Paul Mullin is “refusing to speak about” promotion at Wrexham, despite that being the only word on everybody’s lips at SToK Racecourse.
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Wolverhampton Wanderers are ready to make moves in the January transfer window, as Gary O’Neil seeks further reinforcements to bolster the depth of his squad at Molineux.
The Englishman took charge just four days prior to the Midlands club’s 2023/24 Premier League opener, having minimal time to sculpt his side to his liking after a damning summer of financial constraints.
Now, the former Bournemouth boss will have the chance to target some new faces, with one name said to be on Wolves’ radar being an admired figure during the summer.
As relayed by Sport Witness this week, Wolves could have another shot at signing Salernitana striker Boulaye Dia in January, after failing to secure a deal for the 27-year-old in the latter stages of the summer.
After a successful loan spell at the Italian club, the Senegalese dynamo signed permanently in July, however, his security at his new home is not guaranteed, with a release clause in place in his contract.
According to Sport Witness, Dia remains on Wolves’ radar, and with his release clause sitting around just €22m (£19m), he poses as an affordable asset to the Premier League side, in what could be a power move for O’Neil’s front line.
If the fee of his release clause is honoured by the Old Gold, the former Villarreal forward will be granted permission to leave Italy, with the target man boasting a host of qualities that would benefit those at Molineux.
Once lauded as “incredible” by journalist Josh Bunting, Dia showcased his clinical streak in Serie A last season, ending the campaign as the third-highest scorer in the league behind Victor Osimhen and Lautaro Martinez.
Last term, Wolves ended the campaign in less impressive scoring form as their reported target, netting just 31 goals in 38 games to be crowned the lowest-scorers in the 2022/23 Premier League.
Thankfully, O’Neil has got his side firing again, although the front line remains short of a clinical number nine, with Matheus Cunha still far from being a decorated goalscorer at Molineux.
Since his arrival in England, initially on loan in January, the Brazilian has only scored four goals in 33 appearances when leading the line for the Old Gold, although his claim to the favoured XI spans beyond his ability to put the ball in the net.
Level with Eberechi Eze and Jeremy Doku, no player has completed more take-ons in the Premier League this season than Cunha, whose ball-carrying expertise has worked wonders to encourage O’Neil’s side to be more direct.
This is where the signing of Dia comes in, as in capturing the 27-year-old’s signature, the manager could pair the threat of Cunha with the proficiency of the Senegal international in front of goal to bolster the outlet in attack.
|
Boulaye Dia domestic scoring record |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Appearances |
Goals |
Assists |
|
2018/19 |
27 |
6 |
2 |
|
2019/20 |
28 |
8 |
1 |
|
2020/21 |
39 |
16 |
1 |
|
2021/22 |
35 |
7 |
6 |
|
2022/23 |
33 |
16 |
6 |
|
2023/24 |
10 |
4 |
0 |
|
Figures via Transfermarkt |
|||
As highlighted above, the Serie A forward is a seasoned scorer in a host of Europe’s top leagues, with his 33% conversion rate last term reinforcing his clinical streak when handed the opportunity to score.
O’Neil could hand Cunha an assured outlet to work alongside in Dia, who if paired together, could drive Wolves to further heights and make their goal-scoring mishaps of last season a forgotten narrative.
Nottingham Forest fans were left fuming after three penalty appeals were turned down in their 2-0 loss to relegation rivals Everton.
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Leeds United now look set to lose a bright young star at Elland Road despite their positive start in the Championship, according to The Athletic journalist Phil Hay.
Over the test of time, Leeds United have a proud history of bringing young players through their academy system before giving them a chance to shine at Elland Road. In Daniel Farke's current squad, Sam Byram and Jamie Shackleton both started their careers at the Yorkshire outfit, while midfielder Archie Gray is regarded by many as one of the most promising players to ever come through at Thorp Arch, and his performances this term have caught the eye of the footballing elite.
According to The Daily Mail, the 17-year-old is being lined up by English top-flight giants Liverpool next summer in a swoop that could cost Jurgen Klopp more than £40 million to pull off. The report states that Gray, who has earned comparisons to Trent Alexander-Arnold due to his athletic ability and capacity to feature either as a central midfielder or full-back, is also being tracked by Everton and Crystal Palace as he continues to develop at Elland Road.
Born in 2006, Gray has taken to first-team life like a duck to water this term, making 17 appearances in all competitions for Leeds United (Gray statistics – Transfermarkt). Of course, Leeds fans all know what the feeling of losing one of their brightest homegrown stars is like, with the memory of Kalvin Phillips leaving for Manchester City in 2022 for a fee in the region of £45 million still fresh in the memory.
Now, history may be about to repeat itself for the Elland Road faithful, albeit on a much smaller scale, courtesy of a report from journalist Hay.
Taking to social media platform X, journalist Hay has revealed that Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign Leeds United youngster Finley Gorman for a seven-figure sum, which is believed to be a British club record for a 15-year-old.
|
Finley Gorman statistics 2023/24 – Under-18 Premier League (Transfermarkt) |
|
|
Appearances |
5 |
|
Goals |
2 |
|
Assists |
1 |
Hay stated in full: "Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign highly-rated academy midfielder Finley Gorman from Leeds United. Seven-figure fee believed to be a British record for a 15-year-old."
As per reports from the Yorkshire Evening Post, several clubs, including the likes of Newcastle United, were interested in Gorman; nevertheless, he now looks set to move to the Etihad Stadium, which is home to some of the finest academy facilities in world football.
Sources have indicated to the outlet that he is one of the most exciting prodigies to come through the youth system at Leeds United in recent years. At the same time, his versatility is also an asset, given his ability to operate off the right flank or as an attacking midfielder.
Lower tier clubs are finding it increasingly more difficult to hold on to their most exciting youngsters due to the lure of elite academies and the opportunities they can present.
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez declared his eternal love for Arsenal despite helping his side deal a formidable blow to the Gunners' title hopes.
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Paul Mullin admitted that he still feels "awkward and embarrassed" to deal with the fame brought by co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
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And just like that, Arsenal are back at the forefront of the Premier League pack, with Mikel Arteta's squad quietly firing themselves into first-rate form and capitalising on rivals' dropped points at the weekend.
It's been an interesting one, with Arsenal's defensive dominance this season a discernible upgrade from last term, but coming at the cost of the same captivating level of panache in an attacking sense.
13 matches into the 2023/24 campaign, the Gunners are indeed one point clear at the top of the table, boasting the best defensive record in the division and tasting defeat just once, to Newcastle United at St. James' Park.
Only Manchester City have conceded fewer shots from open play (72) than Arsenal (91), while no team has made fewer saves in the Premier League than the Emirates Stadium side (18).
This all blends together to emphasise a growth in maturity, and a newfound cohesion across the park that bespeaks the title-winning credentials that this remarkable set of players possess.
Arteta is a man of perfection, however, and he will be fervently anticipating the January transfer window, where shrewd investment could result in a more comfortable distance being established from the club's heel-snapping rivals.
Arsenal will be eager to bolster, and at the top of the transfer wishlist is Aston Villa's midfield general Douglas Luiz, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano revealing that he is Arteta's "top target", with rumours surrounding Ruben Neves believed to be wide of the mark.
However, the Italian journalist has since taken to Twitter to delineate Villan manager Unai Emery's absolute desire to rebuff any advances for the 25-year-old.
The fast-rising Premier League side consider Luiz the lynchpin in the middle, with his emphatic exploits this season earning him a transfer valuation of £52m, according to CIES Football Observatory.
While the north London side are desperate to land the Brazilian ace, Football Insider claim that Manchester City are interested in re-signing the starlet they let go for £15m in 2019.
While Manchester City decided that there wasn't a place in the squad for Luiz as he grew into his skin – largely due to the £62.5m acquisition of Rodri from Atletico Madrid – Villa recognised that he could be a star in the making.
Having now chalked up 171 appearances for the Villa Park team, scoring 18 goals and providing 17 assists, Luiz has earned the position of prominence from which he now resides, with the likes of Arsenal and his former employer swooning over his skill set.
As per FBref, Luiz ranks among the top 9% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 16% for assists and the top 19% for shot-creating actions per 90, punctuating the creative ability that has led The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell toward dubbing him "the complete player."
The ten-cap international, at his heart, is an industrious centre-midfielder, but perhaps his expansive performances showcase his breaking free of the obsolete labels attributed to traditional positions.
Instead, his Manchester City roots and allowance to explore the various facets of his ability at Villa has sculpted him into a truly special talent, and he has come alive since the summer.
Luiz has really blossomed into his own as Aston Villa have made progress under Emery's wing; not just a cog in the machine, the former Citizen is the key mechanism holding it all together, clever and cunning, tenacious and resourceful in possession.
Across 13 Premier League matches, he has scored five goals and supplied two assists from central midfield, producing a delightful delivery from deep for Pau Torres to latch onto before half-time against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, restoring parity before turning the match on its head after the break to advance to top four.
The £75k-per-week star has truly been among the finest all-encompassing midfielders in Europe this season, with Sofascore highlighting his pass success rate of 89% in the Premier League, averaging 1.3 key passes, 2.3 tackles and 6.1 ball recoveries per game, also succeeding with 64% of his dribbles and winning 59% of his duels.
This, frankly, is absurd for a player of his position; Declan Rice, for example, has completed 91% of his passes, made 0.8 key passes, 1.8 tackles and 4.9 recoveries each match and triumphed in 55% of his dribbles and 49% of his duels.
Aston Villa could land "special" Arsenal player in Douglas Luiz exchange
Emery has coached the player in question before…
By
Sean Markus Clifford
Nov 13, 2023
Rice completed a £105m transfer to Arteta's squad from West Ham United in the summer after catalysing his former outfit's endeavours over the past few years, crescendoing with victory in the Conference League last term.
He's been hailed as a "Rolls-Royce" by journalist Joshua Mbu in the past and he's certainly living up to that gleaming mantle now, and with Luiz beside him in the engine room, the Gunners could soar to new heights.
Heralded for his "remarkable” creative ability by Tanswell this term, the 5 foot 10 machine has been loosely linked to Rodri by FBref player comparison model, with his erstwhile affiliation with the Etihad Stadium perhaps providing him with similar core qualities.
Rodri is widely regarded as the best No. 6 in the world right now, with journalist Raphael Honigstein claiming that he can "do everything", and so too is Luiz proving to be excellent across multiple dimensions of the midfield game.
The £220k-per-week Spaniard ranks among the top 10% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 15% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for pass completion and passes attempted, the top 5% for progressive passes and the top 12% for progressive carries per 90.
In the Premier League, the 27-year-old has plundered three goals and two assists from 11 games, completing 94% of his passes, averaged 1.2 key passes, 2.0 tackles and 7.0 recoveries per fixture and succeeded with 75% of his attempted dribbles.
|
Douglas Luiz: PL Stats vs AVFC Squad 23/24 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistic |
No. |
Squad ranking |
|
Goals |
5 |
2nd |
|
Assists |
2 |
=3rd |
|
Prog. carries |
30 |
2nd |
|
Prog. passes |
71 |
2nd |
|
Passes comp. |
716 |
3rd |
|
Pass success |
85% |
5th |
|
Shot-creating actions |
46 |
3rd |
|
Tackles |
30 |
1st |
|
Blocks |
15 |
2nd |
|
*Sourced via FBref |
||
Very much the jack-of-all-trades; and master of all. While he is more refined and effective than Luiz at present, there is a blueprint from which the Brazilian star can follow, especially as he is highly ranked when compared to his teammates this season.
Influential across a melange of roles, Arsenal have to make the swoop in January, and while he might be expensive, the Aston Villa machine would be worth every penny and could rival Rodri for the Gunners over the coming period, perhaps even proving to be the difference-maker in the search for the elusive Premier League trophy.
Tottenham Hotspur's season sank to a new low as West Ham United became the latest side to come from behind to defeat Ange Postecoglou's side in the Premier League.
Buoyed by the return of Cristian Romero after the tough-tackling defender's three-match suspension, the Argentine emphatically announced his return with a pinpoint header from Pedro Porro's corner to open the scoring and get the home crowd cheering.
But after the break Spurs dwindled, with Jarrod Bowen capitalising on a fortuitous deflection to bypass Guglielmo Vicario's goal before Destiny Udogie's calamitous backpass allowed James Ward-Prowse to score his third goal for the Hammers after slotting into an open net, having hit the post with his initial effort.
It's a massive shame for the young Italian to have started so well and seen strides taken crumble in an instant after such a mess of a pass back to his keeper.
Such a mistake is a reminder (granted, a poignant one) that he is very young and very inexperienced in the English game.
However, this should not detract from the exemplary start to life under Postecoglou that has left the likes Hunter Godson claim that he "gets into nearly every team in the world already."
Against West Ham, as per Sofascore, he won eight duels and made four clearances and interceptions apiece but indeed saw his efforts marred by such a detrimental error, also taking 73 touches and completing 86% of his passes.
While his defensive mishap cost Postecoglou, the real blame should lie with those of an attacking persuasion, with Dejan Kulusevski flattering to deceive after an ineffectual – if spirited – display.
Kulusevski has been immense for Tottenham this term and he is comfortably one of the most important and influential players in the squad, but having been entrusted with a starting berth across every Premier League fixture this season, the 23-year-old winger will be disappointed to have made little use of his efforts.
Having branded the 35-cap Sweden international with a 4/10 match rating, football.london's Alasdair Gold said this: 'Plenty of hustle and bustle but like the rest of the front three very little at the end of it.'
Indeed, he was a constant threat down the right channel but failed to fashion promising openings, with this notion perhaps epitomised in the closing seconds as he broke free down the wing only to lose his footing and fail to cross the ball into the box.
To illustrate this, Kuluevski succeeded with just two of his nine attempted dribbles, failed with all four crosses, won just five of his 21 contested ground duels, and lost possession 26 times. Damning numbers indeed as the Lilywhites' slump continued against the Hammers.
That being said, he was always attempting to craft success, but it just wasn't to be and he will be left rueing his lack of incisiveness on the night.
Gianni Infantino has advised MLS on how to build on the “Lionel Messi effect”, with the FIFA president asking: “Is there a great American player?”
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Chelsea are set to complete the signing of teenage midfielder Julia Bartel from Champions League finalists Barcelona.
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