Tag Futebol

Leeds United are among a number of Premier League clubs who are interested in signing Cadiz centre-back Momo Mbaye, according to recent reports.

The Lowdown: Mbaye impressing in Spain

The 24-year-old is currently plying his trade in Spain, making three starts in La Liga this season and winning 1.3 aerial duels per game.

Mbaye has won seven caps for Senegal’s under-20 side, and it could be that a move to the Premier League is on the cards in the near future.

It looks as though Leeds are among the prospective suitors for the 6 foot 4 powerhouse, following reports from the continent.

The Latest: Leeds keen on Mbaye

When it comes to assessing Mbaye’s future, reports from Spain on Sunday night have claimed [via Sport Witness] that the Whites are ‘closely following his situation’ at the moment.

They are not alone in expressing an interest, though, with top-flight rivals Brighton and Southampton also mentioned as possible suitors for his signature.

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The Verdict: Could firm up Leeds’ leaky defence

Leeds have had a leaky defence since their return to the Premier League in 2020, often looking susceptible in that area under Marcelo Bielsa and looking similarly porous with Jesse Marsch at the helm.

This season, the Whites have conceded 19 goals in just 12 league games, while last term’s appalling concession tally of 79 was the second-worst in the division.

Therefore, the prospective arrival of Mbaye could help to firm things up and provide more competition for places in defence at Elland Road.

At 24, the Cadiz man should be coming into his peak footballing years in the near future, so he could also be viewed as a long-term successor to 31-year-old club captain Liam Cooper.

Sunderland will be hoping to avoid going winless in four Championship games tonight, as they travel to face rock-bottom Huddersfield Town.

They will have no greater opportunity to claim that elusive win which could see them climb as high as 12th.

Tony Mowbray has plenty of issues to contend with, and having played on Saturday it can be expected that he will make some slight tweaks in order to avoid fatigue. With that in mind, here is how Football FanCast expect the Mackems to line up:

Patterson; O’Nien, Wright, Batth, Cirkin; Michut, Evans, Bennette, Pritchard, Diallo; Simms (4-2-3-1).

Mowbray will likely make three changes from his side that recorded a 1-1 draw with Luton Town.

Anthony Patterson will continue in goal behind an unchanged back four, as they continue to shift away from the 3-4-3 system that had brought them early season success.

Bailey Wright will continue to play at the heart of defence alongside Danny Batth, as academy graduate Dennis Cirkin features at left-back.

With Lynden Gooch expected to be out for “two to three weeks” as of their mid-October win over Wigan Athletic, Luke O’Nien will have to deputise on the right.

Having played more minutes than Corry Evans, it can be expected that Dan Neil will drop out in favour of Edouard Michut.

The Frenchman will partner Evans, who will supplement Alex Pritchard just in front of them.

Leon Dajaku will likely lose his place following his poor performance, to be replaced by Jewison Bennette.

A suspension to Jack Clarke following his fifth booking of the season over the weekend means the Black Cats will be without their star man, but with a wealth of wide talent, Mowbray will not be overly worried.

Amad Diallo, who has been afforded more minutes of late, will likely take his place.

The 20-year-old scored his first goal for the club against Burnley just over a week ago and had started the last two games, although deputised up front against Luton.

The man – dubbed “special” by Owen Hargreaves – will be able to resume his normal position on the wing as the injured Ellis Simms could make a comeback.

Mowbray, when asked about a potential return to action against the Hatters, claimed “I hope so”.

Supporters too will be hoping that he can answer their prayers, and fire them to victory once again.

Graeme Welch is rejoining Warwickshire as bowling coach after losing out on the same role with England to Essex’s Chris Silverwood.Welch served as bowling coach at Edgbaston for four years from January 2010, during which time the club won the County Championship title in 2012 and the Clydesdale Bank 40 in 2010.He left the club in 2014 to take up a role as elite performance director at Derbyshire but when that did not work out he subsequently moved to Leicestershire as assistant coach in September 2016 only for them to finish bottom of Division Two in the Championship.Welch’s reputation as a bowling coach remains unblemished, however, and Warwickshire were quick to hail his return as the next step in a coaching reshuffle that saw Alan Richardson released from the role last month.Ashley Giles, sport director at Warwickshire, said: “Graeme Welch is an outstanding bowling coach who was part of an excellent coaching team that delivered trophies at Edgbaston.”In our view he is one of the very best bowling coaches in the game and it came as no surprise to us when he was recently connected with the position of England bowling coach.”We are delighted that he has chosen to return to Edgbaston where he will not only be responsible for getting the first team back to winning ways but also building a bowling academy equipped to develop a new generation of bowlers, from all backgrounds, capable of delivering continued success in all formats for Warwickshire and the Birmingham Bears.”Welch said: “I have enjoyed my time at Leicestershire, but the chance to return to Edgbaston was one I could not turn down. I have been lucky enough to be part of successful Bears teams in the past as both player and coach and am very excited by the challenge of building a bowling academy which will bring success to the club on a sustained basis.”Leicestershire responded quickly to fill the vacancy, appointing John Sadler, who initially rejoined them as Second XI Coach last winter before taking charge of first team affairs alongside Graeme Welch for the final three matches of the 2017 season. Sadler and Paul Nixon, Leicestershire’s new coach, played in the same Foxes side and were both key members of the team that in the early years had the most successful record in the country.

Like any club in the football pyramid, Sheffield Wednesday have had their fair share of disappointing transfer deals but few will have been as financially damaging for the Owls as the 2017 signing of Jordan Rhodes.

The usually-reliable forward made the move to Hillsborough from Middlesbrough in February 2017 in a deal worth £10m, having been deemed surplus to requirements at the Riverside Stadium.

While £10m was definitely far too much in retrospect, there was little to suggest that Rhodes wouldn’t be a success with the Owls, having consistently found the net in the Championship in his career.

The former Scotland international had been prolific in spells with Huddersfield Town and Blackburn Rovers, hitting 84 goals in 169 appearances for the Ewood Park outfit before his move to the North East.

He hit six goals for Boro en route to promotion in the 2015/16 season but was offered few opportunities in the Premier League, so to sign him in the Championship represented something of a coup for the Owls.

However, he would manage just 10 goals in his first 55 appearances for the club and was sent on loan to Norwich City for the 2018/19 campaign.

Despite the Canaries’ promotion, he struggled for goals once again, hitting just six goals in 36 Championship appearances, with Sheffield Wednesday’s £10m investment starting to look more and more like a poor deal for the club.

Rhodes returned to Hillsborough and managed another 10 goals in the next two seasons, hitting seven in the Championship as the Owls were relegated to League One in the 2020/21 season.

This would take his tally to just 20 goals in 112 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday, meaning that chairman Dejphon Chansiri had paid £500k per goal during Rhodes’ time at the club.

The club could have sold him to Norwich City on a permanent deal but Chansiri’s high demands backfired, with clubs unwilling to meet the Owl’s asking price, which was described as “outrageous” by Norwich’s sporting director Stuart Webber.

To add insult to injury, the striker departed on a free transfer following relegation and re-joined Huddersfield Town, where the 32-year-old continues to play a bit part.

Sadly, his career has not been the same since his switch to Sheffield Wednesday, and Chansiri’s decision to sign him for £10m undoubtedly proved to be a disaster.

Southampton clearly had a specific type of player scouted out for the most recent summer window, as they brought in nine permanent transfers to revitalise the squad.

The common theme amongst them all was that not a single one of them was over 25 (at the time of signing), suggesting that Ralph Hasenhuttl is planning not only for their current success but their future glory if these players develop as expected.

One of their more senior and well-established purchases was from Rangers, where they managed to snatch Joe Aribo for an initial £6m fee.

The Nigeria international came with great experience in the Scottish Premiership and was fresh off the back of a starring role in his side’s unlikely run to the Europa League final.

It marked an incredible coup for the Saints, as the 26-year-old joined with the ability to play both off the shoulder of a striker but also slightly deeper from midfield.

He had scored eight times during their league campaign, whilst also recording six assists. He was also the scorer of their opening goal in that European final.

It is a surprise that they managed to get him for so cheap, especially considering how his value has risen so quickly since the move. Indeed, CIES Football Observatory now rates the midfielder at €15m (£13.4m), outlining his incredible upward trajectory within the game.

He was dubbed a “special talent” by Jordan Campbell of The Athletic, who went on to label him “combative and wiry with unique engineering.”

His skill set is certainly unique, but there is no doubting that he has all the physical and technical attributes to continue his successes in the Premier League.

In fact, he has already translated it into one goal for his new club; a well-taken finish bundled in against Leeds United.

He possesses a keen eye for goal, whilst also having the work rate and relentlessness to continue finding himself in the right position for these chances, all attributes that suggest the Saints struck gold when bringing him to St Mary’s.

Aribo headlines what was a fine summer window for Southampton, who will be patiently waiting for these shrewd transfers to bear fruit as they would inevitably fly up the table.

Mikel Arteta has led Arsenal to six Premier League wins from seven matches so far this season, as the feel-good factor appears to be returning to the club following years of stagnation.

They currently sit atop the league table, and although it’s too early to suggest a title challenge, securing a Champions League place should be the main priority.

Sealing summer signings such as Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, Arteta clearly knows how to get the best from the transfer market, however, it was a Norwegian player who he really hit the jackpot with.

Arsenal hit the jackpot on Odegaard

Martin Odegaard was regarded as one of the finest young talents in Europe when Real Madrid signed him aged just 16, and his career has been full of twists and turns ever since.

Loan spells at Heerenveen and Vitesse Arnhem did little to suggest the youngster was on the verge of greatness, with many believing he was just another player to show promise before being destroyed at Real Madrid and moving to a lower level to build themselves back up.

A loan move to Arsenal changed all this in January 2021. Two goals and two assists in £30m.

The £115k-per-week star is now valued at €70m (£62.4m) by CIES Football Observatory, which is an incredible 108% increase on his original fee.

Last season, the 23-year-old scored seven goals and registered five assists in 40 matches, again a solid campaign but nothing out of the ordinary, but it appears this season might be the year where he really moves to the next level.

Odegaard’s rating on SofaScore is 7.37 after six league matches this season and has seen him score three goals register 2.2 shots per match and make 1.7 key passes each game.

These performances have been a big factor in Arsenal beginning the season like a steam train, scoring plenty of goals and dominating teams.

Yannick Bolasie has described Odegaard as a “baller” and it finally looks like the player has gotten the perfect platform to shine on in the Premier League.

Arteta certainly hit the jackpot in making his move permanent back in January last year, it could be the best signing he will ever make at the club.

Sunderland have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Brighton and Hove Albion central defender Jan Paul van Hecke on loan.

The Lowdown: Neil to Stoke

The big breaking news from the Stadium of Light today is that Alex Neil is set to become the new manager of fellow Championship rivals Stoke City.

It is unclear how this will affect their business in the transfer market, with a week still left to go before the window closes.

The Latest: Van Hecke deal agreed

As per Football Insider, the Wearside club have agreed to sign van Heck on loan, after being given the ‘green light’ by Brighton.

They have beaten a number of rival clubs for his signature, and the Netherlands U21 international will be free to join up with the rest of the squad in due course.

The Verdict: Big coup

To beat a number of rivals to a Premier League centre-back in Van Hecke is certainly a big coup for the Black Cats.

Having impressed while on loan at Blackburn Rovers in the Championship last season, manager at the time Tony Mowbray was full of praise for the six-foot-two colossus:

“He looks like Bobby Moore out there sometimes. It’s amazing to watch how composed, how calm he can be, yet he has the fire of a warrior in belly.”

Van Hecke has already shown his worth in England’s second division, and so SAFC should be confident that he can perform for them as well.

Given Neil’s imminent departure, this is at least some positive news for the club.

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has backed Newcastle United to sign James Maddison.

The Lowdown: Will push again

Writing in his latest column for CaughtOffside, Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed that the St James’ Park outfit will push again for the 25-year-old after previously having two bids rejected for the attacking midfielder.

However, Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers still insists that the player is not for sale, although that stance could change if the right amount of money is put on the table.

The Latest: Kenny backs Maddison move

Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny still thinks that Newcastle could still land Maddison before the transfer window shuts, claiming that the 25-year-old would be a ‘massive signing’ for the Magpies.

The ex-QPR goalkeeper stated: “It would be a big signing. Leicester have said he is not for sale to bump up the price tag, that’s what happens when Newcastle are interested.

“I like Maddison, he had an amazing season last year. He has gone so well at Leicester and I’m sure he would be a great signing.

“I think they can get him before the window shuts, it would be another massive signing for them.”

The Verdict: Statement signing

If Newcastle were able to sign Maddison, it would certainly send a message out to the rest of the Premier League that they truly mean business.

The Englishman recorded the most goal contributions of any Leicester player in the top flight last season, racking up an impressive 12 goals and eight assists from the middle of the park (WhoScored).

He is already up and running for this term with an assist for Timothy Castagne in Sunday afternoon’s 2-2 draw at home to Brentford.

Nonetheless, with Nick Pope, Sven Botman and Matt Targett already through the door this summer, Maddison would be the marquee attacking acquisition that’s needed in order to take the Magpies to the next level in their long-term project.

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of reported West Ham United transfer target Armando Broja.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that, despite earlier reports suggesting that West Ham were closing in on a £30m deal for the 20-year-old this summer, Chelsea are now fighting to keep the centre-forward at Stamford Bridge – with Thomas Tuchel believed to be a huge admirer of the Albania international.

In his tweet, the transfer insider said: “Chelsea and West Ham are still in direct negotiations for Armando Broja deal. Chelsea now fighting to keep Armando, Tuchel is a big fan – wants him to stay. West Ham are still pushing. Been told no way for a loan, only a permanent move is being discussed.”

Supporters will be gutted

Considering just how exciting a prospect Broja undoubtedly is, in addition to it previously being reported that Chelsea were willing to let the striker leave the club this summer, Romano’s latest update on the future of the youngster is sure to have left the London Stadium faithful gutted.

Indeed, the £19.8m-rated forward first caught the eye during his time spent in the Chelsea academy, bagging 16 goals over 35 appearances for the U18s, scoring three goals in 13 outings for the U23s and netting 11 goals over 34 outings fixtures a loan spell at Vitesse Arnhem – one of the Premier League side’s feeder clubs.

The £8.5k-per-week talent then proved he is more than capable of making the step up to Premier League football during a season-long loan at Southampton last term, scoring nine goals and providing one assist over 38 appearances for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side – form that clearly convinced David Moyes of the 20-year-old’s ability and potential for future growth.

However, with Romano claiming that Tuchel is now hoping to keep hold of the 14-cap international ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, it looks as if Rob Newman will seriously have his work cut out in convincing the Blues to part with one of their most promising talents this summer – something that is sure to come as a gutting blow to the Hammers.

AND in other news: “The most likely..”: Ex drops huge West Ham transfer update, supporters will be fuming

Newcastle United could choose to wait until the final few weeks of the transfer window to make any more signings, claims Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

The Lowdown: Newcastle’s signings

Following a £305m takeover led by the Saudi Arabia-based Public Investment Fund last October, the Tyneside club have not been afraid to splash the cash this year.

After a successful loan spell during the second half of last season, Matt Targett became Newcastle’s first signing of the summer window, joining in a deal worth £15m.

Burnley shot-stopper Nick Pope was the next player through the door at St James’ Park, after the Magpies agreed a £10m fee with the relegated side for the England international.

Most recently, highly rated centre-back Sven Botman made the switch to the Premier League, arriving from Lille in a deal worth around £35m.

The Latest: Sheth shares word from Pete Graves

Sheth has been told that Newcastle may hold off on signing any more players for the moment, giving Eddie Howe the chance to assess the squad and the areas it needs improving.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, the Sky Sports journalist claimed:

“I speak to my colleague Pete Graves, who is a Newcastle United fan and has got quite a few good ins with regard to what Newcastle United’s business is going to look like.

“He wouldn’t be surprised, he told me, if Newcastle start the season with the squad that they’ve got now, see how the first few games go and keep in mind various other signings.”

The Verdict: Smart decision

Having already secured five signings in the January window, the idea to hold off on any further additions will allow the Magpies squad to settle down and gel with one another, since there will be considerable changes to the starting XI when compared with last year’s side.

Newcastle are set to get the 2022/23 campaign underway by welcoming newly-promoted Nottingham Forest to St James’ Park on August 6. These opening few games will allow Howe to identify any holes in his starting side, giving PIF a few weeks to rectify any issues before the transfer deadline.

Sheth’s claims illustrate the smart business being conducted by Dan Ashworth at Newcastle, although it does still feel inevitable that a new attacking signing will be required.