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Journalist Andy Jones has hailed Manuel Benson’s performance in Burnley’s defeat at Sheffield United in the Championship on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Defeat for the Clarets

The Clarets made the trip to Bramall Lane for an important league clash, with the Blades set to provide Vincent Kompany’s side with a stern test.

A highly entertaining game eventually saw Burnley fall to a 5-2 defeat, despite being in front twice in the opening 45 minutes. Benson scored both of his side’s goals in the defeat, as his impressive run of form this season continues.

The Latest: Journalist lauds Benson

Taking to Twitter, Jones singled out the 25-year-old for praise after his influential performance, making this admission on Benson at the interval.

“Manuel Benson is in the form of his life.”

The Verdict: Huge player this season

With each passing week, the more Benson’s influence in a Burnley shirt seems to grow and he was impressive on Saturday, standing out for the away side in a high-tempo encounter.

Not only did he score twice but he also enjoyed a 94% pass completion rate, completed one key pass and made one tackle, according to SofaScore, in what was an imperious all-round display.

It’s now six Championship goals for the season for Benson, having only started four matches in the competition, and the hope is that this is only the start of his brilliance.

Aston Villa could be set to move for a former Premier League manager who is very highly rated…

What’s the latest?

Journalist Ben Jacobs, speaking to the Off The Ball podcast, issued a small update on Johan Lange’s quest to fill his club’s managerial vacancy.

He claimed: “Two outsiders just to keep an eye on, Bielsa, former Leeds manager, and AVB too.

“It’s an open race at the moment but one thing I do know is that a lot of the legwork behind formulating a short list and touting candidates had been done a week ago, which means the Villa board are not starting from now in terms of their recruitment.”

He could take them to the top

Marcelo Bielsa has earned the highest praise across the footballing world for his contribution to the various clubs he has graced.

His most notable success for English clubs was with Leeds United, where he finally gave the club what they had been craving for so long, returning them to the Premier League after a 16-year absence.

His outlandish, unorthodox but often brilliant brand of football saw them walk the Championship and finish in a sensational ninth in their returning season in the top flight.

Whilst his tenure may have ended on a sour note, having been dismissed by the Whites after a run of poor performances, his impact on the game as a whole cannot be overstated.

The Argentine was labelled a “genius” by Mauricio Pochettino and the “best coach in the world” by Pep Guardiola, top praise from some of the greatest coaches themselves in Europe.

Bielsa’s style of play does have risks that could result in a drop-off in results, but when it works his teams can compete with anyone. Perhaps with a much-improved squad to the largely Championship-level he had at Elland Road, he truly could excel.

Their win over Manchester City in April of 2021 stands testament to this, as they beat the would-be champions with ten men.

The upsides of appointing the 67-year-old are remarkable, and he really could take them to the very top. However, they have to be wary of the potential downsides too.

West Bromwich Albion are currently struggling for form in the Championship, and with goals hard to come by, some might reminisce wistfully about the times when Romelu Lukaku was firing them in for one season at The Hawthorns whilst on loan.

The Belgian scored 17 Premier League goals during the 2012/13 campaign, including a hat-trick on the final day of that season to sour Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United send-off.

However, even before that, the Baggies could have had a striker who has developed into someone even better than the 29-year-old.

Speaking to the Express and Star podcast, West Brom’s former director of football Dan Ashworth was noting the various players they might have signed in the past, and he outlined one particular player on whom they missed out.

The now-Newcastle employee said: “Lewandowski was another one where a lot of English clubs were looking at him in the Polish league and wondering whether he would have the physicality, us included.”

He continued: “He was on our radar, and we were sort of sniffing around for a period of time.”

This was obviously a proposed move which never materialised, and whilst the Baggies have flitted between the Championship and the top flight in recent years, the Poland international has gone on to dominate world football.

He has maintained an astonishing goalscoring record for every club he has graced, with his 344 goals and 72 assists in just 375 games for Bayern Munich perhaps his most impressive feat. His proficiency even led to him breaking the legendary Gerd Muller’s record for the most Bundesliga goals in a calendar year.

Having moved to Barcelona this summer, the 34-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down, with 12 goals in his first ten appearances at Camp Nou.

The 134-cap marksman has far outscored Lukaku throughout his club career, with the Polish icon netting 521 times compared to the Belgian’s 267.

It is no surprise that Lewandowski’s former team-mate Benjamin Pavard partnered him with Karim Benzema as a duo who “can’t stop scoring goals”.

Lukaku is looked back upon favourably in this part of the Midlands, but had Albion secured a striker of the quality of Lewandowski on a permanent basis, it could have drastically shifted the trajectory of the club for the better.

West Ham United and club owners GSBK (Gold, Sullivan, Brady and Kretinsky) have a worrying ‘situation’ around exciting young defender Harrison Ashby.

The Lowdown: Ashby exit tipped…

Towards the end of the summer, West Ham’s latest young talent was heavily tipped to potentially leave east London with Premier League rivals Newcastle United holding a particularly strong interest.

There were even some reports suggesting Ashby’s move to Tyneside was ‘all but done’, but alas, the move appeared to collapse on deadline day with David Moyes keeping hold of his academy product.

Now, it is believed the Irons will attempt to tie down Scotland’s youth international with a new and improved deal after blocking moves to both Newcastle and Leeds United (The Sun).

The Latest: Jones makes worrying Ashby claim…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, reporter Jones has lifted the lid on a worrying ‘situation’ for GSBK surrounding Ashby.

He claims West Ham are ‘cautious’ over offering the 20-year-old a new deal too lucrative.

This is in case it upsets the applecart and breaks the club’s wage structure around up-and-coming players, dealing GSBK an ‘ongoing’ dilemma.

Jones explained:

“West Ham have to try and sort out the situation.

“They’re very cautious about giving him a big, new contract because of the knock-on effect it might have to other players within the set-up. This is a situation that is going to be ongoing for a little bit.”

The Verdict: Next move crucial…

Already tipped for greatness by club insiders, Claret & Hugh call Ashby ‘one of the best academy prospects we have seen at West Ham in a long time’.

The right-back’s contract expires next summer and GSBK need to weigh their next move carefully, not least due to his sky high potential and a real risk of losing him for free in 2023.

If they can tie down Ashby to reasonable terms, West Ham will be in a strong position to demand fair fees for the starlet from interested sides – especially if a club like Newcastle come knocking again.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos and his situation at Ibrox… 

What’s the talk?

Gio van Bronckhorst has revealed that he is set for talks with the Colombia international to discuss his situation at the club.

He told the Scotsman: “In terms of Alfredo, he worked hard this week. We will sit down this week and speak about him and his future, but as I said before, he is still our player, he knows what he has to do to become available for matches again. In this first week, the reaction that he has shown has been very positive.”

This comes after he was outcasted from the squad for the second leg of their Champions League clash with PSV, which they won courtesy of a goal from his replacement Antonio Colak.

Cash in on him

Van Bronckhorst must wield his axe and brutally cash in on the centre-forward before the end of the window as he is a liability to the squad.

The manager has claimed that Morelos has put the work in to force his way back into contention this week but this is not a one-off issue for the attacker.

He has displayed worrying behaviour when it comes to professionalism and being easy for those in charge of the club to work with.

The Athletic have claimed that former director Mark Allen wanted to sell him after an incident with Carlos Pena that involved the pair buying beer, whilst some of Steven Gerrard’s coaching staff were open to replacing him after the current Villa boss omitted him from a squad for returning to Glasgow late.

He was reportedly fined by Gerrard on a number of occasions for being late and this issue cropped up again recently as he failed to arrive on time for a recovery session earlier this month.

It has been noted that he has been “hard work” for the coaching staff throughout his career at Rangers and Jordan Campbell claimed in his piece on the striker that a ruthless club would have sold him by now.

Chris Sutton described his behaviour as “unacceptable” this week and the form of Antonio Colak could allow van Bronckhorst to cash in on the £33k-per-week liability.

The Croatia international has scored seven goals in nine games and is showing that he can lead the line and be the main man for the Gers.

This could allow the club to sell Morelos in the coming days without worrying about being left without a reliable goalscorer at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst must now push Ross Wilson to offer the centre-forward out in the final days of the window, so that his squad does not suffer any more disruptions throughout the rest of the campaign.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are ‘preparing medical tests’ for Valencia winger Goncalo Guedes ahead of his move to Molineux, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Guedes’ arrival

After Bruno Lage’s side lost their opening game of the Premier League season 2-1 to Leeds United, news broke that the Old Gold had made their move for the Portugal international.

According to Gols Media journalist Hector Gomez, Wolves made a £29.5m offer (inclusive of potential add-ons) for the 25-year-old forward, following on from the club’s first defeat of the 2022/23 campaign.

Sport Italia journalist Gianluigi Longari then revealed that the player was close to agreeing personal terms with the west Midlands club.

Following the news, Valencia manager Gennaro Gattuso was quoted saying: “The club told me they’ve received a huge proposal for Guedes from a Premier League club”.

The Latest: Romano’s update

Romano has shared an update regarding Wolves’ pursuit of Guedes, revealing that a deal in the region of €30m-€32m (£25.3m-£27m) is now approaching its final stages.

Taking to Twitter on Monday afternoon, the reliable journalist claimed: “Wolves are preparing medical tests for Gonçalo Guedes to join the club this week. Fee will be around €30/32m plus add-ons, long term contract ready in order to get the deal signed. #WWFC

“Documents are being prepared as Valencia accepted Wolves bid.”

The Verdict: Fantastic news

The arrival of Guedes at Molineux will provide Lage with a pacey winger who carries an almighty attacking threat.

Compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the 25-year-old ranks in the 95th percentile for progressive passes, the 94th percentile for dribbles completed and the 93rd percentile for progressive carries (via FBRef).

He chipped in with 11 goals and six assists in La Liga in 2021/22, scoring nearly twice as often as Wolves’ top scorer Raul Jimenez in the Premier League, so that influx of goals would surely be welcomed by Lage.

After the news of the 25-year-old’s impending move to Molineux emerged, talkSPORT’s European expert Andy Brassell heaped praise on Wolves’ possible new addition, stating: “For Wolves I think Guedes will be absolutely fantastic, they need that little bit of extra bang upfront, maybe they could be in a bit of trouble if they’re not scoring goals.

“He’s someone who can play as a striker or as a winger, lightning quick, on his day as good as it gets.”

Therefore, with seemingly only a few minor details needing to be sorted now, Wolves could soon welcome a fantastic signing to Lage’s squad.

Rumoured Newcastle United target Benjamin Sesko, a striker for RB Salzburg, is likely to remain in Austria, according to reliable journalist Mark Douglas.

The Lowdown: NUFC links

According to a report by Sportsmail (via Daily Mail), the Magpies are admirers of the 19-year-old forward and he is being tracked among a list of potential targets.

Newcastle are working within Financial Fair Play restrictions and thus have been priced out of moves for Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak and Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby.

The Daily Mail states the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are interested in making a move for Sesko next summer, meaning the Magpies may need to act fast to secure his signature for the long-term.

The Latest: Douglas’ news

Douglas has shared the latest news on Newcastle’s pursuit of the young attacker.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist claimed:

“Interesting #nufc link w/ Benjamin Sesko, 19-year-old RB Salzburg striker, this morning – sparked partly by agent posting he’s in Newcastle on Instagram.

“Agent schtum now & sources in Salzburg who’ve spoken to club manager (sporting director) Christoph Freund this AM feel he’s likely to stay.”

The Verdict: Huge potential

The Slovenia international made 24 appearances in the Austrian top-flight last season, during which he scored five goals and produced three assists (via Transfermarkt).

Furthermore, the 19-year-old made six appearances in the Champions League, featuring in his side’s starting XI on two occasions.

As a result, it is easy to see the player’s potential, given the huge trust already bestowed in him by Freund.

If Newcastle can convince the striker to join them at St. James’ Park, this would be a great signing for the Toon, but it looks like they may have to wait a year and battle it out with some of Europe’s heavyweights.

Rangers have been handed a huge boost over Ibrox gem Alfredo Morelos’ fitness ahead of the 2022/23 campaign…

What’s the talk?

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has revealed that the Rangers striker has made his return to training, after missing out on the recent pre-season friendly win.

He told the Glasgow Times: “We prepare now for a big week because we are playing two really good quality opponents. After that we prepare for the start of the season.

“Morelos is doing partial training with the team now, Filip is still not training with us he had a setback so we have to wait and see how that is developing.

“Fashion got a knock in training on Thursday. He trained Friday but wasn’t feeling 100 per cent so we decided not to take him. Alex is still in recovery.”

Supporters will be delighted

This update will surely leave supporters delighted by this news as it suggests that Morelos is closing in on a return to action for the Light Blues.

The striker suffered a thigh injury during the March international break last season and in April was ruled out for the rest of the campaign as he needed surgery on the knock.

This left Kemar Roofe as the club’s only recognised centre-forward, although Ross Wilson has moved to bolster that area of the pitch with a deal for Antonio Colak this summer.

Morelos being back will be a huge boost to the team as he has proven that he has the quality to make a big impact in the final third.

In the Premiership last season, the Colombian attacker scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 25 starts as he averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.32. He created 2.0 chances per game and nine ‘big chances’ in total for his teammates in the division, which shows that he offers goalscoring and creativity in the number nine role.

Morelos also caught the eye in Europe as he scored four goals in eight starts in the Europa League – including one goal against Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund. This proves that he is capable of performing in multiple competitions and can lead the line brilliantly for the Gers.

Therefore, fans will be delighted by his return as his statistics suggest that he will be the main man again for van Bronckhorst if he is fit, which may come in time for the Champions League qualifier against Union Saint-Gilloise at the start of August.

AND in other news, Wilson can land Rangers their own Jude Bellingham in £42k-p/w swoop…  

Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Union Berlin attacker Taiwo Awoniyi in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh rumour that has emerged.

The Lowdown: Big summer ahead

Steve Cooper is preparing for his side’s return to the Premier League next season, with new signings an obvious key area of focus alongside talks for the manager’s new contract.

Numerous additions will be required, in order for Forest to compete with the best sides in the country, or they will be risking a swift return to the Championship.

Plenty of links have emerged to goalkeepers such is the perilous situation with Brice Samba, but a new transfer rumour suggests Cooper could be about to bring in a potent attacking player.

The Latest: Forest keen on Awoniyi move

According to Sky Germany, Forest are interested in signing Awoniyi, who was formerly at Liverpool before joining Union Berlin.

The Nigerian is keen to leave his current club this summer, and the Premier League newcomers are ready to pounce and pay his release clause of €20million (£17.2m).

[freshpress-quiz id=“398089″]

The Verdict: Hugely exciting talent

Awoniyi is an exciting and physically imposing player who could be exactly what Forest need next season, adding much-needed firepower to a squad that is set to come up against far superior defences than in the Championship.

The 24-year-old enjoyed an excellent 2021/22 season, scoring 15 goals in 29 Bundesliga starts. He was hailed as ‘amazing’ by Union Berlin’s official Twitter account back in 2020, no surprise given he holds the record as the club’s all-time leading Bundesliga scorer.

His goal threat and all-round end product could ensure Forest aren’t goal-shy in the Premier League – the fact that his release clause isn’t too high makes the move seem even more tempting.

In other news, some exciting Forest news has emerged. Find out what it is here.

Journalist Ryan Taylor of The Daily Express has now shared a promising Tottenham Hotspur transfer update from the last 48 hours involving Inter Milan star Alessandro Bastoni.

The Lowdown: Spurs earmark top target…

As reliably reported, the Nerazzurri star defender is one of manager Antonio Conte’s top targets for Spurs this summer after a recruitment summit with club chief Fabio Paratici in Turin.

Having steered Tottenham to a top-four Premier League finish, Conte’s sights are now set on improving the squad in time for his first full season in charge at Hotspur Way.

A left-footed central defender is high on the agenda with Bastoni top of the list, according to reports, with Taylor now sharing a promising update in the last 48 hours.

The Latest: Taylor shares promising Bastoni update…

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According to The Daily Express reporter, Tottenham are ‘quietly hopeful’ they can seal Bastoni and ‘convince’ the player to join them.

There is apparently ‘optimism’ that Ivan Perisic won’t be the only arrival in north London as they set their sights on Inter’s gem.

As well as this, they apparently have the ‘financial power to present a significant and respectable offer’ to the San Siro side and Bastoni is the name being ‘internally discussed’ at Tottenham.

The Verdict: Promising update…

The 23-year-old, called a ‘technically brilliant’ centre-half by Italian football expert Conor Clancy, has been tipped as the next generation’s Giorgio Chiellini and it is little surprise Conte wants his former star in England.

This update that Spurs have the ability to table a marquee bid and are confident behind-the-scenes certainly comes as promising after previous reports suggesting the player wasn’t keen to join.

Supporters could certainly be looking on towards this summer with real excitement.

In other news: ‘According to sources close…’ – Journalist makes ‘superb’ striker claim involving Tottenham, find out more here.