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Wolverhampton Wanderers have been handed a major boost in the chase to sign Aleksander Buksa, with reports claiming they would only have to pay up to £200,000 in compensation for the Wisla Krakow striker.

Buksa Molineux-bound?

The 18-year-old centre-forward who is out of contract at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, in what is his third season playing at senior level.

Buksa was given extraordinarily high praise by Sportowe Fakty, who compared him to Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski due to his finishing and strength.

The Poland U19 international had previously been linked with a move to Molineux before Christmas, with suggestions that super-agents Jorge Mendes and Pini Zahavi were working together to bring Buksa to the club.

Now, Dziennik Polski have confirmed that he could cost just €220,000 (£191,000), due to having come through the ranks at the Ekstraklasa club.

Previous reports suggested that Wolves would most likely his best destination, potentially saving the Black Country millions on finding a replacement for Raul Jimenez, although the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich have said to be in the running and “are on his trail”.

Transfer Tavern Verdict

Manager Nuno Espirito Santo could be about to capture a bargain if comparisons with the Bavarian talisman are to be believed. And given that he is now available for such a small compensation fee, it’s a major boost for Wolves and their chase for the young striker.

Buksa has scored four times from 35 appearances for Wisla but the majority of those appearances were as a substitute, rarely completing a full 90 minutes (Transfermarkt).

Mendes must act fast if he wants to bring the 6 foot 2 Buksa to Molineux.

In other news, Wolves fans left irritated by ‘obvious’ call from Nuno Espirito Santo.

Dean Windass has spoken exclusively to Football FanCast and given a scathing verdict on Newcastle United’s survival chances.

Steve Bruce’s side have taken just nine points from a possible 45 and recorded just two wins in their previous 17 matches. A worrying statistic that has seen the Magpies plummet into a relegation battle.

Newcastle’s Achilles’ heel has been finding the net consistently this season and with Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin now out until April the picture is looking extremely bleak.

The Magpies have improved their performances recently, however, it is all about results now with Bruce firmly in the hot seat with the club’s future firmly in the balance. With a potential takeover still in the pipeline, a relegation could scupper those plans.

A point against Wolverhampton Wanderers would usually have been seen as a positive result but Newcastle need wins with Fulham looking solid and difficult to beat. Newcastle have an eye on the Cottagers but must find a way to grind out results, even if that means performances become less attractive.

Many pundits fear the worst for Newcastle who could be set for a third relegation under the ownership of Mike Ashley.

Football Fancast spoke exclusively to Dean Windass with the former Darlington striker, not sugar-coating it for Newcastle fans.

A straight forward “yes” by Windass when asked if the Magpies could go down says everything you need to know about Newcastle as a club at the minute, people seem resigned to the fact they are going to be overtaken in 17th by Fulham.

Windass added: “It’s going to be a long [rest of the] season. 

“The one thing about Newcastle is that, no disrespect to Callum Wilson, how do you replace Alan Shearer?

“Newcastle never won anything really and Shearer was getting you 30 goals a season.

“Now, you need somebody to get you double figures a season to keep you in the Premier League.”

Newcastle’s future could be determined in the coming days if scans on both Almiron and Saint-Maximin’s injuries are to be as bad as first feared then the Magpies place all their creativity on Ryan Fraser who has had his fair share of injuries this campaign.

There are 12 games remaining and Newcastle fans will be buckling in for a long slog for some precious points which could set them up for a bright future in the Premier League under new ownership.

Despite Liverpool having recruited two centre-backs in the January transfer window, the Reds continue to be linked with yet more defensive stalwarts.

The latest named in whom Jurgen Klopp is reportedly interested is Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.

In completing a deal for the Senegalese international, then they would be securing one of the best centre-backs in Europe at the current time.

The defender, now aged 29, has been with the Serie A giants since 2014 and, in that time, he has forged a reputation as a ferocious and dominant figure at the back.

He has gone on to make 274 appearances for the Partenopei, winning the Coppa Italia with the club last year.

His defensive statistics are also extremely impressive this season despite having missed part of the campaign after testing positive for COVID-19.

He is averaging 1.6 tackles, one interception, 1.7 clearances and 0.8 blocks per game in 2020/21, according to WhoScored.

When compared to Joe Gomez, who Koulibaly would presumably replace in the Liverpool starting XI when every player is fit, the Napoli man comes out on top in every facet besides clearances – the Englishman averaging a huge 4.4 per game throughout 2020/21 before his campaign was curtailed due to injury.

Some could make an argument that the Napoli defender’s age could be a negative factor, and to some extent that could be true – Koulibaly turns 30 in June.

However, age brings considerable experience, with him having made 26 appearances in the Champions League throughout his career, which of course would become extremely useful as the Reds attempt to continuing challenging on multiple fronts under Jurgen Klopp.

A deal would also not come cheap. Rated at £54m, it could take a considerably larger fee to bring him to Anfield.

Nevertheless, with no other glaring weakness in the Liverpool squad besides the centre-back position next to the dominant Virgil van Dijk, a big-money swoop for Koulibaly could see Liverpool regain their defensive resolve and once again challenge at the very top.

AND in more news, take a look at why Houssem Aouar could be the perfect addition to the Reds’ midfield…

Everton could jeopardise Jarrad Branthwaite’s future at the club with a move to sign Real Sociedad defender Modibo Sagnan during the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to France Football, via Sport Witness, Toffees chiefs have requested information on Sagnan’s future at the Anoeta Stadium ahead of a potential future move.

The 21-year-old centre-back has caught the attention of Everton, who are said to admire his potential after breaking through into Imanol Alguacil’s first-team plans this season.

Sagnan joined Sociedad in 2019 from academy side RC Lens but failed to make his presence felt before leaving for Spanish second-tier outfit CD Mirandes on loan in the following January window, having made just one appearance.

Alguacil has been more forthcoming with chances this term, with Sagnan featuring 13 times across all competitions, including being given six starting roles in 10 La Liga games to help the Txuri-urdinak challenge for European qualification.

His chance came following an injury for teammate Aritz Elustondo in the warm-up of their Europa League Group Stage tie with SSC Napoli in October, after which Alguacil vocalised his support of Sagnan.

“We believe he has potential, I am happy with the level that he gave,” the Sociedad boss said, via quotes by El Desmarque who note Sagnan offered a solid presentation of his talents and cause to believe he can become an important aspect of the San Sebastian outfit’s backline in years to come.

Sagnan is under contract at the Anoeta Stadium through to the summer of 2024, but may be offered a move to the Premier League with recent reports by Onze Mondial also crediting Everton with interest in the £2.5m-rated prospect.

Signing Sagnan at Branthwaite’s cost

Everton moving to sign Sagnan to provide further cover in Carlo Ancelotti’s defensive ranks could come at the cost of Branthwaite, who last week joined Blackburn Rovers on loan until the end of the season.

Branthwaite had struggled to secure any minutes in the Toffees’ first-team this term as a result of an ankle injury, which restricted the 18-year-old to a mere 24 minutes in the Carabao Cup and accepting a seat on the bench in four Premier League fixtures.

Ancelotti was bowled over by Branthwaite last season when the youngster was given a surprise summoning just months on from joining from Carlisle United, with the Italian claiming he was “really happy” with how the teen had fared.

The 6 ft 5 colossus has continued to impress now that he’s at Ewood Park after turning in a brilliant debut over the weekend, that left Rovers boss Tony Mowbray pleased with his decision amid an injury crisis in defence.

“Jarrad was very good. I think he keeps things simple and just does his job, which is remarkable considering he’s 18,” he said, via quotes by the Lancashire Telegraph. “Generally, he did exceptionally well. His distribution was good, he competed very well, and he looked steady.”

But Everton adding Sagnan to the ranks beside Michael Keane, Mason Holgate, Yerry Mina and Ben Godfrey would make competition for minutes an even tougher ordeal next season, and make Branthwaite’s time with Rovers increasingly important to ensure he returns with a role to occupy.

AND in other news, Everton must end the 14-year club association of a player completely frozen out by Carlo Ancelotti…

When it comes to Leeds United, they have a whole plethora of promising young academy players.

Victor Orta has made a point of strengthening that area of the club and in the summer it was a huge priority to improve Mark Jackson’s squad.

He added Cody Drameh, Crysencio Summerville, Sam Greenwood and Joe Gelhardt to the club’s academy ranks and a number of them have reaped the rewards pretty instantly.

Summerville scored a hat-trick against Burnley U23s while Greenwood was presented with a first-team opportunity against Crawley in the FA Cup.

Though, it’s a defender in Leeds’ ranks that we want to focus on for the time being. Of course, it will naturally be the attackers who take most of the credit but one man who’s also earned a first-team debut this season has been Charlie Cresswell.

The 18-year-old has only featured on one occasion under Marcelo Bielsa but it would hardly be a surprise if he starts to get more chances in the not too distant future.

That’s because he is the archetypal Bielsa player, a defender who likes to advance forward with the ball at his feet and play out from the back.

Speaking about the centre-back earlier this season, Noel Whelan highlighted his qualities: “At that centre-half position he’s got great attributes, he’s very calm on the ball, a great size to him, he’s quick, he can head, he can pass. He’s the modern-day, young-centre half.”

If you’d taken those words out of context, it could quite easily describe a certain Ben White.

Like Cresswell, he’s a baby faced centre-half and possesses very similar qualities. White was tremendous during Leeds’ promotion-winning campaign last season and in their 18-year-old academy graduate they have a player who could potentially live up to similar heights.

Last term, White completed 84.6% of his passes, a tally that Cresswell came close to emulating when the U21s took on Blackpool in the Papa John’s Trophy. On that day, the teenager completed 81% of his passes, demonstrating complete composure in the backline.

Like White, his reading of the game was near impeccable. Cresswell completed two interceptions and remarkably prevailed in seven tackles.

Last summer, it was all about who Leeds could find to replace the Brighton defender at centre-half. They tried to do so with the additions of Robin Koch and Diego Llorente but since arriving, they seem to have spent more time on the treatment table than out on the field.

Perhaps Bielsa’s answer was right in front of him all along? Cresswell typifies the modern defender and has all the attributes that made White such a hit at Elland Road.

AND in other news, Leeds could save millions by unleashing rarely-seen 20 y/o, he’s endorsed by Ian Harte…

Liverpool look to have been handed a transfer blow in their chase for Dominik Szoboszlai, as RB Leipzig now seem to be favourites to sign the Hungarian international.

The Reds have been linked with the 20-year-old wonderkid recently but it seems as if he is likely to join Die Roten Bullen following an update from Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano.

He confirmed on Twitter that the Bundesliga side are likely to win the race to sign him, as they are keen to activate his €25 million release clause ahead of Christmas.

Considering the history of RB Salzburg players joining RB Leipzig, it is no surprise that they are now the favourites to sign Szoboszlai, however, this still comes as a blow for Liverpool, as he has shown in recent seasons that he is an incredible young player.

In 80 appearances for the Austrian side, the midfielder has contributed an impressive 25 goals and 33 assists, so it is no surprise that he is being linked with a move away.

So far this season, the midfielder has notched eight goals and nine assists in 19 appearances in all competitions, which definitely seems to suggest that he should be playing at a higher level.

The 20-year-old has already earned the praise of one of the greatest to ever play the game in Lothar Matthaus, with him saying:

“He is a gem. He’s like Kai Havertz. He could move to RB Leipzig in January, but I’m convinced that every top club in Europe has him on their list, including FC Bayern. In Hungary, Szoboszlai is already being compared to the great Ferenc Puskas.”

This is high praise indeed, although it is no surprise to hear that the RB Salzburg man is already revered by Hungarian fans, after he helped them secure European qualification by scoring an injury-time winner against Iceland last month.

Considering he is reportedly available for as little as €25 million (£22.9 million), this definitely could be a transfer Liverpool regret making in the future, particularly when you consider the success of former RB Salzburg man Erling Haaland since his departure from the Austrian side.

Therefore, Leipzig being close to his signing is definitely a blow for the Reds, but fans should certainly keep an eye on him as a potential star of the future.

And, in other news… Forget Jota: Klopp must unleash £120k-p/w gem who “offers something totally different”

For the first time in 28 games, Glasgow Rangers were on the losing end of a result as they were defeated 3-2 by St. Mirren on Wednesday, and Bongani Zungu was far from at his best.

The Gers were the favourites in the League Cup quarter-final, but they surprisingly lost. Connor Goldson actually did give them the lead, but Jamie McGrath scored twice to turn things around. A Steven Davis equaliser late on looked to have saved the Ibrox outfit, but Conor McCarthy was on hand to grab the winner in injury time.

Zungu, who was making just his second start for the 54-time Scottish champions since signing for them on loan on transfer deadline day, was poor in the middle of the park. He regularly slowed the game down for the Gers, which contributed to their defeat.

The supporters were far from happy with his display, and they took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Zungu below

In other news, Stewart Robertson has shared these Gers transfer plans.

Sunderland’s season has been a topsy-turvy affair.

Is that really very surprising? It shouldn’t be if you’re familiar with what’s happened in the last five years.

The Black Cats suffered back to back relegations and try as they might, they can’t seem to get out of League One.

Their ambitions of doing so took another meaty blow this week, too.

On the chalkboard

Ahead of Sunderland’s clash with Fleetwood on Friday evening Phil Parkinson delivered some frustrating news in his pre-match press conference.

Speaking to the north-east media, he confirmed that Lynden Gooch had picked up an ankle injury.

Parkinson said: “He’ll have an injection tomorrow [Friday] which we hope will speed up that recovery, but we are probably looking at between two and four weeks without Lynden.”

The manager continued: “That’s a blow because he has been exceptional for us this season, but we have to take the advice of the specialist and make sure that Lynden is right and he is flying for us when he comes back.”

As the Sunderland boss states, the American has been brilliant for the Black Cats this term, scoring two goals and registering a team-high four assists.

The attacking midfielder has been Sunderland’s most consistent performer in the final third so losing him will be a bitter loss.

The solution?

Who Sunderland see as their Gooch replacement in the next few weeks remains to be seen. There have been hints that Elliott Embleton could make a return and play more regularly but this injury may have just handed a lifeline to someone else on the fringes at the Stadium of Light.

That happens to be Aiden McGeady.

Parkinson’s views on the Irishman are quite clear. He transfer listed the winger last season and banished him from the senior squad. With that in mind, it looked as though he’d played his final game for the Mackems.

However, McGeady started for the U23s at the beginning of last week and could well make a first-team return in the future.

Parkinson seemed more positive about the 34-year-old’s chances when questioned about his surprise outing this week, stating: “He came back [this season] with a couple of niggly problems, he has had an injection in his knee which then needed rest, and then we have put together a programme for him similar to the one the lads did in pre-season to get him up to speed.

“I’ve just said to Aiden ‘let’s get you fit, then we’ll sit down and assess everything’, because until he is fit and flying, there’s no discussion to be had really.”

Therefore, for McGeady to even be considered before Gooch comes back he’ll need to get fit.

Playing 60 odd minutes was a good start and if he does prove his sharpness, there is no question he has to be picked. After all, this is someone with unquestionable ability, someone previously described by Neil Lennon as a “mercurial talent.”

It would be a shame to waste him.

In other news, Sunderland could soon discover their NEW Didier Ndong…

Celtic could be slipping into extremely hot water following recent comments from star player Odsonne Edouard. The French striker has been out of action recently due to a positive coronavirus test and it has definitely shown in their performances of late.

The Hoops have struggled since their defeat to Rangers in the Old Firm at Celtic Park and Neil Lennon has come under a lot of scrutiny.

Things could be about to go from bad to worse, with Edouard now discussing a potential move away from the Premiership champions.

Celtic could lose Edouard

Many clubs have been linked to a move for the 22-year-old, who has firmly said that he is currently focusing on this season with Celtic. However, that isn’t to say his future lies with the Scottish outfit.

“I’ve been here for three years, and for sure when the time comes I’ll think about leaving, look for a higher league,” Edouard told Telefoot (via Daily Record). He went on to say that “when the right time comes” he will consider his options regarding a move away from Celtic Park.

This will certainly be a worrying thought for Lennon, who already has a lot on his plate. If Edouard opts to leave the club after this season, the Hoops will need to put their back into scouting out a worthy replacement. The France international already has five goalscoring contributions in seven league appearances this season, continuing his fiery form from last time out.

Last campaign, Edouard notched an astonishing 21 goals and 12 assists in 27 Premiership games (via Transfermarkt). It’s no wonder he has turned heads with these numbers and if Celtic cannot rectify their form this term, the in-form forward may be too tempted to look elsewhere for success.

Whilst the Premiership is dominated by the Hoops, this time they could fall short to Steven Gerrard’s Rangers. Should they lose out on the title to their arch rivals, that could be the deal-breaker to send Edouard into the arms of another club.

If Lennon cannot improve the club’s form, a new deal must be considered. At the moment, the striker is earning £19,000 per week, according to salarysport.com. A bumper new contract with a pay rise could be enough to keep Edouard in the team, but Lennon and co must act fast before an elite side comes knocking.

In other news, Albian Ajeti was a disappointment for Celtic in another Neil Lennon switch up…

It is no secret that Glasgow Rangers are looking to sign a midfielder this transfer window and this has seen them heavily linked with Preston North End player Daniel Johnson.

Negotiations between the two sides are nowhere near completed yet, but it looks like the Gers finally know the sort of fee they will have to pay following the latest news.

According to Football Insider, Championship side Preston want £4million for Johnson. The Glasgow giants have only submitted a £2 million offer for the 27 year-old, so we will have to see if they match the price-tag.

The 27-year-old has a decent goal contribution record as a midfielder as he has scored 65 goals and provided 43 assists in 321 career appearances, per Transfermarkt, and any club would like to have such a creative midfielder. He recorded 12 goals and seven assists in the Championship last season, managing on average 1.4 key passes, 1.3 shots and 1.7 tackles per game, via WhoScored.

These figures suggest that he would be a very good signing for the ‘Gers if they pull it off and it would give Steven Gerrard an injection of talent as well as some much-needed squad depth in midfield.

Hopefully the ‘Gers look to finalise this deal sooner rather than later, even at the price of £4 million, as he definitely looks to have the quality to succeed and with his age, he can definitely have an impact at the Scottish side for many seasons to come.

Glasgow Rangers fans, what are your thoughts on this news? Comment below!