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Wolverhampton Wanderers may not be in action this week with the international break taking centre stage, but that hasn’t stopped them gearing up for a busy January transfer window.

That’s if you believe the latest reports emerging from Molineux.

Last month, Birmingham Live hinted towards a potentially active opening month in 2020 by claiming that the club have a centre-back and a central midfielder high on their wishlist.

This appears to be trending towards being somewhat accurate as they continue to be linked to both positions, and this week has seen them mooted with a potential move for Ruben Dias, once again.

Only this time, they face stiff competition from Premier League heavyweights Manchester City and Manchester United.

Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, via Sport Witness, have made these claims, stating that Dias has a release clause of €66m (£56.5m).

It remains to be seen whether the 22-year-old will become a Wolves player, but here’s what some of the writers at Football FanCast think…

Viji Jeevathayalan

“It’s a sign of the massive improvements Wolves have made, that they find themselves in the conversation with a player who has been linked with the two Manchester giants.

“Despite only being 22, Ruben Dias has played 102 times for Benfica and has built up a wealth of experience playing in the Portuguese top-flight and the Champions League. If Nuno Espirito Santo’s side can convince the centre-back to join them over both Manchester United and Manchester City, then that would be a real statement of intent.

“The ultimate modern-day centre-half, Dias combines great technique on the ball (he averages 67.5 passes per game at a staggering accuracy of 89.2%), and rugged physicality off it (he makes 1.5 tackles per game). Make no mistake, a January swoop would be a major coup for Wolves.”

Billy Meyers

“At first glance, this signing would seem much too far-fetched for me – Ruben Dias is playing for a Portuguese giant in Benfica and is a regular for the Portugal national team, whilst surely Manchester City and Manchester United will have too much financial might for Wolves. 

“However, the Midlands-based side have shocked us before in luring Ruben Neves to Molineux whilst in the Championship – they certainly aren’t strangers to securing a massive transfer coup. 

“To put it simply, this would be a brilliant signing in terms of the current day and for the future. At just 22, Dias is powerful, good on the ball and has plenty of pace in his locker, while there would definitely be value in bringing him to the club if possible given the ever-increasing craziness of the transfer market – who knows how much Dias could be worth in a few years?

“If there is even a shred of a chance for Wolves to sign Dias, they should jump on it.”

Domagoj Kostanjsak

“Honestly, Wolves can’t go wrong with signing him. Ruben Dias is one of those players that you struggle to find clear-cut flaws with, and he would definitely be a major swoop for the club.

“That being said, I reckon they could face some competition, but if they can somehow lure him in, that’d be a brilliant piece of business on their side, especially given their need of a good defender.”

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Lewis Blain

“Make no mistake. Ruben Dias would be an absolutely outstanding coup for Wolves and even the Premier League. It is the sort of signing that will elevate the club onto a dumbfounded level. If you think the Europa League is their ambition, then think again.

“The Portugal centre-back has become one of the best in the world in his role at the age of just 22 – if you want to believe Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira in Tuttosport via Football Italia.

“He already has a UEFA Nations League winners medal, where he also won the Man of the Match in the final and a domestic title to his name. This is precisely the sort of player that Wolves need to be targeting if they are to progress as a club.

“Per WhoScored, Dias averages a phenomenal passing accuracy of 89.2%, 2.3 clearances and 1.5 tackles per game which makes him a superb fit for Nuno Santo’s system.”

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Pep Guardiola was visibly livid during Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat of his Manchester City side at Anfield on Sunday.

The former Barcelona manager was in disbelief that his side were not awarded a penalty in the second half, complaining that it was the second time in the match that they had been turned down. He was presumably referring to the incident in the first-half when Trent Alexander-Arnold handled in the box.

What he conveniently failed to remember in that situation, though, was that the ball had touched Bernardo Silva’s hand first.

As such, the Citizens have launched an official complaint to the Professional Game Match Officials Board – or PGMOL for short – in regards to the performance of referee Michael Oliver, according to reports.

This news comes after Raheem Sterling was dropped from the England squad to face Montenegro on Thursday after an incident involving Reds defender Joe Gomez.

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What Guardiola and co hope to achieve by pointing at their frustration with Oliver’s display is up for debate. One thing is for sure, though – the Anfield outfit have their Premier League title rivals rattled, and it can only be good news for Jurgen Klopp’s team who clearly have the advantage.

In the last two terms, Manchester City have been the stand-out side in England’s top tier. In 2017/18, they amassed 100 points and were 19 clear of Manchester United, who finished second. Whilst they won by just one point last season, they still picked up 98 throughout the campaign, whilst they also triumphed in the League Cup and F.A Cup as well.

This time around, though, they have already lost three times in their first 12 games. To put that into perspective, they lost just six in their previous 76 league matches. Not only that, but the Citizens are behind both Leicester City and Chelsea in the table.

Klopp has made it clear that he is not worrying about City, but surely the situation at the Etihad Stadium is making him smile.

He will know that the champions are worried, and this complaint is just the latest example of them lashing out. At the moment, it seems they are doing the damage to themselves. Whilst Liverpool need to concentrate on their own matches and season, this news will come as a boost to their title hopes.

West Bromwich Albion remained at the top of the Championship table on Saturday afternoon as they managed a third straight league victory.

The Baggies defeated Sheffield Wednesday thanks to an 88th-minute spot-kick from substitute Charlie Austin.

Hal Robson-Kanu had opened the scoring inside the first ten minutes of the match before the Owls looked to have done enough to take a share of the spoils when Steven Fletcher scored a penalty of his own just before the hour mark.

But Austin remained calm and composed to slot home just his second goal of the season to hand Slaven Bilic’s side all three points, ensuring they also kept that two-point gap to Leeds United in second place.

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The game also marked a momentous occasion for Gareth Barry as his introduction in the 74th minute signalled his first competitive appearance since his comeback from a potentially career-threatening injury.

Several of the Hawthorns faithful were quick to hail his impact on the game, even at the age of 38.

One supporter said Barry was exactly the type of player needed alongside their youthful exuberance while another believed he was the epitome of class.

A further member of the Baggies crowd claimed he made a big difference when he came on with one more fan stating that the veteran midfielder completely changed the flow of the game into their favour.

Here’s the best of the reaction…

According to French outlet Le Foot, Crystal Palace are following Dijon forward Mounir Chouiar, who is also attracting interest from Bournemouth and Watford.

What kind of player is he?

Well, the 21-year-old only arrived at Dijon last summer, signing from Ligue 2 outfit RC Lens.

The Frenchman has made an immediate impact, scoring eight goals in all competitions for the Ligue 1 side, including a strike against reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain.

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Dijon boss Stéphane Jobard described Chouiar as a “serious talent in one-on-one situations” and the stats don’t lie.

The youngster records an eye-catching 3.5 dribbles per game in Ligue 1 this season, as well as 2.2 key passes per game and two shots per game – he is an all-action attacker.

Would hand Roy Hodgson a new dimension 

If Crystal Palace manage to bring Chouiar to Selhurst Park, it would hand Roy Hodgson a new dimension.

Aside from his impressive attacking statistics, the Liévin-born forward can also play in a number of positions.

He can operate as a left-winger, where he has made a total of 11 appearances this term, although he can also play in the centre where he has made seven outings this season.

Chouiar would hand the ex-England manager a new dimension in the respect that his versatility and dribbling ability would blend well with Wilfried Zaha, who can also operate on either wing or in the middle, and registers a huge 4.7 dribbles per game.

The pair of them playing in red and blue would surely cause chaos for the opposition, given their ability to move around the field into different positions and drag players out of shape with their dribbling qualities in one-on-one situations.

Call yourself a Premier League expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

With Jordan Ayew also a fine dribbler too – the Ghana international records two dribbles per game – Hodgson would be blessed with attacking fluidity if he managed to bring Chouiar – who is rated at £7.2m on Transfermarkt – to south London.

In other news, this journalist’s update shows Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman were spot on with this transfer call…

Linked with a switch to Liverpool for what feels like eternity, it appears Timo Werner may not be joining up at Anfield this summer after all.

Reports in recent months have suggested that the Germany international could be lured away from RB Leipzig, but it now appears that the current uncertainty surrounding football has had an impact on this potential transfer.

According to The Daily Mail, Jurgen Klopp’s side have put all contract talks and recruitment plans on hold due to this ongoing situation, and that because of this, “Liverpool are not actively working on any deals to bolster and refresh their squad – and will only resume once there is clarity.”.

Hilariously obscure Premier League players – Can you name them all?

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For fans of the Merseyside club eager to see to their team strengthen their side, this will no doubt been as a disappointment. But it could be a major blessing in disguise for those already at Anfield.

Whilst not making new signings can be seen as standing still, or even taking a step backwards, in Liverpool’s case, the sheer dominance that they have enjoyed this season in the Premier League means it is hard pressed to see where they could genuinely improve.

If anything, a big-money, high-profile move for a forward like Werner would only serve to hinder the kind of momentum and chemistry that they have built up under Klopp. The Reds are the league’s second-top goal-scorers with 66, only behind Manchester City who have scored just a couple more.

They possess the likes of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah to form a much-vaunted front trio, and bringing the £72m-rated Werner on board just raises unnecessary issues about who to leave out and whether a change in system is needed.

It’s the kind of headache Klopp could do without, and so this almost enforced restriction on their transfer plans may actually turn out for the best for Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Liverpool fans react to this update on ace.

Neutral fans will always accuse Tottenham of wasting the Gareth Bale money all those years ago, but since then they’ve not done too badly in the transfer market, but that’s only when they’ve even bothered trying to make signings.

They famously became the first club in Premier League history not to sign a player in two consecutive transfer windows, but Spurs fans will argue that why should they need to when they’ve quality players like Harry Kane and Harry Winks coming out of the academy.

Some of the more recent signings haven’t been too bad. Lucas Moura will always be a Spurs hero for his Champions League heroics against Ajax, while the likes of Dele Alli, Toby Alderweireld and Heung-min Son will go down as bargains in years to come.

But it’s not always been like that at Spurs, with many players coming through the White Hart Lane doors over the years who just have not been good enough to wear the white shirt in North London.

So we’ve taken a look at some of the biggest transfer flops at Spurs in the Premier League era, although we probably could’ve named a lot more…

Gilberto

Of the two Gilberto da Silvas to have plied their trade in north London, Tottenham certainly had the lesser one in Gilberto da Silva Melo.

The left-back turned up at White Hart Lane initially in January 2008 with some pedigree in the form of 30 Brazil caps and four strong years in Germany with Hertha Berlin but could never adapt to the pace of the Premier League and left in July 2009 a complete flop.

Sergei Rebrov

The first of a fair few strikers to feature on this list, Ukraine legend Sergei Rebrov managed a mere 16 goals in a depressing four-year spell with the Lilywhites.

What makes it worse is that Glenn Hoddle threw away a gut-busting £11m, we are talking in 2000, to bring him in based on his form with Dynamo Kyiv – although it’s far from the last waste of money we’re going to be looking at today.

Paolo Tramezzani 

Speaking of foreign players who just couldn’t get to grips with English football, Paolo Tramezzani was a calamitous left-back if there ever was one.

Pictured above with fellow Italian Premier League failure Nicola Berti who’s bizarrely wearing a t-shirt from the Four Seasons hotel in New York to training, Tramezzani would make just six forgettable appearances in north London.

Bobby Zamora

Bobby Zamora would go onto enjoy an accomplished Premier League career with the likes of West Ham United, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers, but not before his own sorry spell at the Lane.

The Lilywhites were the team to give the future England man his big break when they signed him for Brighton & Hove Albion for a lofty £1.5m in summer 2003, however, he would only contribute the one goal for Spurs before being shipped off as part of the deal that saw the legendary Jermain Defoe arrive in N17.

Mbulelo Mabizela 

Remember him?

Prior to the 2003/2004 season, the Lilywhites decided to sign ill-disciplined centre-back Mbulelo Mabizela based on a performance he put in for Orlando Pirates against them in a friendly, it worked out just about as well as it sounded it would.

David Bentley

What did David Bentley ever really do in a Spurs shirt apart from score THAT goal against his former club in the North London derby?

Well, you could list any number of hilarious off-field pranks and incidents.

But it’s what happens on the pitch that really matters and the ex-Three Lions star never really lived up to his potential or his £15m price tag at White Hart Lane before bizarrely retiring at the age of 29.

Bongani Khumalo 

The picture above more or less sums up Bongani Khumalo’s Tottenham career, as the former South Africa captain looked so out of his depth on loan at the likes of Preston, Doncaster and Colchester and in matches for the reserves that he somehow managed to not make a single competitive first-team appearance for the entirety of his four-and-a-half-year spell.

Spurs haven’t had much luck with South Africans, have they?

Roberto Soldado

A striker who doesn’t play too badly and works hard for the team but is also hampered with an uncanny inability to score goals, sounds odd, though Roberto Soldado was that very thing for Tottenham.

It will still send shivers down the spine of Spurs fans that their club flushed £26m of their Gareth Bale money down the toilet on the Spaniard for him to score 16 times in 76 games for them.

Need we say anything more?

Calum Davenport

When the Lilywhites beat others in the race to sign England U21 international defender Calum Davenport from Coventry City in 2004, they would have thought they’d unearthed a real £1.3m gem.

However, the centre-half embarked on a bizarre career that would never see him get close to the level he was once thought to have the potential to reach – he appeared a mere 20 times for Spurs.

Paulinho

After an impressive 2012/2013 campaign for Corinthians in his native Brazil, Paulinho was noticed in Europe by Andre Villas-Boas and another chunk of the Bale money would be allocated to obtain his signature.

It would take the Lilywhites two seasons to work out the Brazil man just wasn’t up to Premier League standard after he was only able to register nine-goal involvements in 45 matches and he was disposed of by Mauricio Pochettino in one of the early lucrative Chinese Super League transfers.

Members of the Tottenham faithful will most recently remember him being oddly brought back to the continent in 2017 by Barcelona.

Former England defender Danny Mills has said that Newcastle United must prioritise the signing of a striker this summer, in an interview with Football Insider.

What did he say?

Newcastle have struggled for goals this season, managing just 25 from their 29 matches so far, the joint-worst record in the entire Premier League.

Midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is their top scorer in the league with five goals, while summer signing Joelinton has managed just one goal from his 27 starts.

With goalscoring an obvious concern, Mills said that a new striker this summer needs to be the prospective new owners’ priority.

“A striker has to be the priority,” he told Football Insider.

“A couple of goalscorers is what they need.

“Joelinton simply has not done it. Almiron works hard but has not done it and if you want to climb higher up the table you have to score goals. Newcastle do not have a goal threat.

“Once the takeover is complete and people realise that they have got lots of cash then every man and his dog is going to be mentioned.

“Every agent is going to be on the phone thinking it is time to get involved and make some money and that is where Newcastle need the right people involved.”

Quiz: How much did Mike Ashley pay for these players?

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Priorities

Newcastle have really been lacking in front of goal this season and the lack of prolific finisher is part of that, but a lack of creativity has also played a part.

Joelinton is definitely a player with potential but has not been used well by Bruce, while the fact that he has favoured a defensive 5-4-1 formation has limited his side’s attacking possibilities.

Glasgow Rangers appear to be desperate for an independent investigation into the SPFL.

The Gers believe that there has been wrongdoing from the governing body in Scottish football – they have even produced a 200-page dossier which they say proves as much – and they are hoping that the other 41 clubs in the top four tiers of Scottish football agree with them.

The SPFL themselves certainly don’t, and they have even argued that an investigation would cost too much money. The Ibrox outfit have called that bluff by saying they will pay for the investigation themselves, but Neil Doncaster, the chief of the authority, says that if they were to finance it, it would not be independent.

Journalist Tom English is far from happy with that though. He has questioned whether the original report from Deloitte can even be classified as independent given it was paid for and chosen by the SPFL. As you can imagine, this has attracted plenty of interest from the club’s supporters – one fan even called Doncaster a “charlatan” – and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!

According to Football Insider, Rangers are ready to offer a contract to Blackpool starlet Tony Weston.

What’s the word?

Recent reports had suggested that the Gers had opened talks to sign Weston, and hoped to do so once the League One season in England had ended.

Are you a massive Rangers fan? Know everything about the club? Well do you know your Gary Stevens from your Michael Ball? This quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

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Now, Football Insider have revealed that Steven Gerrard’s side have taken another step to luring the 16-year-old to Ibrox this summer, with the Scottish giants putting together a contract offer to sign Weston.

Future

At just 16, it will be highly unlikely to see Weston feature prominently for Gerrard’s side next season, but ensuring that the club has some of the best young talents at their disposal is going to be the key to having a great future.

And the starlet has been tipped for some big things by those who have watched him closely at his current club, Blackpool. By November of last year, he had already scored 14 goals at youth level, picking up numerous awards along the way, and the Seasiders’ manager, Simon Grayson, waxed lyrical about his potential.

He said: “I watched him in the reserves and people have been talking about him. He’s got a real good attitude, good movement and loves the game. I know for sure there are teams watching him and good young players attract attention. We’ll nurture him, we’ll look after him and we’ll see when it’s the right time to give him some game-time.”

Weston may not be one for Rangers fans to keep a close eye on for now if they do sign him, but he certainly seems like a prospect to follow over the coming years.

Former Scotland U19s coach Donald Park has advised Lewis Ferguson not to make the move to Glasgow Rangers.

The Gers have been linked with a move for the Aberdeen midfielder, who has impressed in the middle of the park for the Dons recently. The 20-year-old appeared 38 times during the 2019/20 campaign, scoring three goals and providing nine assists along the way, and such was the quality of his displays, he was even named SFWA Young Player of the Year.

Talking to The Glasgow Times, Park said that Ferguson should stay at Pittordie for now:

“I don’t think there is any doubt Lewis could play at Rangers. He has proved that at Aberdeen. I am sure Derek (McInnes) thinks he is as good as any of the Rangers players.

“The hard part for him will be getting the opportunities at such a big club as a young player. Getting regular games has allowed him to go to the next level at Hamilton and at Aberdeen.

“I think he should stay where he is and see what the future brings. Somebody once told me ‘don’t make a decision until you have to’. He doesn’t need to do anything just now.”

Park has insinuated that £1.35m-valued Ferguson – as per Transfermarkt – would not be guaranteed a spot in Steven Gerrard’s starting line-up, and he may have a point. There is already the likes of Steven Davis, Scott Arfield and Joe Aribo available, whilst the 54-time Scottish champions have just completed the signing of Ianis Hagi from Genk.

For now, staying at Aberdeen may well be the correct move. But in the long run, at least in Scotland, a move to the Gers or Celtic is the only one that makes sense and, considering Lewis is the nephew of Gers legend Barry, surely the blue side of Glasgow would have the upper hand in any fight for his services.

Let us know what you think below!