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Southampton are a club lauded for their smart recruitment, yet over the summer they competed in a transfer saga that dominated their business.

Despite going on to purchase plenty more players, all of whom were more understated younger talents, they seemed fixated on bringing Takumi Minamino to St Mary’s on a permanent deal.

Having impressed for Liverpool during his intermittent spell last season, with his goals instrumental in their FA Cup and League cup successes. He scored three in the former competition, and four in the latter.

However, he had spent half of the season before that on loan at the Saints, where he managed just two goals.

If this wasn’t reason enough to go for his permanent signature, his form since moving to AS Monaco should be proof enough that they got away with one.

The French giants snuck in to steal the signing from under their noses in a deal worth £15.5m.

With hindsight, fans on the south coast can thank their lucky stars. With just three goal contributions across his first 12 games for the club, he has hardly set his new surroundings alight.

In fact, his performances have already seen him rated as the worst Ligue 1 signing of the summer.

The French publication Le Quotidien Du Sport wrote a rather damning report on his start to life, labelling him “too frail” and “struggling” with the intensity of the league.

If he cannot compete with the intensity in Ligue 1, there is no chance he would have been a success had Southampton taken the plunge to sign him.

Martin Semmens was clearly a big fan of his, as was Ralph Hasenhuttl, yet they will both be relieved to have dodged this transfer blunder.

Their side, following a solid 1-0 win over AFC Bournemouth, are now looking up as they have crawled from the relegation zone to 14th.

It can be said that had they spent all that money on Minamino, they would not have been able to bring in some of the other names currently bringing them joy.

This transfer would have been an all-around disaster for the club and they can count themselves lucky that he does not play for them.

Sheffield Wednesday trio Jack Hunt, Dominic Iorfa and Mallik Wilks could all start against Leicester City Under-21s, according to journalist Dom Howson.

The Lowdown: Sheff Wed in cup action

The Owls have a brief respite from League One commitments on Tuesday night, as they host the young Foxes in an EFL Trophy clash at Hillsborough.

In truth, even Darren Moore would admit that this competition certainly doesn’t take precedence this season, although a win still isn’t to be sniffed at.

While numerous changes are expected to the starting lineup, it could be that Moore’s team is stronger than some expect.

The Latest: Trio could all start

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Yorkshire Live‘s Howson claimed that key trio Hunt, Iorfa and Wilks could all feature prominently against Leicester:

“There is a strong chance Jack Hunt, Dominic Iorfa and Mallik Wilks will be involved in Sheffield Wednesday’s Papa John’s Trophy dead rubber with Leicester City’s Under-21s tomorrow night.”

The Verdict: Needlessly strong?

This is an intriguing update from Howson, considering the EFL Trophy feels more like a competition to give youngsters playing time in, rather than risk senior figures.

An injury to an important player at Hillsborough would likely cause much frustration among the fanbase when they could instead have been at home recharging the batteries.

That being said, Wednesday do arguably have the biggest squad in League One and Moore will want to retain match fitness in his players, so Hunt, Iorfa and Wilks could all benefit from the minutes, retaining sharpness ahead of the bigger matches to come.

Aston Villa have finalised the terms to bring in Unai Emery as their new manager, swiftly replacing the recently dismissed Steven Gerrard with a coach with proven European pedigree.

As a huge statement of intent, quickly getting the Villa fans onside will be instrumental in the 50-year-old’s continued success during his second stint in England.

One way that he could become an instant crowd favourite is by somehow managing to reignite the career of Philippe Coutinho, who this season has been one of the most disappointing players of an  underperforming squad under Gerrard.

Having impressed on loan last season, it seemed like the smart move to spend £17m to bring him in permanently, especially after he had scored four goals and set up another three in his first eight matches upon returning to the Premier League.

However, the signs were there that he might not hit the ground running once moving permanently. He had scored just once in their last 11 games of the season and has continued this dismal form into the new campaign.

In his 11 league games so far this term, he is yet to score or set up a goal at all, and what seemed like a bargain at first has quickly devolved into a financial nightmare.

However, with the arrival of Emery, he could be the man to change things around for Coutinho.

Perhaps the Spaniard could instil a new lease of life into the £125k-per-week star, giving him similar treatment to that which spurred on Arnaut Danjuma to score 16 goals and set up four last season for his Villarreal side.

Coutinho boasts a “magic” that few others in the league do, as Melissa Reddy claims, so to unearth it once more would be instrumental in Emery becoming an instant success at Villa Park.

Due to the 50-year-old’s reliance on defensive solidity, he might look to this renegade talent to produce individual moments of skill before he can properly implement his style and patterns of play.

It was only last season that Coutinho seemed set to dominate the Premier League once more, so his talents are not far away from being tapped into.

Emery must do all that he can to ensure that this happens if he is to become an instant fan favourite at Villa Park.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in signing Enzo Le Fee ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, the Magpies are one of a number of clubs eyeing up the central midfielder as they consider potential options to bolster their squad at the start of 2023.

The report claims that fellow Premier League side Leicester City are looking at a possible swoop for the gem to replace outbound Youri Tielemans, who is set to leave on a free transfer next summer.

It is stated that Lorient want to tie Le Fee down to a new contract as his current deal is due to expire in the summer of 2024, but West Ham, the Foxes, and Newcastle are all hoping to convince him to make the switch to England instead.

Joe Willock upgrade

Dan Ashworth could land Eddie Howe an upgrade on the former Arsenal central midfielder by securing a deal to sign the French maestro in January.

Willock has enjoyed a solid season in the Premier League so far. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.82 across 13 appearances in the top-flight but Le Fee has been more than solid as he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.31 in 13 Ligue 1 outings.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig previously named him as one of Lorient’s “golden” midfielders and once likened him to Wolves midfielder Joao Moutinho, while listing his strengths as; pace, passing, vision, technique, ball control, work rate.

He has been more impressive than the Newcastle man from a defensive perspective. Le Fee has made 4.6 tackles and interceptions, whilst winning 51% of his duels, per game this season, whilst Willock has made 1.5 tackles and interceptions and won 42% of his battles.

On the ball, the 22-year-old French machine has created six ‘big chances’ for his teammates and provided 2.9 key passes per game for Lorient – chipping in with two goals along the way.

Willock, meanwhile, has averaged 1.0 key passes and created four ‘big chances’ for Newcastle, whilst failing to score a single goal in 13 appearances.

These statistics suggest that Le Fee, who is one year younger than the Englishman, would be a big upgrade on the 23-year-old for the Magpies. He could offer far more than the ex-Gunner both in terms of the quality he can provide at the top end of the pitch and out of possession, creating opportunities for his teammates and winning the ball back consistently.

Wolves have been boosted by the news that Matheus Nunes is expected to return to action soon after his injury scare this weekend.

The Lowdown: Nunes suffers injury

Nunes arrived as an exciting summer signing for Wanderers, making the switch from Sporting CP to add more quality to their midfield.

After a good start to life at Molineux, which has seen the 24-year-old make 11 starts in the Premier League, he suffered a shoulder injury against Brentford last weekend.

While there was concern surrounding the length of Nunes’ absence, some positive news has now emerged.

The Latest: Return expected to be swift

According to A Bola [via Sport Witness], the Portuguese maestro’s fitness setback is not a remotely serious one and he is expected to be back in action very soon, potentially even at home to Brighton on Saturday.

It also means Nunes won’t miss the World Cup for Portugal, which would clearly have been a huge worry for him personally.

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The Verdict: Big boost for Wanderers

This is a massive boost for both Wolves and Nunes himself, with the midfielder already proving to be such a key performer this season, averaging two tackles per game in the Premier League and ranking highly amongst the squad in terms of dribbles, chance creation and pass completion.

[freshpress-poll id=“399044″]

If he is back for the Brighton game it will be an added bonus – not many would have expected that to be the case as shoulder issues can be very problematic – and enhance their hopes of a positive result.

There are now three matches remaining for Wolves before the World Cup break, meaning Nunes should be back in peak condition by the time the competition starts.

Nottingham Forest journalist Paul Taylor has reacted to the ‘pre-match tension’ before the Reds’ Premier League game against Brentford on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Tempers flare in the warm-up

The Garibaldi played out a 2-2 draw against Thomas Frank’s side at the City Ground over the weekend, although tempers flared on the field before the ball had even been kicked.

The Bees’ goalkeeping coach Manu Sotelo was conducting drills with his team’s shot-stoppers in the penalty area and was unexpectedly approached by a club groundsman.

Frank admitted during his post-match interview that he was ‘surprised’ by the incident and that his staff member had suffered an injury as a result of the altercation.

The Latest: Taylor’s reaction

Taking to Twitter, Taylor reacted to that flashpoint and revealed Forest’s stance on the situation.

He wrote: “This was all a bit odd… #NFFC are adamant that no Forest staff were at fault here. But there was a bit of pre-match tension at the CG today.”

The Verdict: Unnecessary distraction

Forest have already launched an official investigation into the incident and are awaiting referee Andre Marriner’s report, but it’s important that Steve Cooper’s side address their on-field issues rather than getting distracted by such flashpoints.

The Reds are currently bottom of the table after recording just two wins from their opening 14 games and are the division’s second-lowest scoring team (Premier League).

Nonetheless, they only require one win to get out of the relegation zone as things stand, and with Crystal Palace the visitors to the City Ground for their final game before the World Cup break, this could be the perfect opportunity for Forest to capitalise.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to open talks with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg over a potential new contract. 

The Lowdown: Spurs’ recent contract extensions

The north London club have seen the likes of Son Heung-min, Hugo Lloris and Ben Davies all sign contract extensions with the Lilywhites over the past 18 months.

The club have also been reportedly looking to get Antonio Conte to pledge his future to Spurs by offering him a new deal. Now though, it appears that another player could be in line to get a new and improved contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Latest: An improved deal for Hojbjerg

According to a recent report from Football Insider, Hojbjerg is set to be offered a pay hike as well as an extension to his current deal, which is set to expire in 2025.

The report also adds that the club are keen to tie the midfielder down to as Conte sees him as an important figure for his side.

The Verdict: A positive move for Spurs

Since joining the north London club from Southampton back in 2020, the 27-year-old, who has been described as a “colossus” for Conte’s side by journalist Andrew Gaffney, has made 122 appearances for Spurs across all competitions.

Across those appearances, the Danish international, who Gaffney also praised for his “sensational” performances for Spurs, has chipped in with nine goals and 13 assists.

This season has seen the £100k-per-week midfielder appear in all but one of Spurs’ games this season across all competitions, completing the full 90 minutes in the majority of them, which highlights just how vital he is for Conte.

With an overall performance rating of 7.07/10 from WhoScored, only three other Tottenham players have a higher rating than him, further showcasing how impressive the player has been for his side in the league this season.

Taking all of this into account, it’s easy to see why the club are looking to secure a contract extension for the former Southampton star.

Leeds United head into the break for the Qatar World Cup with something of a mixed bag of results behind them this season, with Jesse Marsch’s side currently sitting 15th in the Premier League table on 15 points – having won four, drawn three and lost seven of their 14 top-flight fixtures in the current campaign.

However, while these returns on paper do not appear all that impressive, it is undeniable that things have picked up for the Whites in recent weeks, with Marsch leading his side to a spectacular 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield, a 4-3 comeback victory over Bournemouth at Elland Road and a narrow but thrilling 4-3 loss to Tottenham Hotspur over their last three league outings.

Nevertheless, it is certain that the 48-year-old American will be using the World Cup break to plan for the upcoming transfer window and to work on Leeds’ tactical set-up in a bid to give his side the best possible chance of avoiding another fight for survival come the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

And, while Marsch works on things at Thorp Arch, why not tuck into a bit of extracurricular work of your own by taking the Football FanCast Leeds World Cup transfer quiz? We bet you can’t get 100%…

Leeds United are interested in signing Brazil and Flamengo striker Pedro in the January transfer window, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Pedro in Brazil’s squad

The 25-year-old is currently part of Brazil’s star-studded squad at the 2022 World Cup, in the hope of become a world champion in the next three weeks.

Pedro is yet to play a minute of action in Qatar, though, with the Flamengo marksman finding it tough to jump ahead of the likes of Richarlison and Gabriel Jesus in Tite’s pecking order.

It could be that a move to the Premier League develops in January, which is where Leeds come into play.

The Latest: Leeds keen on Pedro

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs claimed that the Whites could look to make a move for Pedro after the World Cup, with the club’s interest seemingly dating back to when Marcelo Bielsa was in charge.

The reporter stated:

“He’s a player that Leeds have been monitoring, even before Jesse Marsch came in, Bielsa really liked him too. At the point when Bielsa was tracking him, Pedro didn’t want to leave and thought that it was not the right move to go to a Premier League club.

“He wanted consistency where he was at. Now he’s found that form and he’s broken through into the international setup, as well.

“He’s scoring goals with regularity and it’d be interesting to see whether Leeds try and get ahead of the game here and if off the back of a World Cup, where he may or may not feature significantly, they choose to escalate that deal.”

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The Verdict: Could be ideal for Leeds

While Pedro may be struggling to make his mark in Qatar, there is still no doubting his ability, having scored 11 goals in 12 starts in the Brazilian Serie A this season.

Furthermore, he has netted an incredible nine times in only six Copa Libertadores starts, further highlighting what an exciting signing he could be for Leeds if they can land him.

A new marquee striker could be ideal for Jesse Marsch, with Patrick Bamford injury-prone and arguably not quite the player he was back in 2020/21, and Joe Gelhardt still learning his trade at the age of 20.

Everton have suffered yet another injury setback over centre-back Yerry Mina, with the Colombian set to spend upwards of three weeks on the treatment table.

The Lowdown: Injury strikes again

Since signing for Everton in the summer of 2018, arriving from Barcelona, Mina has missed at least a few games each season due to injury woes.

Although, this time – at age 28 – the Colombian international has missed more games than ever before across the last two seasons.

Mina suffered an ankle ligament injury on the opening day of the season and upon Everton’s mini pre-season across the World Cup’s international break, the Colombian suffered a hamstring injury and will need to undergo a scan as a result.

It’s another setback for the star who has already missed 15 games this season.

The Latest: Dinnery dishes out disaster-class

Injury expert Ben Dinnery believes that Mina will endure yet another spell on the sidelines for a minimum of two weeks, though his recovery time could be extended.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Dinnery said: “It’s a difficult one because, with any hamstring injury, we’re looking at two or three weeks at least.

“Certainly, with Yerry Mina, it may be one that you’re just looking at and thinking is that going to stretch even beyond that?

“It’s just unfortunate that this is the latest setback and, undoubtedly, it will impact on the remainder of his season.”

The Verdict: A gutting blow

At 28-years-old, in and around his prime years, the opposite seems to be occurring for Everton’s £29m star.
Over the last two seasons, the ex-Barca defender has missed 32 games and counting for Everton.
With his contract expiring next summer, his prospects towards earning a new deal at Goodison Park are looking slim, with the star no longer a reliable feature in the squad.
The latest setback is cruel and could be detrimental to his Everton career.
It’s a gutting blow for both parties with Everton needing all of their reinforcements amidst their relegation dog fight.