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Manchester United are planning to offload a "phenomenal" player at the end of the season, according to a new transfer report regarding his future.

Man Utd transfer news

The Red Devils have another important transfer window ahead of them this summer, with further reinforcements needed in their squad, in order to take them up a level.

United have been linked with an audacious switch for Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior, should the Brazilian move on with Kylian Mbappe on course to arrive from Paris Saint-Germain. It remains to be seen if he will depart, but it could be a stunning piece of business at Old Trafford.

At the back, Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio is a name who's not going away when it comes to potential United target, with the Portuguese a highly-rated young player who is capable of impressing at centre-back and left-back. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is making his presence felt more and more by the day, and he is also interested in sanctioning a move for Juventus defender Gleison Bremer.

It certainly looks like it could be an exciting summer of incomings, especially if Ratcliffe makes a huge amount of money available, but for that to happen, other players may need to be moved on. It looks as though a decision has been made regarding one such individual, following a fresh update.

Man Utd ready to sell Hannibal Mejbri

According to Football Insider, Manchester United are ready to accept a permanent offer for Hannibal Mejbri this summer, not seeing a long-term future for him at the club.

"Man United will look to permanently offload Hannibal Mejbri this summer, sources have told Football Insider. It is believed that the club are keen on a squad clearout and have deemed the 21-year-old surplus to requirements at Old Trafford.

"Well-placed sources have told Football Insider that Man United will have to sell players before making major new signings, meaning Hannibal is expected to be one of a swathe of departures from the Premier League giants."

Hannibal is still only young, so there could be a risk element to United deciding to sell him, with former Birmingham City manager John Eustace once lauding him after a loan spell at the club:

"The way he has played in the last couple of games has been phenomenal. He has broken records for total distance [covered], all that kind of stuff."

That being said, Hannibal hasn't been starring on loan in Spain with Sevilla, and if Ratcliffe feels that United can receive a good amount of money for his services, letting him go feels like the correct decision.

Man Utd willing to meet release clause to sign "really talented" striker

The Red Devils are willing to meet his release clause.

ByHenry Jackson Feb 25, 2024

The 21-year-old has made just three appearances totalling 37 minutes for Sevilla, suggesting that he is struggling to impress there. That feels like another reason to cut ties with him at the end of the season, generating funds for better players in the process, making this one to keep an eye on over the coming months.

Danny Rohl will now have to just make do with his Sheffield Wednesday squad between now and the end of the season, adding in two more new recruits to the building on Deadline Day to help the Owls try and stave off the Championship relegation zone.

It was a case of even more loan additions signing on the dotted line at the death to close out the transfer window on Thursday, with Ian Poveda and Kristian Pedersen both joining in last-gasp switches from Leeds United and Swansea City respectively.

The Danish defender could well even be thrown straight into the deep end for Wednesday's clash away at Huddersfield Town today, as Rohl makes two changes from the side who valiantly drew 0-0 with Watford last time in this predicted lineup…

1 GK – James Beadle

Sticking with January temporary purchase James Beadle in goal was an inspired move by Rohl in the stalemate versus the Hornets, the 19-year-old Brighton loanee starring in the closely-fought encounter at Hillsborough.

Making two saves in the contest to keep his clean sheet in tact, Beale's confident and assured display in-between the sticks allowed the Owls to attack without fear that they'd be carved open on the counter-attack and lose late on.

2 RB – Pol Valentin

Pol Valentin also impressed in the match with Watford mid-week, standing firm throughout the 0-0 draw as a dogged right-back when Watford ventured forward.

Winning all but one of his duels up against the Hornets, alongside coming away from the tight match with a 100% dribble accuracy, the Spanish defender should have done more than enough to be retained for Rohl to make the short trip to Huddersfield today.

3 CB – Di'Shon Bernard

Likewise, former Manchester United centre-back Di'Shon Bernard should also be retained for the game in West Yorkshire today.

Played at defensive midfield on occasion in recent weeks, the 23-year-old was pushed back to the heart of defence against Watford and came away from the game with a deserved clean sheet for his efforts.

Winning 100% of his aerial duels in a dominant display at the back, Bernard will hope Wednesday can pick up an away win at the Terriers' next match alongside notching up another clean sheet.

4 CB – Akin Famewo

Akin Famewo has also been played in various different positions by Rohl this campaign so far – the German manager often utilising the former Charlton Athletic man at left-back – but the Wednesday number 23 excelled at centre-back last time out.

Famewo was unerringly calm on the ball, only misplacing six of his 74 passes on the night. Moreover, he complemented Bernard's brute performance with an equally stern display by losing only one of his four aerial duels in the stalemate.

5 LB – Kristian Pedersen

The first change Rohl will contemplate making is dropping Marvin Johnson to throw Kristian Pedersen straight into the mix, despite the Danish defender only joining at the final hour on Deadline Day and not having time yet to really bed into the Owls group.

But, Johnson's notable off-day against Watford could sway Rohl into taking decisive action and making this personnel switch.

The usually dependable Wednesday number 18 – who has been praised for being "versatile" by ex-Owls player Carlton Palmer in the past – only won two of his nine duels at Hillsborough, alongside not having his most effective night foraying forward with just one out of three dribble attempts paying off.

Pedersen could well be a little rusty, having only made four appearances for parent club Swansea this season, but the 29-year-old showed what he's about when the Swans faced off against Wednesday back in September – amassing two key passes as a constant threat down the Owls' left-hand side.

6 CM – Will Vaulks

The second potential change could also see Liam Palmer drop out of the starting eleven for Will Vaulks to come in, the experienced defensive midfielder even rumoured with a Deadline Day return to Rotherham United at one point.

But, no such move came to fruition with the Owls number four now in line for a start today.

Palmer wasn't poor by any means up against Watford, but it makes sense for Vaulks to come back in and take his spot back owing to Palmer being more of a natural playing in the back four.

The 30-year-old Welshman has also stood out in a holding role recently for his relegation-threatened side, managing two key passes on Boxing Day even when Wednesday lost 2-0 to Coventry City. Could Rohl give Vaulks another chance to impress away at Huddersfield?

7 CM – Barry Bannan

Barry Bannan might not be operating at his explosive best this season, only managing a single goal and assist for the Owls, but the 34-year-old Scotsman showed flashes of his skilful best against Watford mid-week.

Notching up three key passes, on top of trudging off the Hillsborough turf with 100% of his duels won, the Wednesday captain will hope he can break his lengthy duck when it comes to goalscoring and assists against Huddersfield.

8 RW – Anthony Musaba

Still boasting the title of being Wednesday's top goalscorer this campaign, Anthony Musaba wasn't at his deadly best in front of goal against Watford but was still a nuisance for the Hornets defence to keep tabs on.

The Dutchman amassed two shots on target as the Owls desperately tried to break the deadlock, with the right winger still hopeful of bagging against Huddersfield even after a frustrating day at the office mid-week.

Ian Poveda will provide Musaba with friendly competition after joining at the death on Thursday, Musaba raising his performance levels subsequently knowing Rohl could decide to drop him for the Leeds loanee.

9 CAM – Josh Windass

Reintroduced into the first-team fold under Rohl last month, Josh Windass repaid his manager's faith in bringing him back into the lineup with two strikes against Hull City and Coventry.

The ex-Rangers attacking midfielder didn't get on the scoresheet against Watford, but was lively all the same in a bright 45-minute spell – managing an impressive five key passes to try and cut open a determined Hornets defence, alongside just misplacing one of his 26 passes.

10 LW – Djeidi Gassama

Djeidi Gassama lasted the full 90 minutes against Watford and was a constant bright spark, launching himself into 23 duels in total during the course of the full game and winning a respectable 12.

Gassama's full-blooded approach to the contest wasn't rewarded with a goal, however, even with the Wednesday number 41 registering three shots on Ben Hamer's net. Yet, Gassama will be retained regardless with the Frenchman now a fixed-first teamer under Rohl after starting in his side's last five Championship games.

Notts skipper Steven Mullaney makes defiant 74, Stuart Broad strikes early to dismiss Alastair Cook

ECB Reporters Network30-Jun-2019Recent form was the perfect pointer to how the opening day unfolded in Nottinghamshire’s County Championship match against Essex at Trent Bridge.Winless – and bottom of the table – Notts were bundled out for only 213 in 69.1 overs against a side that are playing with the momentum that sped them to the Division One title in 2017.Essex, second in the standings, will expect to secure a substantial first-innings advantage and reached the close on 72 for the loss of Alastair Cook, a deficit of only 141.The Essex attack shared the wickets around during the first two sessions, with Peter Siddle, Jamie Porter and Aaron Beard picking up three wickets apiece.Without a red-ball victory in more than 12 months – since beating Essex at Chelmsford last June – Notts shuffled their top order around, with captain Steven Mullaney making 74 after restoring himself to the top of the order after winning the toss.Ben Duckett’s season has been feast or famine so far and the left-hander was dismissed in the third over of the day for only eight. He stroked a couple of elegant cover drives before pushing firmly at a Porter delivery and deflected the ball into the waiting hands of Cook at first slip.Mullaney greeted the introduction of Simon Harmer by launching the spinner over deep midwicket for six and two overs later he gave the same treatment to a short-pitched ball from the returning Porter.Nick Browne got a hand to a firm Mullaney slash at backward point but the right-hander offered little else in the way of encouragement as he advanced to a 73-ball 50 with his sixth four.Aaron Beard, who took 3 for 62, ended a second-wicket partnership of 58 when Ben Slater, on 14, edged behind. The seamer followed that wicket with two more during the early stages of the afternoon, although both came from a touch of good fortune. Within the space of four overs he changed the complexion of the day when getting both Chris Nash and Mullaney caught down the leg-side.Nash went aggressively at a poorly-directed delivery and helped it through to Adam Wheater. His skipper also went to a ‘strangle’ to herald a collapse which saw Notts slip from 126 for 2 to 168 for 8.Joe Clarke hadn’t reached 30 in any of his previous eight innings and his barren streak continued when he was pinned lbw by Siddle for 15.Porter, who claimed 3 for 49, picked up two lbw decisions, removing debutant Ravi Ashwin for five and Luke Fletcher for a single.In between, Harmer had struck for the first time, bowling Tom Moores with a full-pitched delivery, for a duck.Siddle, who took 3 for 38, finished off the innings with the wickets of Samit Patel, who played nicely for 39, and Jake Ball for one, caught tickling to leg.Stuart Broad remained undefeated on 19 but gave his team-mates an early boost with the ball, by removing Cook cheaply. Cook’s knock produced only two runs before he snicked behind and had to walk off past the joyous celebrations from his former England team-mate.Browne and Tom Westley consolidated, adding 62 together, the highest stand of the contest so far.

As much as Eddie Howe deserves a lot of credit for Newcastle United's Champions League qualification last season, the Magpies have struggled to replicate that form in the current campaign. Instead, with their squad depth exposed for all to see, Newcastle have struggled to get results and look more and more likely to miss out on a top four place in the Premier League.

Still only at the halfway mark, however, the January transfer window could yet revive Newcastle's season and solve one of Howe's biggest problems in the process. If those at St James' Park back the former Bournemouth boss, he will face the pressured task of turning things around before the end of the campaign.

Newcastle transfer news

Newcastle's disappointing summer recruitment quickly came back to haunt them this season, with Sandro Tonali swiftly handed a lengthy ban for betting breaches, Harvey Barnes injured, Lewis Hall out-of-favour and Tino Livramento seemingly the only signing who stands a chance of leaving his mark before May.

The fact that Newcastle didn't sign another central defender has particularly been a problem for Howe, who has been forced to turn to Dan Burn to fill in amid injuries to Sven Botman and Fabian Schar. With the winter window now open though, PIF could solve that problem.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

By
Luke Randall

Feb 1, 2024

According to Football Transfers, PIF and Newcastle are eyeing a move to sign centre-back Ben Godfrey from Everton, who have reportedly set an asking price of just £9m. The Magpies are fans of Godfrey's versatility, which hands him the ability to play across the entirety of a backline to potentially solve more than one problem at St James' Park.

If Newcastle are to pursue a deal, however, then they may have to fend off interest from AS Roma in a battle that could see them boosted by the fact that Jacob Murphy's agent is the same as Godfrey's.

"Monster" Godfrey has stalled at Everton

Whilst Everton have rediscovered their best form at times this season, Godfrey has gradually fallen more and more down the pecking order. As things stand, Godfrey's game time has been limited to just one appearance, which came in a start in a recent victory against relegation rivals Burnley.

Following the rise of Jarrad Branthwaite too, things are unlikely to get better for the former Norwich City man, meaning that he may have no choice but to seek game time elsewhere. And that's where Newcastle could come in.

Howe has currently got just three recognised centre-backs to call on in the form of Schar, Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman. An injury to more than one of those three has already left Newcastle struggling for options this season to make another central defender a must this month.

Godfrey's ability to fill in at full-back could also hand the Magpies a major boost and give Kieran Trippier the chance to gain a much-needed rest. Described as a "monster" by The Mirror's James Whaling, Godfrey could quickly revive both his and Newcastle's season with a swift departure from Everton in the coming weeks. As Newcastle look to qualify for Europe too, he could more than play a part.

West Indies women have named a fit-again Hayley Matthews and left-arm pace-bowling allrounder Stacy-Ann King in the 14-member squad that will tour Ireland and England in May-June.Offspinner Anisa Mohammed, who was part of the squads that toured Pakistan and the UAE for the limited-overs series against the former, has been dropped alongside wicketkeeper-batsman Merissa Aguilleira, who had led the T20I side in Karachi in designated captain Stafanie Taylor’s absence.Matthews returns to the national fold after missing both series against Pakistan with an injured medial collateral ligament that she had sustained while playing for the Hobart Hurricanes in the Women’s Big Bash League last December. She has been named deputy to captain Taylor. King, meanwhile, last played for West Indies in 2016 at the World T20 final against Australia in Kolkata.Interim chairman of selectors Robert Haynes said: “Stacy Ann King’s return to the West Indies Women’s team to tour Ireland and England is no real surprise after her performance during the recently concluded Colonial Medical Insurance Women’s Super50 Cup and CWI’s T20 Blaze tournaments. Her experience is very vital in this very crucial series against England, a series that we must win, so her ability to bowl good left arm swing will be an added dimension to our bowling attack.”Anisa Mohammed and Merissa Aguilleira’s performances in the recent women’s championships weren’t what we expected or how we wanted them to perform, so unfortunately they were not picked on this touring squad. There are other ladies who are vying for these coveted spots, we have three other wicketkeepers who have all been scoring consistently thereby outperforming Merissa.”The fourteen-member squad along with six reserve players will assemble in Antigua from May 6 to 20 for a training camp, before the touring party’s departure to Ireland on May 21. They will play in three T20Is, on May 26, 28 and 29 there before taking on England in three ODIs as part of the ICC Women’s Championships, on June 6, 9 and 13. West Indies will round out the tour with three T20Is against England, to be played on June 18, 21 and 25.West Indies are currently ranked sixth and fourth on the ICC ODI and T20I team rankings, and occupy the seventh spot on the eight-team ICC Women’s Championship table. In their most recent international outings, they had won the T20I series 2-1 against Pakistan, in Karachi, but lost the subsequent ODIs 1-2.Squad: Stafanie Taylor (capt), Hayley Matthews (vice-capt), Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Karishma Ramharack, Chedean Nation, Chinelle Henry, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Shakera Selman, Shamilia Connell, Shemaine Campbell, Natasha McLean, Stacy Ann KingReserves: Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Reniece Boyce, Britney Cooper, Shanika Bruce, Shawnisha Hector

Chelsea are thought to be planning an £86 million double signing for manager Mauricio Pochettino in January, coming after his personal request.

Boehly's rumoured transfer plans for January

Pochettino was very candid in his public message that Chelsea should seek to make new signings next month, as the Argentine believes his side can be too passive both going forward and in defence.

Their latest loss, a 2-0 defeat to relegation candidates Everton at Goodison Park, was their seventh of the campaign and second in consecutive matches.

Club expecting Chelsea move for star who's "top of the tree with Bellingham"

Pochettino really wants him now.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 14, 2023

Chelsea languish in mid-table and face a real mountain to climb, especially if they're to salvage potential European qualification from what has been another disappointing season thus far.

After spending nearly £400 million in the summer, chairman Todd Boehly and the club's transfer chiefs may be sailing a bit too close to the wind regarding FFP, so its reported Chelsea sales may fund their January signings.

Trevoh Chalobah appears likely to leave Stamford Bridge alongside Malang Sarr (Rudy Galetti), and there are even reports that in-form midfielder Conor Gallagher may also be sold by Chelsea next month.

With these potential funds, it is widely believed Pochettino wants more steel in his Chelsea squad (The Mail) – both in an attacking sense and defensively.

Chelsea plot £86m Vlahovic and Palhinha move

Now, as per reports from Spain, the west Londoners are plotting an £86m double swoop to solve certain issues. Indeed, Chelsea are allegedly planning moves for Joao Palhinha and Dusan Vlahovic in an attempt to back Pochettino and resurrect the club's stumbling season.

It is believed £51.4 million will be put towards signing midfielder Palhinha from rivals Fulham, and a further £34.3 million will be invested in tempting Vlahovic from Juventus – which roughly translates to around £86m from Euros. This comes at "the request" of Pochettino as he seeks to upgrade Chelsea's squad.

Palhinha has been a star player for Fulham since joining them in the summer of 2022, and they managed to keep hold of the Portuguese earlier this year despite advances from Bayern Munich.

Vlahovic, meanwhile, is starting to rediscover his best form at Juventus as Premier League clubs reportedly take note of his exploits in Turin.

Both men are important players for their respective sides, so it will be intriguing to see if the aforementioned fees can do enough to tempt Juve or Fulham into doing deals mid-season.

Moises Caicedo

£100m

Romeo Lavia

£53m

Christopher Nkunku

£52m

Cole Palmer

£40m

Axel Disasi

£39m

Nicolas Jackson

£32m

Robert Sanchez

£25m

Lesley Ugochukwu

£23m

Vlahovic has been called a "lightning" striker by Sky pundit Micah Richards, while Palhinha is revered for his leadership qualities by Whites boss Marco Silva.

"He leads through his attitude, he's not the most vocal guy and he's improving his English as well. I want him to be more vocal and in that position it's important," Silva said.

"His attitude, his commitment, the way he leads the others around are things that are hard to find in football."

Fast bowler agrees three-year county deal after impressing while at Derbyshire last season

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2019Duanne Olivier has taken “possibly the most difficult decision” ever, becoming the latest high-profile South African cricketer to turn his back on international cricket.Olivier, who played in the recent Test series defeat against Sri Lanka at home, has agreed a three-year county deal with Yorkshire – subject to clearance through Kolpak regulations – and will link up with his new team-mates for the first time during their fortnight-long pre-season tour to Potchefstroom early next month.”My decision might be difficult for some to understand but being a professional cricket player is a short-lived career and in order for me to make the most of all my opportunities, I had to consider all my options,” the 26-year-old said in a statement on Instagram.An aggressive fast bowler, Olivier made his Test debut in Johannesburg in January 2017 – ironically as a replacement for Kyle Abbott, who signed a Kolpak deal with Hampshire – and has since taken 48 wickets in ten Tests at an average of 19.25. He featured in two Tests on South Africa’s tour of England in July and August 2017, at Trent Bridge and Old Trafford, and returned to the country in 2018 as an overseas player for Derbyshire.”I came over to the UK last year and thoroughly enjoyed my time playing county cricket,” Olivier told the Yorkshire website. “I have since realised I could happily base myself there for the foreseeable future.”I was originally looking to come back as an overseas player but when I got a long-term offer from Yorkshire as a Kolpak, I knew that signing for the club would be the best option for both myself and my family. I am a bowler that wants to keep pushing myself to see how far I can go and as I enter my prime I want to be in the best possible situation to grow. Another big reason was the longevity of my career.”Nevertheless, the decision was a hard one for Olivier to take, especially given his current international form. In December 2018, he took 24 wickets across three Tests against Pakistan and was named Man of the Series. He backed that up with seven wickets in the 2-0 series defeat against Sri Lanka, after which he rose to No. 19 in the ICC’s Test bowling rankings.”I would say I’ve been in good form for the last few years. It has definitely been my most consistent period and I think my stats could attest to that,” he said. “I have definitely enjoyed playing Test cricket. The Pakistan tour was by far my standout tour. I loved every moment of that tour. It’s definitely one I won’t forget.”I would be lying if I said this wasn’t a difficult decision to make,” he added. “It’s giving up playing for my country with no guarantees of playing international cricket again. But at the end of the day, I needed to be true to myself. I’ve only got this one chance to see where my talent can take me and Yorkshire just felt right to me.”Despite a reputation as a deck-hitting out-and-out quick, Olivier said that he could be a bowler who performs multiple roles for his new team.”I can be whatever type of bowler the team needs me to be. I think there is a lot of stigma around the fact that people think I can only bowl short balls because that is what I’ve done in Test matches. And it couldn’t be further from the truth. If my team has asked me to bowl short, that’s what I’ll do,” he said.”I will fill the enforcer role if needed, and sometimes the team will need me to be a back-up, where my job is to tire out and frustrate the batsmen so that another strike bowler may come and take the wicket. I think my strength lies in my flexibility to fill whatever role is required of me. I do like to be the guy the captain goes to when things get tough. And I prefer bowling longer spells.”Yorkshire’s director of cricket, Martyn Moxon, said: “We’re delighted that Duanne has agreed to join us. He’s a proven wicket-taker as we’ve seen in the series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka recently. He’s also got genuine pace so he gives us a different dimension within our seam bowling attack. We’re mindful that we’ve got some talented young seamers, but several of them have had injuries so we have to manage them carefully over the next couple of years. It gives us that strength in depth to compete on all fronts.”To get someone of Duanne’s ability is a huge boost and we’re all looking forward to him joining us. He will meet the lads in Potchefstroom for about six days and the plan is for him to get over here in time for the Leeds-Bradford MCCU game.”We hope it’s going to be a long-term signing, it’s for an initial three years but we’re hoping it will be for longer than that. As a person in the dressing room, I think he’ll be really strong for us. I think the fact he’s giving up international cricket for South Africa to play here shows his commitment and I think he’ll be a great asset for us.”He played for Derbyshire and we were impressed with what we saw. We’ve tracked his career in South Africa and obviously he has been selected for the Test team and we’ve seen what he’s capable of in international cricket. He’s an impressive man as well as a cricketer and he’s very ambitious going forwards.”Yorkshire’s first XI coach Andrew Gale said: “Duanne has been on the radar for a while. We’ve kept our eye on him and he’s obviously had a fantastic time over the winter in South Africa. To sign someone of his quality will be a great addition to our squad.”We want the young, Yorkshire bowlers to come through, the likes of Ben Coad, Matthew Fisher, Josh Shaw and Matthew Waite, but at this moment in time I’m not sure they can handle the workload of playing every game. To bring in an experienced bowler like Duanne will take the pressure off them. He’s a proven wicket-taker, a man who is right at the top of his game and in great form at the moment.”To be successful, particularly in championship cricket, you need to have seven or eight front-line seamers. Playing most of our cricket up north at Emerald Headingley, Scarborough and York this year, the pitches are going to offer a bit to seamers. We need strength and depth and we’ve certainly got that now.”We watched him bowl for Derbyshire last year, and he did really well. To sign a guy who is right at the top of his game, in his prime is fantastic, and he will fit in really well.”

Everton's academy has produced some unbelievable talent over the years, some of which have gone on to reach their potential elsewhere, and others who have plummeted under the weight of their price tag.

Wayne Rooney is the most successful academy graduate in the club's history and it's highly unlikely they will ever produce someone who will eclipse what he achieved across his career.

Aside from scooping every trophy available at Manchester United, he also overtook Sir Bobby Charlton as the club's all-time top scorer with 253 goals and did the same with England, until Harry Kane blitzed past his record of 53 goals in 120 matches.

Whilst the likes of Rooney surpassed all expectations after departing Goodison Park, others have failed to live up to the potential that their formative years promised, and Jack Rodwell is a prime example of that.

Jack Rodwell's transfer value at Everton

Regarded as the next big thing when he broke into the Everton team aged just 16, Rodwell was one of several English talents who were overhyped in the early stages of their career.

It's common knowledge that any player who makes their Premier League debut at such a tender age is going to have the world watching them and that was the case with Rodwell, who accumulated 109 appearances for the Toffees before turning 21.

After garnering an impressive CV at Goodison, which included that goal against Manchester United in a 3-1 victory, he would soon earn a lucrative move to Manchester City for £15m in 2012.

During this period, the Cityzens needed to fill their quota of homegrown players and considering Rodwell was one of the hottest English prospects at the time, it seemed fitting that the 21-year-old joined the champions.

A box-to-box midfielder, who possessed an ability to drive forward with his strength and power, the Englishman was expected to utilise those attributes in Manchester but found his game time limited as world-class talents Yaya Toure and David Silva kept him out of the team.

Despite showing so much promise, Rodwell's move to Man City ended up being premature, ill-advised and disrupted by injuries as he made just 25 appearances at the club before accepting a £10m transfer to Sunderland in 2014.

Rodwell's transfer value at Sunderland

After joining Sunderland in search of regular game time, he struggled to impress at the Stadium of Light.

Between 2013 and 2017, he went 39 league matches without a win – a record streak of 1370 days.

With the North East giants plummeting into League One in 2018 as a result of their financial carnage, Rodwell was the poster boy for that mismanagement in the transfer window.

He was depicted as a villain during this period as the Netflix Sunderland till I die documentary showcased the repeated attempts made by hapless executives to offload him and his £70,000-per-week salary.

Jack Rodwell rinsed Sunderland dry

Jack Rodwell will go down as arguably the worst signing in Sunderland’s history, for how he drained the club.

Rodwell was eventually released in June 2018 and after making just 76 appearances for the club across four years, saw his expected transfer value (xTV) plummet to €1m (£868k), as per Football Transfers, which is a whopping £9m decrease from what the Black Cats initially signed him for.

Rodwell's transfer value now

It isn't uncommon to see footballers resurrect their careers after seeing them fall to the wayside, but Rodwell continued to fall in value and stature after leaving the Stadium of Light.

Following a spell with Blackburn Rovers in the Championship, he was a free agent again and had unsuccessful trials with New England Revolution and, rather surprisingly, Paulo Fonseca's Roma.

Despite making such a rapid crash, Chris Wilder took a chance on Rodwell in 2019 at Sheffield United, believing the Englishman – who was 28 at the time – could still fulfil his potential as a physically strong, athletic, tough-tackling midfielder.

However, after totalling just 73 minutes of football across 18 months at Bramall Lane, it became clear that taking a gamble on him was never going to pay off.

After being released by the Blades in June 2021, the former Everton starlet has since moved to Australia; first plying his trade for A-League Western Sydney Wanderers and now Sydney FC.

These days, a 32-year-old Rodwell is most likely enjoying a lavished lifestyle down under rather than his football and it's no surprise to see his xTV nosedive to €200k (£173k).

In hindsight, Everton made the right decision to cash in on the 6 foot 2 flop for £15m but Rodwell's career will always be the curious case of what could have been.

Southampton have been dealt a blow after learning that one of their teenage talents is ruled out for the rest of the season after sustaining a serious, long-term injury.

Southampton injury news

During Wednesday night’s 1-0 Championship victory over Bristol City, Russell Martin lost three players to injury in the form of Kamaldeen Sulemana, Alex McCarthy and Ross Stewart, so they could all be facing spells on the sidelines, but more significant news has emerged elsewhere regarding a youngster who is out on loan.

“He’ll come back…” – Journalist backs “class” Southampton ace to return

He is flourishing away from St Mary’s at the moment.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 26, 2023

Over the summer, Dom Ballard put pen to paper on a season-long loan at Reading in League One and he’s been a regular feature of their starting line-up this season, but in one of their most recent fixtures, the striker suffered a horrific fitness setback.

England’s youth international was forced off the pitch on a stretcher whilst wearing an oxygen mask during Saturday’s 2-1 win against Wycombe Wanderers, and in a gutting update, the 18-year-old is now confirmed to have returned to the south coast to undergo immediate surgery following a serious leg injury.

Ruben Selles provides update on Dom Ballard

Speaking during a recent interview with the media, Reading manager Ruben Selles confirmed that Ballard is out for the season and that him and his coaching staff will work closely with Southampton to make his recovery as quick as possible. There is some "good news" however, with no damage to his knee ligaments.

“He broke his patella tendon. The good news, if there is anything good with that, is that there is no more damage on the knee so only the patella. He will have surgery and we are working with Southampton to prepare the next steps.

"He is a fantastic player and a fantastic boy. He will have a very good career and it is just a pity we can’t use him for the rest of the season because as you can see he is very important for us. We wish him a quick recovery and hopefully it can keep him in the game for the next 15 years. We will be here for anything he needs.”

Ballard's absence will be a huge blow

Since the start of his career, Ballard has posted an outstanding 70 contributions, 58 goals and 12 assists, in 83 appearances, which shows how prolific he can be in the final third, so the fact that he isn’t likely to feature again at all this season is a massive blow for Southampton (Transfermarkt – Ballard statistics).

The St. Mary’s academy product is also capable of operating out wide on both the left and right flanks alongside his usual role leading the line through the middle as a centre-forward, so his versatility to provide cover in positions outside of his own makes him a great option for a manager to have at their disposal.

Despite only ever making four senior appearances for the red and white stripes, Martin will know that he’s capable of making an impact at senior level, so the club will be hoping that he is able to stage his comeback as soon as possible with the hopes of breaking into the Saints first-team next season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a solid start to the 2023/24 campaign and are currently on a five-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, a streak that includes a 2-1 win over champions Manchester City as well as a 2-2 draw with Newcastle United.

The club had many high-profile departures during the summer transfer window, including head coach Julen Lopetegui, while key players such as Matheus Nunes, Ruben Neves, Nathan Collins and Raul Jimenez all moved to pastures new.

The job looked like a daunting task for any incoming manager but ex-Bournemouth coach Gary O'Neil has certainly surprised a few pundits and fans alike as the Wanderers currently sit 12th in the table, one spot above last season's finish.

However, that doesn't mean O'Neil has been flawless with his decision-making thus far and may have made a huge blunder during pre-season by omitting a player from the first-team squad that has been scoring for fun this season, even outperforming Wolves' star man Pedro Neto in goals.

Pedro Neto's stats this season

Against the Magpies on Sunday, Neto claimed his seventh assist of the season in a Wolves shirt in the 36th minute after his corner found the head of Mario Lemina to level the game at 1-1.

Unfortunately for Wolves supporters and head coach O'Neil, the Portugal international pulled his hamstring and was replaced with little over ten minutes remaining.

The 23-year-old was taken off the field on a stretcher and is expected to be out for six weeks, according to The Daily Mail, although the club are hopeful that Neto can return before the congested Christmas period begins.

O'Neil admitted that Neto's injury is a big blow for the team, claiming that "he's been a big part of what we've managed to do so far", but also believes that the side will be able to adapt without the Premier League's top assister.

One player who could have replaced Neto in the starting lineup is £17m man Daniel Podence. The attacker moved to Molineux from Greek Super League team Olympiacos in January 2020 for £16.9m when Nuno Espirito Santo was head coach and bagged 16 goals in just over 100 appearances for the west Midlands club.

However, the 28-year-old fell out of favour with the new Wolves boss, with O'Neil revealing just a few days before the summer transfer window ended that "the squad’s ambition and where we’re trying to get to and Daniel’s aren’t aligned."

O'Neil had also omitted Podence from Wolves' pre-season squad back in July, leaving the door open for an exit which eventually came in the form of a return to Olympiacos on loan but signed a new three-year contract before jetting off.

Nevertheless, Podence's form this season in Greece may leave egg on O'Neil's face, particularly in light of Neto's long-term absence.

Podence's stats this season

Podence has found the net five times in the Greek Super League this season, registering seven goal contributions in total under Diego Martinez. No player has scored more than the Wolves loanee.

The winger is averaging a goal once every 76 minutes at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, according to FotMob. Neto has five more assists than Podence this term in their respective leagues but four fewer goals. The Portuguese forward is helping his teammates score too, having created ten chances this season, as per FotMob again.

FBref place Podence in the top 8% for non-penalty goals per 90, the top 3% for shots on target per 90, the top 9% for passes into the opposition's penalty area per 90 as well as the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90 over the year when compared to Europe's top five leagues and major continental competitions. Impressive numbers indeed.

Podence is more goal-oriented than Neto, with the latter possessing greater creative instincts, but the loanee could have filled the massive hole in Wolves' forward line in his compatriot's absence and O'Neil may live to regret his decision.