Rob McElhenney has explained why there is a collection of Wrexham grass on his office wall, and why he is not finished with that display yet.
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Roberto Firmino ended a goal drought that began in August when he found the net in Al-Ahli's Saudi Pro League defeat to Al-Akhdoud.
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Ryan Reynolds described Wrexham's new introduction at the Racecourse Ground as akin to a quidditch match after his side's 4-0 rout of Accrington.
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Wolves are showing an interest in signing Vitoria Guimaraes youngster Andre Almeida this summer, according to a fresh transfer rumour which has emerged.
The Old Gold have enjoyed a good season in the Premier League overall, finishing in the top halfo of the table and narrowly missing out on European football.
The important thing now is for Bruno Lage to further improve his squad in order to take them up another level next season, with summer arrivals expected at Molineux.
Midfield could be an area where the manager looks to strengthen, and an intriguing transfer update has emerged in that respect as Wolves line up their first new signing of the summer.
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According to Jornal de Noticias [via Sport Witness], Wolves ‘may advance’ in their efforts to sign Almeida, with an €8m (£6.7m) offer potentially coming his way as a move is ‘being discussed’.
The 21-year-old’s current deal with Vitoria Guimaraes expires at the end of next season, and the Old Gold are hopeful of taking advantage of that situation.
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While Almeida wouldn’t necessarily come to Molineux as a guaranteed starter, he is someone who would add some welcome squad depth in the middle of the park, especially if Ruben Neves leaves this summer amid strong links with Barcelona.
The 21-year-old has made 31 Primeira Liga appearances this season, enjoying an 86.3% pass completion rate, which suggests that he could thrive in Lage’s ball-playing system.
Not only that, but Almeida would be a long-term acquisition who could mature into a formidable player over time. That has been the case with his compatriot Neves, who incidentally has an inferior pass completion rate in the Premier League this term (84.2%) compared to Almeida in Portugal.
If the 25-year-old leaves Molineux, as seems likely, the Old Gold may already be lining up his long-term successor to pull the strings in midfield.
In other news, Wolves have been boosted in their attempts to sign one player. Find out who it is here.
Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has decided to leave Anfield for a new challenge, with Bayern Munch the leading contenders for his signature.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano tweeted to say that Mane has “decided to leave” following the Champions League final and is ready for a new challenge.
“Sadio Mané has decided to leave Liverpool this summer.
“He’s ready for a new experience after many special years with Reds – it will be confirmed to the club.
“FC Bayern are strong contenders – but it’s still open and not completed as Sadio wanted to wait for the final.”
It is set to be confirmed by the club soon with German side Bayern Munich strong contenders to secure his signature. The news comes after the player said he would give an update on his future after Saturday’s final, in which the Reds lost 1-0.
It was reported recently that Bundesliga champions Bayern were in pole position to sign him, with a fee as little as £25.5m stated due to the fact the 30-year-olds contract is running down.
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For Liverpool supporters, this is their worst nightmare come true. Although they knew that one day Mane would depart for pastures new, many won’t have thought it would have come this soon.
He made the move to Merseyside in the summer of 2016 for £34m from Southampton. In many ways he represents the beginning of the Jurgen Klopp revolution that has seen The Reds lift their first ever Premier League title, and appear in three Champions League finals in five years, one of which they won.
His overall record at Anfield is out of this world with 168 direct goal contributions in 269 games. Those are numbers that will be hard for anyone new to repeat, but they’ll have to do all they can to recruit a ready made replacement.
He’s considered one of the greatest in Europe right now, and ranks in the top 5% for goals when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year.
Along with Mohamed Salah he has become key to the success on the pitch and they will find it difficult to replace him. Does this mark the beginning of the end of Klopp’s tenure?
Well with the German recently signing a new deal we think not, but what he’s now tasked with is refreshing the squad whilst ensuring the levels of success don’t drop.
He’ll no doubt go down as a legend for Liverpool, but it seems as though we have seen him wear the famous red shirt for the final time.
AND in other news: Liverpool now eyeing £27m-rated “phenomenon”, could be their perfect Mane replacement…
According to reliable journalist Pete O’Rourke, West Ham could ‘definitely’ make a move for Burnley forward Maxwel Cornet during the upcoming transfer window.
The 25-year-old first made the switch from Ligue 1 to the Premier League when he put pen to paper on a five-year deal with the Clarets last summer, and despite being the Turf Moor outfit’s top goalscorer this season, he was unable to prevent his side from relegation.
According to The Telegraph, David Moyes is considering a deal for the versatile striker in the coming weeks, but could be set to face some serious competition in the race for his signature, with fellow top-flight rivals Everton registering interest in the Ivorian.
The report also states that a £17.5m release clause has been activated due to Burnley dropping into the Championship.
O’Rourke says he can definitely see West Ham attempting to sign Cornet, but feels like there will be multiple clubs chasing his signature. He told GiveMeSport:
“I could definitely see West Ham making a move for Cornet. This relegation release clause makes Cornet very attractive to a number of clubs, not just in the Premier League but probably abroad as well.
“I think Cornet had a good debut season in the Premier League for Burnley; he was one of their better players.”
The 25-cap international, once dubbed a “fantastic” player by former teammate Chris Wood, originally started out playing in the left-back position with former side Lyon, and has racked up game time in a whopping seven different positions during his career.
He proved to be an effective option up top in his first full campaign for the Clarets, scoring nine goals and registering two assists in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.
It’s been reported that Moyes is planning a significant overhaul this summer, with a new striker believed to be very high up on his transfer wish-list to provide backup for Michail Antonio.
As the Scot prepares to revamp his squad ahead of the start of the new season, Cornet might well be the perfect option to bolster his attacking ranks, as his versatility means he will not be wasted on the bench when Antonio is fit and firing.
In other news… a reliable journalist has revealed an interesting conversation he’s had with one of West Ham’s summer transfer targets.
Journalist Jacque Talbot has now revealed some big Newcastle United transfer news on Darwin Nunez.
Talbot reported earlier this week of the St. James’ Park outfit’s ‘interest’ in signing Nunez this summer, which follows on from reports in May that the Toon Army were even preparing an offer for the Uruguay starlet.
However, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, West Ham United, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are also all thought to be eyeing up a move for the Benfica striker.
Taking to Twitter, Talbot has now given an update on the situation, revealing that Liverpool is Nunez’s ‘first choice’.
“My understanding from speaking to those in Portugal is that Darwin Nunez has now prioritised Liverpool as a first choice. Been reported in the UK that the Merseyside club are readying a bid.”
More importantly for Newcastle fans, he also revealed that Man Utd would be Nunez’s second choice, and has heard that he will definitely not be moving to the Magpies:
“However, if that move does not come through, it looks like the player wants Man United. Mentioned before about Newcastle but I hear that’s just not going to happen.”
It would certainly be a big blow for the North East club if they were to miss out on signing Nunez this summer, especially if he ends up joining a fellow rival in the Premier League.
Hailed as a ‘sensational talent’ by Fox Sports journalist James Dodd, the 22-year-old scored no fewer than 34 goals and made a further four assists in 41 games over all competitions last season (Transfermarkt), and so has earned himself a big move away from Portugal.
However, he is thought to have a whopping £125m release clause, so perhaps the Tynesiders will want to avoid paying inflated prices in this window, given it is their first summer in which selling teams know they can push the price up.
In other news, find out which two-time UEFA Champions League winner NUFC are now eyeing here!
One of the major transfer stories surrounding Rangers at present is the uncertainty surrounding the future of striker Alfredo Morelos, with the Colombian striker having just a year remaining on his existing deal at Ibrox.
Although there have been reports that the Old Firm outfit are keen to tie him down to a new deal, there is a real risk that the Glasgow giants will be forced into a sale this summer, in order to avoid letting him depart Rangers for nothing in 12 months time.
Signed from HJK Helsinki for just £1m in 2017, the 25-year-old has gone on to become a cult figure for the Gers, netting 113 goals and providing 51 assists in 224 games in all competitions thus far, including 27 goal contributions from the most recent campaign.
The £33k-per-week ace’s season had been cut short due to to injury, leading to very real fears that he could have already played his last game for the club, with concerns now as to just how the club will be able to replace him.
Well, one name that has emerged as a possible new centre-forward addition who could potentially fill Morelos’ shoes long-term is Aston Villa youngster Cameron Archer, with the 20-year-old tipped to make the move north of the border.
The latest suggestion from The Athletic is that Villa boss Steven Gerrard is keen to look more closely at the Englishman in pre-season – with the striker having been on loan at Preston North End last term – before deciding whether or not to let him leave, most likely on a temporary deal.
Having already seen their 16-year-old sensation Rory Wilson make the controversial move to join the Midlands side, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and co could get their own back by plucking Archer this summer, with the promising starlet a player who could make a real difference in the Dutchman’s side.
The £5.4m-rated speedster – who has already scored four goals in just six senior appearances for his parent club – caught the eye during his stint at Deepdale last term, chipping in with seven goals and one assist from his 20 league appearances for the Championship side.
While that respectable return has undoubtedly caught the eye of potential suitors, it is his form on the international stage that has really catapulted him into wider focus in recent weeks, the Walsall-born marksman having scored four goals in his last three games for the Three Lions at U21 level.
That electric, post-season form has seen him dubbed a “goal machine” by Ty Bracey, with all the indicators pointing to a prodigious talent who is only set explode in the coming years.
The loss of Morelos would be a sizeable blow for the Scottish Premiership side, although they can perhaps find his heir in young Archer.
Leeds United have been given a major boost in their pursuit of Liverpool forward, Takumi Minamino…
As per journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Japan international “will leave” Anfield this summer after two-and-a-half years at the club, with the 27-year-old having been signed from Red Bull Salzburg back in January 2020.
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Writing on Twitter about the 42-cap gem’s future, the transfer insider revealed that the player is attracting interest from potential suitors: “Takumi Minamino will leave Liverpool this summer, plan hasn’t changed. Three clubs have opened talks to explore potential permanent move – Minamino’s gonna decide soon.
“Price tag for Minamino deal will be around €17m.”
While no clubs have been named by Romano, the one-time Cerezo Osaka man has been heavily linked with a move to Elland Road in recent times, having worked under manager Jesse Marsch during his stint in Austria.
Thus, with the news that he will certainly leave Anfield behind, they have been handed the green light to contact Liverpool and seal a swoop.
The American coach could well utilise that aforementioned connection to try and bring the £10.8m-rated speedster to Yorkshire this summer, having already worked his magic to bring two other former Salzburg men to the club in Rasmus Kristensen and Brenden Aaronson.
The move to prise Minamino from Jurgen Klopp’s side would no doubt mirror that of the latter man, in particular, with the pair both progressive, forward-thinking attacking players who can cause havoc in the final third, with Marsch appearing to be keen to reshape a squad built by Marcelo Bielsa into his own image.
Under the 48-year-old’s watch, the current Reds man previously scored nine goals and provided 11 assists in just 22 games for the Austrian outfit, with the hope being that he can replicate that former once again for the Whites.
It has proven a tricky spell on Merseyside for the £72k-per-week gem in recent times, having made just 21 starts in 55 games in all competitions for the club thus far, notably only making a solitary top-flight start in the 2021/22 season.
That being said, the “unbelievable” marksman – as he has been dubbed by teammate Joe Gomez – still managed to score three goals from his 11 league outings, having also plundered seven goals from his nine domestic cup appearances, proving that when handed the chance he can make an impact in English football.
The Leeds boss also clearly knows how to get the best out of the versatile, 5 foot 9 ace, with there seemingly little wrong in the former RB Leipzig coach bringing in players that he is familiar with, even if such deals have been seen as underwhelming by some.
With doubts over the future of talisman Raphinha, the arrivals of the likes of Aaronson – and potentially Minamino – could help Marsch form a fresh and exciting attacking unit, and one that will be able to quickly adapt itself to his style of play.
Everton are reportedly now ‘interested’ in signing Olympiacos central defender Pape Abou Cisse this summer.
The Goodison Park outfit have reportedly now held talks with Tottenham Hotspur over the possibility of signing Harry Winks, who would follow the widely expected arrival of James Tarkowski through the doors on Merseyside, with some reports even claiming the Burnley man could be officially confirmed as a Blue by next week.
They are seemingly going to be very busy this window after almost being relegated from the Premier League last season, as they now look to build Frank Lampard a squad capable of challenging higher up the table.
Taking to Twitter, Greek football journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos has revealed that Lampard and Co are now ‘interested’ in signing Olympiacos’ Cisse:
“Everton are interested in Olympiacos CB Pape Abou Cisse.”
On top of Tarkowski, Cisse would add further defensive stability to the backline that Jamie Carragher called a ‘Championship back four’ after a 5-0 drubbing by Spurs in the top flight last term.
At a mammoth six-foot-six, the 26-year-old is a towering presence who would surely frighten attackers next to the tenacious and imposing Tarkowski.
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A title-winner with Olympiacos and African Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner with Senegal this year (Transfermarkt), Cisse would also bring an elite winning mentality to the dressing room, which should help the Toffees climb up the table next campaign.
Valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt, the Blues would also not have to break the bank in order to sign him this summer, and this certainly feels like one to keep an eye on.