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Wolves midfielder Leander Dendoncker is reportedly subject to interest from Serie A side Lazio ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via Inside Futbol), the Rome-based outfit are looking to attempt a fresh swoop for the 27-year-old after a failed attempt last summer.

The Italian club could lose midfielders Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Lucas Leiva in the upcoming window and are therefore identifying potential replacements, with the Belgian reportedly on their wish list.

Dendoncker’s contract at Molineux expires in 2023 and could be available for a cut-price fee this summer if a contract extension cannot be agreed upon.

Wolves must keep hold of Dendoncker

Like Lazio, Wolves could see two key midfielders depart this summer in Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho and cannot afford to let a third depart.

Neves has been subject to interest from an array of clubs, including Arsenal, whilst Moutinho’s contract is set to expire in June.

Dendoncker has had to work hard to prove himself to Bruno Lage this term, with the Belgian starting just one of the West Midlands club’s first seven Premier League matches of the season.

However, since then the 27-year-old has gone on to start a further 15 matches in the top flight with Wolves still in the hunt for European qualification.

According to SofaScore, the versatile midfielder has completed 86% of his passes in the league this campaign whilst averaging 1.2 tackles, 1.2 clearances and 0.3 interceptions per game.

Although the Belgian’s average match rating of 6.81 is bettered by three other Wolves midfielders Neves (7.2), Luke Cundle (7.1) and Moutinho (7.04), it’s vital that Lage holds onto at least some of his current midfield options as opposed to the risk of having to reinvent his entire team’s core.

The £75k-per-week midfielder scored his sole goal of the campaign in Wolves’ vital 2-0 win away at Tottenham in February and was subject to praise from defender Max Kilman, who said: “He’s brilliant, nothing phases him. He knows his task and he doesn’t feel the pressure.”

Following an initial loan move from Anderlecht in 2018 that became permanent the following summer, Dendoncker has been a kingpin during Wolves’ current streak in the Premier League, having joined ahead of the club’s first season back in the top flight after six years away.

In that time the midfielder has made 149 appearances, making the prospect of a departure an upsetting concept for the Molineux faithful. Lage must not make that mistake this summer.

AND in other news: “My understanding…”: Wolves receive huge injury boost that could aid bid for Europe

After back-to-back league defeats, Nuno Santo and his Tottenham Hotspur side will be looking forward to the chance of competing in a different competition this week as their Carabao Cup campaign gets underway.

The Portuguese is returning to his old stomping ground for the second time in the space of a month as the Lilywhites face Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux tonight.

Spurs won that encounter 1-0 and they will be aiming to go one better in the tournament this time around, having been defeated by Manchester City in the final back in late April.

But with games coming thick and fast before the second international break of the 2021/22 campaign, Nuno has plenty to consider with his team selection.

He’s also dealing with several injury concerns, so here’s the lineup Football FanCast are predicting this evening…

The 47-year-old, who enjoyed a successful three seasons at Wolves, will definitely be without the services of wide trio Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn and Ryan Sessegnon.

It leaves Nuno short on options in attack.

Both Harry Kane and Heung-min Son are expected to keep their place, whilst Giovani Lo Celso may be preferred to summer signing Bryan Gil on the right as the young Spaniard continues to adapt to life in England.

Another two names from Sunday’s defeat to Chelsea could also remain in the starting XI, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Tanguy Ndombele partnering returning academy gem Oliver Skipp in the engine room.

Dele Alli, valued at £27m, is axed to make way for the midfield change.

There could be changes aplenty at the back, however, as Nuno looks to shake things up to keep his side fresh for this weekend’s north London derby.

As a result, we’re expecting Davinson Sanchez to get his first start since returning from international duty. He had started their first three league games before missing the Crystal Palace loss due to quarantine.

Next to him could be Joe Rodon, meaning both Eric Dier and Cristian Romero are rested with Sunday afternoon in mind.

Both full-backs may also change, with Ben Davies replacing Sergio Reguilon on the left and Japhet Tanganga making his comeback from suspension, in the place of £22.5m-rated summer signing Emerson Royal.

Finally, between the sticks, club captain Hugo Lloris is likely to make way for Pierluigi Gollini as the Atalanta loanee appears to be the cup ‘keeper for Nuno this term.

In total, there could be as many as six changes from Sunday’s disappointing result.

AND in other news, Nuno must unleash “really special” 6 ft Spurs beast tonight, he can haunt Wolves again…

An update has emerged on VVV-Venlo striker Georgios Giakoumakis, regarding Celtic’s pursuit of the forward.

What’s the talk?

According to The Daily Record, Celtic have agreed a £2.1m (€2.5m) fee with Dutch side VVV-Venlo for the transfer of centre-forward Georgios Giakoumakis.

The report claims that the Greek striker will now discuss personal terms with the club, having travelled to Germany to speak with Werder Bremen earlier on Wednesday.

Ange will be buzzing

Ange Postecoglou will be buzzing with this news as it means that Celtic are closing in on an exciting signing. Agreeing the fee with Venlo is a huge step towards bringing him to the club, but they now need to convince him that a transfer to Scotland is more beneficial to him at this point in his career than playing in the second division in Germany with Bremen.

The Greek international scored 26 times in 30 games for Venlo in the Eredivisie, averaging a stunning WhoScored rating of 7.30. He also won an impressive four aerial battles per game and provided one key pass every other match, showing that he had more to his game than just goals.

This means that Celtic could be getting a player who is able to score goals consistently and hold the ball up to link the play throughout matches. Postecoglou would surely love to have a player with these qualities as the old adage states – goals win you games, Giakoumakis produces them like a machine.

Football Oranje founder and editor Michael Bell labeled him as ‘deadly’ and said that he would be a shrewd buy for the Hoops. He told 67HailHail:

“Giakoumakis is a presence up front who is good in the air but also has a strong right foot. He is a handful for the backline and is always full of running. Giakoumakis took a lot of shots for VVV last season and scored a varied range of goals. He is a great penalty taker and deadly from close range.

“However, this is all based on one season for VVV, who relied fully on the Greek forward and built their side around him.

“The big question mark around him is whether he can do it for a side challenging at the top of the table.

“To be honest I am surprised that he hasn’t been snapped up yet. Feyenoord were linked for a while but that seems to have gone cold. I think he would be a good signing for Celtic or Werder [Bremen].”

Therefore, the 6ft 1 goal machine could be an excellent addition to Postecoglou’s squad, if he is able to make the transition from scoring goals in the Netherlands to doing it in Scotland. For a price of £2.1m, it is worth the gamble for the Hoops.

AND in other news, 100% duels lost: Celtic disaster who made just 3 passes embarrassed Ange vs AZ…

According to a report by 90min, Jesse Lingard made it clear to Manchester United that he didn’t want to return to West Ham United amid a prospective late push by the Irons to sign him this summer. 

The Lowdown: Hammers return never materialised 

Lingard spent the second half of last season on loan with David Moyes’ side, notching nine goals in 16 games to help the club qualify for Europe for the first time since 2016. 

It was rumoured throughout the summer that Lingard would be brought to the London Stadium again – either on a permanent deal or a loan – but it never materialised and West Ham spent their money elsewhere on Kurt Zouma and Nikola Vlasic. 

The 28-year-old has only appeared for four minutes for Manchester United this season, with the likes of Bruno Fernandes ahead of him in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad.  

The Latest: Lingard to fight for Manchester United place 

The report by 90min states that Lingard ‘communicated to joint chairman David Sullivan personally’ that his preference was to remain with Manchester United rather than try his luck with West Ham again. 

His inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for their triple header over the international break against Hungary, Andorra and Poland gives him a chance to show his worth to Solskjaer ahead of the next four months before the winter transfer window, with an inside source claiming that Lingard will reassess his situation then. 

Solskjaer has confirmed that the midfielder will be used and could play an important role for the Red Devils, but with less than 12 months on his contract at Old Trafford, the player’s options will remain open in January. 

The Verdict: Let’s hope Lingard doesn’t regret it

Lingard is Manchester United through and through. He is best friends with one of the Red Devils’ key players in Marcus Rashford and was one of their most influential players only a few years ago, being labelled as ‘unique’ by the club’s current coach Michael Carrick in 2018.

He would have been disappointed with missing out on the European Championship in the summer and maybe a move to West Ham would have put him in good stead to make England’s World Cup squad in 2022.

For now, though, the playmaker must take his chance when it comes to him at Old Trafford and hope that his decision to reject the Hammers is the right one in the long run. 

In other news, West Ham remain keen for ‘extraordinary’ player after missing out on him in the summer transfer window, find out more here.

Marcelo Bielsa is weighing up the idea of using Raphinha in a number 10 role for Leeds United moving forward, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Raphinha shines for Leeds

The Brazilian has been a superb signing for the Whites, joining from Rennes last year and scoring nine goals in 38 appearances to date.

Raphinha has generally shone as a right winger, cutting inside onto his deadly left foot and wreaking havoc with his dribbling quality.

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The Latest: Number 10 role mooted

It could be that Bielsa looks into using the 24-year-old in a more central number 10 position, however. Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic on Saturday following Leeds’ 1-0 win at home to Watford, Hay outlined the possibility of Raphinha’s role changing.

When asked by a supporter if Bielsa would try Raphinha in a role behind the centre-forward, the journalist replied:

“I’m told that they have been discussing the possibility of Raphinha as a 10 but it’s not something Bielsa wants to rush into without working on. I can see aspects of Raphinha which would suit 10 although a Bielsa 10 needs to do a lot of defensive work too.”

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The Verdict: Interesting move by Bielsa

It would be an ultra-attacking move to play Raphinha as a number 10, allowing both Jack Harrison and Dan James to start out wide, forming a speedy three-pronged attack behind Patrick Bamford or Rodrigo.

As Hay hinted, though, the Brazil international would need to produce a strong work ethic to thrive in that position, with Bielsa simply not accepting a luxury player there.

It still feels like Raphinha is best out wide – he has registered nine assists for Leeds – but it would be intriguing to see how he fares more centrally if the manager considers redeploying him.

In other news, one Leeds transfer target has a £10million release clause in his contract. Read more here.

Southampton have been linked with a move for Nathaniel Phillips recently and the Liverpool ace could be the ideal man to replace Jannik Vestergaard in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, should the Denmark international complete a move away from St Mary’s this summer.

What’s the word?

According to James Pearce of The Athletic, Liverpool are willing to sell Phillips for between £12-15m this summer, and Southampton, Burnley, Brighton and Newcastle United have all been in contact with the Merseyside outfit about a potential deal for the centre-back.

Considering Vestergaard has reportedly expressed his desire for a new challenge amid interest from Leicester City, it seems likely that the Saints will cash in on the Danish defender this summer, rather than potentially losing him for nothing at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

Therefore, a new centre-back signing will likely be necessary to replace the former Borussia Monchengladbach man this summer, and Phillips could be an excellent addition to Hasenhuttl’s squad.

Would Phillips be a good signing for Southampton?

Despite being on the brink of a Liverpool exit in the summer of 2020, Phillips established himself as an important player in Jurgen Klopp’s side last season as they turned their campaign around to secure Champions League football.

The Anfield outfit were left without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip for much of the season, which paved the way for Phillips to become a regular starter, and he made 17 Premier League appearances in total, averaging a very impressive 7.29 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

However, with Liverpool’s centre-back trio now back fit ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, and Ibrahima Konate having also joined from RB Leipzig, it seems unlikely that the 24-year-old will feature as much for the Reds next season, so an exit could well be on the cards.

After he made his Premier League debut in a 2-1 win against West Ham, Klopp labelled Phillips a “monster” due to his impressive aerial ability.

Last season saw the defender average a superb 5.6 aerials won per game, which suggests that he would be a more than adequate replacement for Vestergaard, who despite his height, managed just 3.3 aerials won per game in the Premier League last season.

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Therefore, Hasenhuttl should definitely look towards the £7.2m-rated Liverpool man this summer if Vestergaard does complete a move away from St Mary’s.

And, in other news… Imagine him and JWP: Semmens should swoop for Euro 2020 star

Nathan Patterson may be open to leaving Rangers and joining Everton as he struggles to dislodge James Tavernier. 

That’s according to BBC Radio pundit Noel Whelan, who was speaking to Football Insider.

The lowdown

Patterson has been limited to just two starts in Rangers’ first 20 Premiership matches this season, with Tavernier selected for the other 18. Indeed, more than a quarter of his total game-time so far in 2021/22 has come in the Scottish League Cup.

The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell has written that ‘figuring out how to use Nathan Patterson’ is one of the key challenges facing Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Ibrox. The youngster has started just two of the Dutchman’s nine matches in charge so far.

Everton made two attempts to sign the 20-year-old last summer and are expected to renew their pursuit when the January transfer window opens next week (via The Guardian).

The latest

Whelan reckons that Patterson could succeed 33-year-old Seamus Coleman at Goodison Park or even slot in at left-back after Lucas Digne reportedly fell out with Rafael Benitez.

The former Aberdeen striker added that, while the youngster has looked a ‘top talent’, the presence of Tavernier limits his prospects at Rangers.

Whelan told Football Insider: “Obviously we know that Seamus Coleman isn’t getting any younger in that right-back spot. There’s also an opportunity for him on the left with the Lucas Digne situation, he could fill in there.

“He’s played there for Rangers recently. Even though he’s a top talent, it’s bound to be hard to get in the side ahead of the skipper, James Tavernier.

“We’ve seen him really impress for Scotland as well and he’s shown he can be a brilliant attacking talent as well on international duty. From what I know, he’s got a lot of potential.”

The verdict

You can see why Van Bronckhorst may be reluctant to leave Tavernier on the bench or alter his position. The skipper has recorded more goal involvements (14) than anybody else in the Gers squad from his right-back berth.

Indeed, if you go by WhoScored metrics, he has been Rangers’ highest-performing player this season, averaging a rating of 7.79/10.

Intriguingly, Van Bronckhorst managed to fit both players into the team against Dundee United recently by selecting Patterson on the left. Perhaps he’ll need to do that more often in the interests of the youngster’s development and indeed his transfer value.

In other news, many Rangers fans gushed over this Allan McGregor claim

After scoring 46 goals in 100 appearances for Southampton across all competitions, striker Danny Ings left St. Mary’s during the previous summer transfer window for a move to fellow Premier League club Aston Villa. Since then, he has netted three goals in their opening eight league games of the season.

As a result of his departure, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have only managed to score six goals in the same number of matches, leaving them in 15th place in the league table with just seven points on the board.

Despite their struggles in front of goal so far this season without Ings in their squad, it seems that Southampton could well have the next version of the clinical attacker in their youth squad with young attacker Dominic Ballard.

As a product of Southampton’s youth academy, Ballard has made ten appearances for the U18 side in which he has managed to bag five goals and provide one assist in the process.

Ballard has also made five appearances for Southampton’s B team, managing one goal for his efforts.

The teenager started playing in the U18 side this term where he found the net on three occasions in their four opening league games of the season before being included in the B team where he’s scored once in three outings, taking his total goal tally this season to four, showing that he has the ability to show off his goalscoring prowess at both youth levels.

Even though Ballard has not yet made his senior debut for the Saints despite clearly being a big talent, we feel that he could well go on to be a regular first-team player for Southampton in the future if he continues beating the goalkeeper on a regular basis and developing his game beyond that.

If he does, then the youngster could well go on to save Southampton millions in potentially having to sign a new striker as a long-term replacement for Ings. By doing so, he’d be next in an eye-catching list of current senior Southampton players who have worked their way through the youth academy including James Ward-Prowse, Jack Stephens, Theo Walcott and Nathan Tella among others.

In other news: Saints handed huge injury boost ahead of Burnley, Ralph now has a big decision to make – opinion

West Ham United suffered a huge blow in their hopes of finishing in the top four after Brentford eased to a 2-0 victory in Sunday’s clash in west London.

The Hammers disappointingly fell to a resurging Bees outfit after goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney dealt David Moyes’ dreams of Champions League football a major setback.

The Irons remain sixth in the table, with Manchester United poised to climb above them if they can secure a point against a struggling Norwich City side next weekend.

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The Transfer Tavern have now used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst performers (to have played at least 60 minutes) were for the visitors on the day. Could any of these players be worried about their places in the starting XI going forward?

Craig Dawson – 6.4/10

Three players all came out with the same 6.4 rating, although Manuel Lanzini has been omitted as he was given less than 60 minutes worth of game time.

As such, Dawson takes third place. The centre-back struggled on the ball, having lost possession 15 times. Out of 12 long balls he played, only two were successful, and he failed to record any key passes, shots or dribbles throughout the match.

Jarrod Bowen – 6.4/10

Despite having an excellent season so far, Bowen also received a 6.4 rating on Sunday.

The winger failed to make an impact on the match, having had just 22 touches of the ball, proceeding to lose possession eight times against the Bees.

The 25-year-old did not take a single shot all afternoon, also failing in the final third in his attempt to pull off a single successful dribble.

Michail Antonio – 6.3/10

Antonio was ranked as West Ham’s worst starter against Brentford, being given a 6.3 rating.

The striker failed to take a single shot throughout the match, adding to his ongoing drought which now stands at 12 league games without a goal.

The 32-year-old struggled to provide an attacking outlet for the Hammers, failing to succeed in either of his two dribble attempts. Having touched the ball on 26 occasions, Antonio lost possession 10 times, capping a poor display for the Irons’ only senior striker.

In other news: This West Ham trio came in for criticism v Brentford

Of recent, Manchester United are known to take an age when pondering important decisions.

Though, with Ralf Rangnick’s interim managerial contract expiring in late June, the Red Devils have a chance to act fast and appoint a manager who could oversee their summer rebuild.

What’s the word?

For those who want to see 52-year-old ten Hag takeover the United helm next season, the latest reports will be very much welcomed.

According to Fabrizio Romano, who spoke on his YouTube channel:

“He would be super happy to be the new Manchester United manager. The feeling was positive even on Erik ten Hag’s side during the meeting with Man United.

“He wanted to know budget, potential signings and how they would back him in the market. This is a key point.”

Fabrizio also addressed the logistics behind the potential deal.

“A key point, on compensation, from what I’m told on Man United’s side they don’t see a problem for compensation. They are ready to pay what is right to Ajax.

“The conversation between the club has always been good. The relationship is fantastic due to Edwin van der Sar.”

Great news for Man United

The latest reports from super-journalist Fabrizio Romano will please the alleged 87.9% of United fans who want ten Hag to take over as manager next season.

Although it is worth noting that whilst these discussions between Erik and the Old Trafford side are positive, nothing is guaranteed until the agreements have been made and the contract has been signed.

Though, the discussion of details in this depth does mean that talks are moving in the right direction, with ten Hag showing his eagerness and commitment to the cause by wanting to understand more on the intricacies around how the club is run and the type of resources that he will be equipped with.

As Romano points out here, the relationship between Manchester United and Ajax is strong.

With their shared link with van der Sar, who is the CEO of the Amsterdam outfit, the Red Devils are in the best decision to appoint the Dutchman who worked with Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich.

The Red Devils should act as fast as possible with ten Hag, who can then begin the rebuild process at the club.

All in all, the news that compensation won’t be a problem is particularly good news for the club. They appear to be a step further towards appointing him which given his winning mentality, securing several major honours in his homeland, he’d be a wise hire.

In other news – Man Utd now plot bid to sign £31.5m dynamo, he’s ever better than Rashford – opinion