Aston Villa scouts watched FC Porto in action this weekend, according to a report from Portuguese newspaper A Bola (via Sport Witness).
The lowdown
The reigning Primeira Liga champions took on rivals Sporting Lisbon in their third game of the new season and ran out 3-0 winners at the Estadio do Dragao courtesy of a goal from Evanilson and penalties from Mateus Uribe and Galeno.
Villa’s recruitment team seemingly remain active even though they have already had a busy summer transfer window, having sealed five deals so far.
The latest
A Bola published a list of the clubs who had officials in attendance at the game, and Villa are included [via Sport Witness].
Also on the list are Premier League ‘big six’ duo Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, along with continental heavyweights like Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Juventus.
The verdict
The object of Villa’s attention may have been Porto forward Otavio.
Mais Futebol reported earlier in the summer that Villa were preparing an offer for the 27-year-old, while another source in Record also claimed that Steven Gerrard’s side wanted to sign him.
Otavio is predominantly a right-sided attacker, although he can also play on the left or as an attacking midfielder. That means he could be viewed as an alternative to the equally versatile Ismaila Sarr after Villa walked away from a deal for the Watford forward.
He produced a solid performance in front of his potential suitors, completing 34 out of 39 passes, recording two dribbles, winning nine duels and making four tackles in Porto’s emphatic victory (via SofaScore).
Therefore, it would be no surprise if Villa try to test the waters for him in the final few days of the transfer window, if they can tempt him to give up the Champions League football which is on offer at Porto.
The Sunderland Echo journalist Joe Nicholson has revealed that nothing has been agreed yet for Tony Mowbray to become Sunderland’s next manager.
The Lowdown: Neil departs
It was reported by journalist Alan Myers on Saturday afternoon that Alex Neil has agreed to take the manager’s job at fellow Championship club Stoke City, duly leaving his position at the Stadium of Light, with the Black Cats confirming the news on their official website earlier today.
Alan Nixon also shared that Mowbray is expected to become the Wearsiders’ new manager.
The Latest: No Mowbray agreement
Taking to Twitter, Nicholson revealed that ‘nothing has been agreed’ with Mowbray at this juncture, seemingly contradicting Myers’ report.
The Sunderland Echo reporter tweeted: “Understand nothing has been agreed with Tony Mowbray at this stage.”
The Verdict: Time needed
Neil’s departure to Stoke came almost out of the blue, so Sunderland need to take their time in order to get their new managerial appointment right.
Milton Keynes Dons manager Liam Manning and Chelsea first-team coach Anthony Barry are two other names who have emerged as contenders for the vacancy alongside Mowbray, so it seems as if the Black Cats’ board are currently assessing their options.
Nonetheless, losing Neil to a fellow Championship rival is a big blow given his role in guiding Sunderland to promotion last term, added to the good start that he made to this season with two wins and two draws in his first five league matches (Transfermarkt).
The board must not panic now and instead take their time to ensure that the right manager is appointed to replace the 41-year-old.
Huddersfield Town are looking at a move for Chelsea assistant coach Anthony Barry, according to The Sun.
The Lowdown: Barry profiled
Barry has been at Stamford Bridge since 2020 and has worked under Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel and now Graham Potter. The UEFA A Licence coach also works with the Belgium national team alongside Roberto Martinez.
The 36-year-old has previously spent time with Wigan and Republic of Ireland, and it looks as if he could be approached over a first senior managerial role.
The Latest: Huddersfield interest
The Sun provided an update regarding Huddersfield’s search for a new manager over the weekend.
They claimed that the Championship club have placed the ‘highly-rated’ Barry on their shortlist, with the Blues’ assistant coach possibly tempted over a move, should The Terriers match his ambitions.
The Verdict: A gamble?
Plenty of names have been linked with Huddersfield, with Barry the latest inexperienced coach believed to be on the club’s radar.
Plymouth Argyle boss Steven Schumacher and former Manchester United assistant Michael Carrick are also reported options, with neither of those offering years of experience as a first-team manager. The former has been a senior boss for just 39 matches, while the latter has had just three outings as a caretaker boss.
Therefore, it could be a big gamble for Dean Hoyle to bring in someone like Barry, although that risk could pay off in the long run.
Southampton have impressed over the years with their shrewd recruitment and willingness to let their stars go if the price is right. Virgil van Dijk, Luke Shaw and Adam Lallana are just three names that spring to mind.
It denotes a fine business model and one which seems unrelenting following their most recent transfer window, which resulted in many exciting young talents making the switch to St Mary’s. Sam Edozie, Gavin Bazunu and Romeo Lavia headline the summer deals.
However, one player they signed as a relative youngster, who has quickly matured into a fine Premier League footballer is full-back Kyle Walker-Peters.
Bought for just £12m, the English defender has impressed in a plethora of roles for Ralph Hasenhuttl.
He is comfortable at both right or left-back and has the capability to push forward whilst staying solid in defence.
The performances of the 25-year-old have led to him becoming an England international, which will have certainly helped in seeing his CIES football observatory valuation rise. He now sits at a £22m rating, around £10m more than what they paid Tottenham Hotspur for him.
This should come as no great surprise, with Walker-Peters having made 89 appearances for a side that have held their own in England’s top flight for a number of years now.
He was actually reportedly a target of Chelsea’s in the summer but they were quoted at an astounding £40m to secure his services.
This further proves his value to a Saints side that is full of vibrant talent, and despite his age, he still acts as one of the dressing room leaders. He outlined his intentions to one day become captain of his club, with Alfie House labelling him a “star”.
His offensive output is not properly shown in his statistics alone, as just three goals and seven assists during his career on the south coast might seem underwhelming.
But ranking in the top 6% of players in his position across Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries, dribbles completed and touches in the attacking penalty area denotes him as a constant threat.
On top of this, Chris Miller claimed that when given the chance he makes “the perfect decision every time he gets the ball”, so combined with his ability on the ball it makes for a fine pairing.
It is these qualities that make him such an exciting prospect for the Saints and explains why his value has skyrocketed in recent years. With his current trajectory, it seems that this is only the beginning of his rise. Southampton certainly struck gold with this deal.
Rangers plan to sell midfielder Glen Kamara in January, according to Football Insider.
The Lowdown: Kamara’s Gers career
Having joined the Light Blues in 2019 for a meagre £50,000 in what was described by Gers teammate Scott Arfield as the ‘steal of the century’, the Finland international has gone on to become a fantastic servant at Ibrox.
The central midfielder has made 168 appearances in three-and-a-half-years for the Scottish outfit; this includes 32 games in the Europa League, in which he played a huge part in Rangers getting through to the final.
However, in the Premiership this season, Kamara seems to have fallen out of favour under Giovani van Bronckhorst, having featured just three times – only two of which have come in the starting XI.
The Latest: Rangers plan to sell
On transfer deadline day, Ligue 1 side Nice tried to push through a last-minute move for the Rangers midfielder.
However, the French club could not get an agreement in place before the 11pm deadline hit. Consequently, Kamara remained at Ibrox, despite his openness to making the switch.
Now, according to a fresh report by Football Insider, the Gers are willing to sell the Finland international in January after his deadline day move to Nice collapsed.
The Light Blues need to sell a number of big-name players in order to raise cash to invest in the squad, and Kamara is considered one of the squad who could command a fee in excess of £10m.
Demonstrated by numerous exemplary performances in the Europa League last season, Kamara has the ability to perform with the best at the top level.
Therefore, if van Bronckhorst does not view him as a part of his favoured XI, the midfielder should look for a move elsewhere in search of regular first-team football.
Previously tipped to become a ‘monster’ by former Gers manager Steven Gerrard, Kamara’s Ibrox departure could end up being a mistake for the Scottish giants.
BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Alan Hutton has reacted to the news that Celtic duo Sead Haksabanovic and Daizen Maeda have picked up injuries on international duty.
The Lowdown: Injury woes
Haksabanovic was forced off injured during Montenegro’s UEFA Nations League game against Finland earlier this week, as he lasted only 32 minutes of the after being on the receiving end of a heavy challenge.
He was treated on the pitch by his team’s physios, but was unable to shrug the tackle off, and so was replaced before half-time.
Meanwhile, Maeda was left out of the Japan squad as they faced Ecuador in a warm-up match before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in November.
He was brought off after the first 45 minutes during Japan’s earlier fixture against the USA, after picking up a knock in the opening half, and was subsequently absent from training in preparation for the clash against Ecuador.
The Latest: Hutton reacts
Speaking to Football Insider, former Scottish Premiership defender Hutton has claimed that it is a ‘shame’ to hear that both Haksabanovic and Maeda have picked up injuries, adding that Ange Postecoglou may have started to ‘panic’ when sending his players away on international duty:
“In the last few outings, he’s [Haksabanovic] looked really sharp, he’s looked energetic and as if he can make something happen.
“Celtic do have a lot of options up top, but he was brought in to make them stronger, so you don’t want to lose that.
“I heard Maeda’s possibly got a little injury away on international duty as well so it’s two players in that front line that they won’t want to lose.
“It’s a shame obviously for Celtic and the situation they’re in at the moment. It’s not ideal, I think all managers start to panic when players are getting called away to international duty because this kind of crops up now and then.“
The Verdict: Not ideal
As Hutton claims, it is certainly not ideal for the Parkhead outfit to be sending some of their key players away to play international football, as there is always a risk that they could pick up an injury and thus start to miss club games.
That is happened to both Haksabanovic and Maeda, who may now be doubts for their clash at home to Motherwell in the SPFL on Saturday afternoon.
Maeda ranks joint-second in the Hoops squad for assists (four) in the league so far this season, while new signing Haksabanovic has only played 33 minutes in the division, and so supporters will want to see more of him as the international break is now over.
Tottenham Hotspur are tracking Mohamed Kudus ahead of a potential move in the new year, according to reports.
German outlet Sport Bild claim that the north London outfit are one of several teams across Europe interested in signing the 22-year-old attacking midfielder.
Premier League rivals Everton, as well as Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund, are also keen on the Ajax sensation, as per the report, which also suggests that Kudus would be available for as little as €10m (£8.7m).
The Ghana international has found success playing as a false nine for the Eredivisie champions this campaign, though he is primarily an attacking midfielder capable of pulling the strings in the final third.
As per Transfermarkt, he has provided the Dutch side with eight goals and one assist across 12 appearances in all competitions, meaning he has averaged one direct contribution every 58 minutes, which is pretty remarkable.
Three of these efforts have come in the Champions League, scoring in each of Ajax’s group A fixtures against Rangers, Liverpool and Napoli.
Such form and exploits have seen the 22-year-old lauded as a “star boy” by journalist Alimo Philip and a “superstar” by Opta analyst Owuraku Ampofo, whilst in the past, teammate Daley Blind has compared him to another ex-Ajax man in Frenkie de Jong.
“He still has some things that he can act faster because he is a lot of tricks, but you can sometimes enjoy that too. He still has to vary it a bit, but it is a good asset,” he said. “He can play a man and make a gear. He is quite a bit like Frenkie in that respect.”
In terms of attacking output in the final third, it’s evident that Kudus is a lethal threat, having averaged a total of 1.2 key passes, 3.8 shots and a squad-high 5.8 successful dribbles per 90 in the Dutch top-flight this term, via WhoScored.
It’s no secret that Spurs have struggled for creativity and could do with a playmaking talent capable of providing their front three with more chances, whilst also supporting the goalscoring burden.
In the two games since their return from the international break, Antonio Conte’s side have scored just once in a 3-1 defeat to arch-rivals Arsenal and earlier in the week, a front three of Harry Kane, Richarlison and Heung-min Son could only muster up two attempts on target against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Spurs also rank within the bottom eight teams for passes into the final third, as per FBref.
Leicester City’s James Maddison was one player heavily mooted with a switch to N17 throughout the summer transfer window – hardly a surprise after 18 goals and 12 assists last season alone – but with a £50m price tag, Lilywhites chief Fabio Paratici could be priced out of a move.
Instead, for around 82% cheaper, Kudus could be the answer to Conte’s creative crisis, given the evidence and reviews above.
There’s no denying that he could be the next big thing to come out of the Johan Cruyff Stadium and Spurs should be a the front of the queue seeing as they are crying out for a progressive attacking midfielder.
AND in other news, Sold for £13m, now worth £36.5m: Spurs had a shocker on “unbelievable” £79k-p/w talent…
Tottenham Hotspur have signed an ‘exciting’ talent in former Sheffield United striker Will Lankshear, according to Spurs pundit John Wenham.
The Lowdown: Lankshear’s arrival
On August 26, Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas revealed the Lilywhites had agreed a £2m deal with the Blades to sign the ‘highly-rated’ 17-year-old forward.
Less than a week later, the north London outfit announced the youngster’s arrival, revealing he had signed a deal with the club running until 2025.
Having struggled with injuries upon his arrival, Lankshear made his Tottenham debut for the U18s on Saturday, scoring twice in a 3-3 draw against Wolves, but is of course some way off being seen in the first-team ranks.
The Latest: Wenham’s claim
Wenham was clearly impressed by Lankshear’s debut at the weekend, having sung his praises after the game.
Speaking with Football Insider, the N17 pundit claimed:
“He has had a couple of injury problems but finally made his debut for the Under 18s and came on as a sub when we were 3-0 down to Wolves.
“We ended up drawing the game 3-3 and Lankshear got a 97th-minute equaliser after getting the goal that made it 3-2.
“He is already building on the good form that led to Tottenham buying him. He is an absolute unit for his age, massive, powerful.
“He seems like another exciting striker to add to our collection of promising forwards. The more you have, the more likely that one of them will break through.
“We have given ourselves lots of options there with Scarlett, Parrott, Donley and now Lankshear. He has put himself right amongst it.
“He came with a lot of hype and a lot of potential, but he scored two goals straight away and I’d like to see him involved against Frankfurt this week in the Youth League.
The Verdict: Abundance of young, talented strikers
With the 17-year-old’s arrival at Hotspur Way, Spurs now have a plethora of young, talented strikers in the pipeline ready to grasp their opportunity and play first-team football.
18-year-old Dane Scarlett has been extremely impressive since joining League One outfit Portsmouth on loan this season, having contributed three goals and two assists in 11 league games.
Scarlett already has ten appearances for the Tottenham first-team, so Lankshear will be hoping to emulate his teammate’s success at the club, with a loan move likely the next port of call in the teenager’s development.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are still waiting to name their successor to former boss Bruno Lage, with it having been almost two weeks since the 46-year-old was relieved of his duties by the Midlands outfit.
Any incoming head coach – whether it be Michael Beale, Nuno Espirito Santo or another – will be tasked with reviving the fortunes of an undoubtedly underperforming squad, with the club currently languishing just above the drop zone on nine points from their first ten league games.
One decision that any new appointment will have to make will be that of the future of mercurial talent, Adama Traore, with the Spaniard having been linked with an exit in the near future with just under a year remaining on his existing deal.
The 26-year-old had found himself surplus to requirements under Lage having been allowed to return to former club Barcelona on loan in January, albeit with the Catalan outfit ultimately opting against forking out to trigger the winger’s option-to-buy fee.
His subsequent return to Molineux has seen the eight-cap brute remain somewhat on the periphery in the early weeks of the season, having made just seven Premier League appearances thus far, only two of which came from the start.
Those starts have come in the club’s last two games under the interim charge of Steve Davis and James Collins, with it yet to be seen if Lage’s permanent successor will continue to persist with the undoubtedly “unique” talent, as described by journalist Liam Keen.
The £43k-per-week menace is an asset as a result of his relentless speed and innate dribbling ability – as he notably ranks in the top 1% for dribbles completed among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues – although far too often as he failed to couple that with quality delivery in the final third.
As one-time England boss Sam Allardyce warned following the explosive winger’s £18m arrival from Middlesbrough back in 2018, Traore has rarely shown the consistency needed to be considered a truly reliable figure for any manager, having recorded a measly tally of just 12 goals and 18 assists in 162 appearances for Wolves in all competitions.
That includes a return of no goals and assists in the top flight so far this term, as well as only one big chance created, with the £13.5m-rated man having so often struggled with regards to his end product, notably scoring just one league goal last season.
Although there were potentially encouraging signs in Saturday’s win over Nottingham Forest, with the aforementioned Keen praising the wide man for his ability to “take risks”, it was once again the same old story as the 5 foot 10 sensation was unable to deliver the goods when it mattered.
As Keen also stated following that display, Traore is undoubtedly a figure who “makes mistakes” with his final ball on the day having also been “not great”, with it arguably growing tiresome to see the player continue to underwhelm with regards to his goal contributions.
The struggling asset – whose average match rating so far this term of 6.67 is only the 15th-best among the Wolves squad, as per SofaScore – appears to have had his chance to impress at Molineux, with now the time for the new figure in the dugout to ruthlessly let him depart.
Tottenham Hotspur concluded their pre-season tour in Japan with a 2-1 defeat against Bayern Munich, with 20-year-old midfielder Gabriel Vidovic opening the scoring before Ange Postecoglou's side ran out of steam and succumbed to pressure.
The general theme emanating from the game circles around the lack of a centre-forward, with Postecoglou admitting before the contest that bolstering the striking position will be his outfit's "focus" across the final month of the transfer window.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou
Having finished fifth in the Premier League last season, suffering a nosedive after an incredible early run of form, issues were presented down at N17, and while there's an underlying sense that things are moving in the right direction, leaving the No. 9 spot short next season might hinder the Australian manager's ambitious vision.
Indeed, having yet to sign a direct replacement for Harry Kane, who joined Bayern one year ago, the Lilywhites are pushing to sign Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth – with a dynamic partner already lined up.
Spurs transfer news
Solanke could be the perfect focal point up front to charge Postecoglou's attack, but perhaps more excitingly, Spurs are looking to add winger Pedro Neto to the ranks.
According to Caught Offside, Postecoglou is eager to sign the Wolverhampton Wanderers winger and has even sent club representatives to discuss a deal with Neto's inner circle.
Neto is valued at about £60m despite his injury troubles, but he's an immense talent and is also attracting interest from Arsenal, so Tottenham must move quickly to prevent their London rivals from scoring a damaging blow before the campaign has even started.
What Pedro Neto would bring to Spurs
Neto would be a significant addition, offering completely the kind of multi-skilled qualities to add a new dimension to the Tottenham attack, not just improving it but opening up new ways to implement Postecoglou's attacking approach.
Pedro Neto: Premier League Stats by Season
Season
Apps
Starts
Goals
Assists
2023/24
20
18
2
9
2022/23
18
13
0
0
2021/22
13
5
1
1
2020/21
31
30
5
6
2019/20
29
9
3
3
Stats via Transfermarkt
The Portugal international's fitness record does leave plenty to be desired but there's no denying his high-level ability, ranking among the top 1% of attacking midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 6% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.
The £50k-per-week ace only completed 1,519 minutes in the English top flight last season but he certainly made good use of his time, scoring two goals and supplying nine assists.
Pedro Neto celebrates for Wolves
Manchester City's playmaking monster, Kevin De Bruyne, was the only player to record more assists per 90 (0.73) than Neto last term (0.53), pointing toward an impact that could markedly improve the glaring issue in Postecoglou's squad.
His 1.9 key passes and dribbles per game, as per Sofascore, only expand that argument, capable of driving down the wings and supplying the centre-forward with constant support.
That centre-forward may well be Solanke, with the respective styles exactly what Tottenham need.
Perfect for Dominic Solanke
Before his efforts across the 2023/24 campaign, few would have considered Solanke to be anything more than a decent striker situated below the upper echelon of the Premier League.
Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke.
He'd joined the South Coast club from Liverpool in a £19m deal in January 2019 after failing to make the grade at Anfield, bagging just one goal across 27 outings under Jurgen Klopp, and despite flashes of excellence, never really sustained a degree of prolificness to match those at the forefront of the Premier League striking order.
However, the 6 foot 2 sharpshooter has now grown into his skin and realised his athletic qualities, with The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell praising him as a "top, multi-faceted forward" after sharpening his skills across 2021 to 2023 (in the Championship with The Cherries).
He might have only posted six goals across 33 top-flight matches during the 2022/23 season, principally under Gary O'Neil's management, but his brutish presence and effectiveness in the box saw him succeed, also notching seven assists.
Last year, though, he went from strength to strength under the fluid football of Andoni Iraola, seemingly tailor-made for the style of football that mirrors the attack-focused brand of Postecoglou in a sense, making a telling comment on his chances of success in north London.
Premier League Top Scorers 23/24
Rank
Player
Apps
Goals (per 90)
1.
Erling Haaland
31
27 (0.95)
2.
Cole Palmer
34
22 (0.75)
3.
Alexander Isak
30
21 (0.83)
4.
Phil Foden
35
19 (0.60)
4.
Ollie Watkins
37
19 (0.53)
4.
Dominic Solanke
38
19 (0.51)
Sourced via Premier League
It's exciting to think about the next step in the one-cap England international's development, where he could raise his ceiling considerably with Spurs, bolstered by the likes of Heung-min Son and James Maddison and, perhaps, Neto.
Harking back to that earlier point, Neto was one of the Premier League's most impressive playmakers last season and given that he plied his trade primarily from the right flank, this could be a winning combination to allow the aforementioned Tottenham stalwarts to forge a deadly and rounded attacking line.
Wolves star Pedro Neto
Tottenham, at their best last year, were fluent in possession and ferocious out of it, seeking to overpower and outwork opponents and feed the ball toward the final third.
Hailed as a "pace monster" by analyst Ben Mattinson, Neto might just be the final piece of the puzzle in enhancing the flow, but he will of course reach his apex down N17 with a worthy focal frontman to leather the slick moves into the back of the net. Step forward, Solanke – a world of opportunity awaits.
Strong interest: Spurs move for £40m "monster" Gallagher alternative
The talented midfielder would be an interesting addition to Postecoglou’s system.