering a hamstring injury.

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• Zirkzee left the pitch with hamstring injury
• Big blow for United ahead of the Europa League fixture
• Newcastle thrashed Man Utd 4-1

• AFP
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Zirkzee, who was having an impressive outing against the Magpies, went down shortly after the break. The Dutch forward was seen clutching the back of his leg and was soon attended by the medical team. He then limped off the pitch as Ruben Amorim brought in Rasmus Hojlund in the 55th minute.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Zirkzee's injury news comes as a huge blow for the Red Devils, who are gearing up to face Lyon in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final fixture next week. The two teams met in the first leg in France earlier this week, where Zirkzee scored a late goal to put United in front. Rayan Cherki's last-gasp goal, however, helped the Ligue 1 side to hold the English giants to a 2-2 draw.

• (C)Getty Images
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Ruben Amorim's side suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat at St. James' Park on Sunday. Harvey Barnes scored a brace, while Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes were on target for the hosts. Alejandro Garnacho scored the consolation goal for the visitors.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  The club will conduct medical tests to find out the degree of Zirkzee's injury and the Netherlands star looks set to miss the return fixture against Lyon, meaning Hojlund is likely return to the starting XI.

Vitor Pereira’s honeymoon period as Wolverhampton Wanderers boss came to a crashing halt last time out versus Nottingham Forest, as Nuno Espirito Santo humbled his former employers 3-0 at Molineux.

Now, it’s a Saturday midday trip for the Old Gold in the FA Cup away at Bristol City, with Pereira praying that a minor cup upset isn’t on the cards and that his Wolves side get back to their best versus the Robins.

Between now and that weekend trip down to Ashton Gate, however, more transfer rumours will no doubt appear, with Wolves allegedly offered this seasoned Premier League performer recently.

Wolves offered chance to sign £60k p/w star

As per a recent report by Caught Offside, Newcastle United are offering out on-the-fringes attacker Miguel Almiron this January to a whole host of Premier League suitors.

Wolves are just one of those clubs named in the report, with both Leicester City and Crystal Palace also keen on adding the Paraguayan to their ranks at some point this hectic month.

A bid in and around £21m mark could be enough for any of those suitors to win their desired man, with Almiron no longer front and centre of Eddie Howe’s Magpies, despite once being a relied-upon option week in week out for the in-form Toon.

Pereira would surely love to add the £60k-per-week man to his Old Gold group, therefore, with the potential there for the experienced 30-year-old to strike up a lethal partnership with Matheus Cunha in attacking midfield to steer his new side away from relegation danger.

What Almiron could offer Wolves

It was clear for all to see last time that Wolves lacked a creative spark against Forest from the attacking midfield spots – owing to Cunha being out with a suspension – with Goncalo Guedes in particular sticking out as below-par with zero successful dribbles tallied up on top of zero duels being won from seven attempted.

Therefore, it will be easy for the Brazilian to come straight back into the first-team fold and re-establish himself as Wolves’ biggest asset going forward, having picked up a ridiculous 14 goal contributions from 19 top-flight outings this season to date.

He could soon be joined in those attacking midfield positions by Almiron if everything slots into place, with Hwang Hee-Chan not exactly covering himself in glory either come the full-time whistle against Forest, as the South Korean failed to hit a single on-target effort at the opposition goal.

Consequently, the wantaway Magpies star might forcibly remove Hwang from the side, with the 5 foot 9 ace proving across various different campaigns at St James’ Park that he has what it takes to perform at an elite level.

The obvious standout season – when looking at the numbers above – is of course Almiron’s fruitful 2021/22, where he bagged 11 goals from 34 Premier League games, with Hwang helping himself to just one more last campaign despite often playing as an out-and-out centre-forward.

Moreover, the Old Gold target can even brag that he has scored in the Champions League for his side across his long-standing stay on Tyneside, with this instinctive effort getting his team up and running against Paris St. Germain last year.

Labelled as “magnificent” just last summer by Howe for the passion and the skills he can gift his employers, it would be a sad cutting of the ties if the Paraguayan was to leave for Molineux.

But, Newcastle’s loss would be Wolves’ immense gain, with Cunha and Almiron perhaps forming a feared duo in attack to steer Pereira’s men clear of relegation.

Lemina upgrade: Wolves could land £17m star with "huge amount of talent"

Wolves are looking to strengthen in midfield

By
Joe Nuttall

Jan 8, 2025

One of Arsenal’s key first-team players has now held positive talks over a move to Real Madrid, according to a report.

Arsenal still chasing down Liverpool

The Gunners continued their pursuit of Premier League leaders Liverpool yesterday evening, securing a 3-1 win at Brentford, no mean feat considering how solid the Bees have been at home so far this season.

Much of Mikel Arteta’s side’s success over the past few years can be put down to their solid defensive record, with the centre-back pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba looking solid once again on Wednesday night.

Arsenal now have the joint-best defensive record in the Premier League, having shipped just 17 goals in the first half of the season, the same amount as title rivals Liverpool.

As such, the defence remaining solid is likely to be vital to the Gunners’ chances of winning the Premier League, and Arteta will be hoping to keep hold of both Gabriel and Saliba this January and beyond.

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Arsenal have found another mega talent.

By
Matt Dawson

Jan 2, 2025

That is why new reports from Spain may leave the Gunners boss a little worried, as it has been revealed that Saliba has now held positive talks with European giants Real Madrid.

The La Liga side have identified the Frenchman as one of their priority targets, so they sounded out the player’s entourage and received a positive response.

Arsenal have no plans to sanction the 23-year-old’s departure, given how important he is to the team, but they may be tempted to sell if an offer as high as €100m (£83m) is submitted.

Madrid are eager for Saliba to hand in a transfer request in order to facilitate a move to the Bernabeu, but talks are seemingly still at a very early stage, and there is no indication that he will be on the move anytime soon, particularly as he is contracted until 2027.

Saliba must stay at Arsenal at all costs

It will be concerning news that the defender has held talks with Madrid, but there are no signs that he has any plans to leave Arsenal in the near future, and a successful second half of the season could convince him to stay.

Micah Richards was full of praise for both Saliba and Gabriel after the 2-2 draw against Arsenal earlier this season:

The France international is one of the first names on the teamsheet, and it would be very difficult to find a replacement, so even if a huge offer comes in, Arsenal should hold firm.

At the moment, the Gunners are in a strong negotiating position, considering the centre-back is contracted until 2027, and they should reject any offers that Madrid make, as long as he remains happy to stay at the Emirates Stadium.

Ryan Reynolds has sent another epic birthday message to fellow Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney after made amends for cutting his Deadpool cameo.

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• McElhenney celebrating turning 48
• Wrexham co-owner sent birthday message
• Reynolds delivers another epic video

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Hollywood star Reynolds has developed a habit of producing hilarious birthday messages for McElhenney, and he didn't disappoint for the actor's 48th birthday on April 14. The Deadpool lead ended up crudely editing McElhenney into many of his old movies after admitting he was cut from Deadpool 3 last year.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• WHAT RYAN REYNOLDS SAID

  In his Instagram video, he said: "Robert, happy birthday! My god, another year. Another trip around the old Keith Moon. God, so many highs and so many lows. Incredible highs with you, obviously. Doing a cameo in the Deadpool film and then incredible lows with you being cut out of the Deadpool film. Now to make up for that, for your birthday this year, we've inserted you into many of my other films, all of which are available at your local Blockbuster or wherever Laser Disc is sold."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Aside from birthday messages, Wrexham are aiming for an historic third-straight promotion as they aim to rise to the Championship at the first time of asking. They are currently in the last automatic promotion spot but Wycombe Wanderers are hot on their heels. The promotion race is going down to the wire.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will be hoping that their form can pick up across the second half of the season, in order for them to avoid relegation. A poor start to the campaign has left them reeling in 17th place in the Premier League.

However, new manager Vitor Periera has overseen three out of four positive results, specifically two wins and a draw, in the top flight to start his tenure. The Old Gold must improve things defensively, given they have conceded 45 goals this term in the Premier League, more than any other side.

Thus, it might not be a sunrise they are looking to recruit one Premier League defender to bolster their backline.

Wolves target Premier League defender

The player in question here is Brighton and Hove Albion defender Adam Webster. It has been a tough season for the centre-back down on the South Coast, and he could be in line to depart the AMEX Stadium this winter.

According to a report from Molineux News, the West Midlands club could make a move for the Englishman before the window slams shut in February. The report explains that Webster ‘is a player Wolves like and have done for a while’, suggesting they could make a move for him in the next couple of weeks.

In terms of a price for Webster, nothing was specified by Procter in this report. However, it does not seem like it would be too costly of a deal to get over the line, given the 30-year-old is valued at £10m by Transfermarkt.

Why Webster would be a good signing

Sadly, it has been a really tough season for Brighton defender Webster in the 2024/25 campaign. He has been ravaged with injuries, missing a total of 13 games and 81 days with a thigh issue.

With that in mind, it is perhaps unsurprising that he has played just seven games for Fabian Hurzeler’s side this term across all competitions.

Only four of those appearances have been starts, with one coming in the Premier League and three in the EFL Cup. That included a game against Crawley Town, in which he scored and was captain.

Indeed, the defender could end up being the long-term replacement for Max Kilman, who left Molineux over the summer for West Ham United.

He cost the Hammers £40m, but that was not money that the Old Gold reinvested at centre-back in the previous transfer window.

Kilman was fantastic for the Midlands outfit during his time at the club. He made 151 appearances in total, captaining the club in his final season. He also managed to score three goals and grab three assists along the way.

As far as a replacement for the Hammers defender goes, Webster could be the man Wolves are looking for. Their defensive statistics from 2023/24 on FBref are similar, and he is arguably an upgrade on the ball.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Brighton star averaged 6.3 progressive passes per game last season, compared to 3.08 for Kilman, backing up previous claims from pundit Jamie Carragher, who said that Webster’s “passing out from the back, with both feet, is better than any other English central defender”.

Focussing on their defensive stats, the similarities are there to see. Both players read the game well and are aerially dominant. Webster averaged 4.96 ball recoveries and won 2.6 aerial duels per game last season. Comparatively, the former Wolves skipper averaged 4.66 ball recoveries and won 2.26 aerial duels per game.

As the stats suggest, Webster is a “phenomenal” player. At least, that is what football analyst and host of The Overlap: The Breakdown, H, described him as. He would be able to replace the leadership and the defensive quality that Kilman brought to Molineux.

Webster could be an excellent option for the Old Gold as they continue their fight against relegation.

Pereira could finally sell Wolves man who had fewer touches than Johnstone

Pereira can finally sell Wolves man after his poor display against Bristol

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By
Connor Holden

Jan 11, 2025