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Wolves forward Adama Traore has been linked with a number of clubs over the summer, but one of the main contenders have now pulled out of the race for his signature.

Turin not tempted by Traore

The 24-year-old has been putting in a string of impressive performances for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side over the past 12 months, which has helped him pick up his first cap for Spain at the beginning of the month.

The Spaniard is a regular starter for the Portuguese tactician and has scored seven times and provided 15 assists from 96 appearances (TransferMarkt), which led to huge praise from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who described him as ‘unplayable’ when his side came up against him last season.

Understandably, this attracted interest from the Merseysiders, as well as Manchester City, his former side Barcelona and Juventus in recent months.

But according to Calciomercato, the Serie A giants have been put off by Wolves’ €100m (£90m) price tag for Traore, adding that another factor could be the amount of interest that is being generated has left them with no choice but to withdraw.

Traore is not even close to being the top wage earner at the club, taking home £43k-a-week (Spotrac), but if he finds his form again there will likely be plenty of teams lining up to more than double that figure.

Huge boost for the Molineux faithful

This news will surely delight Wolves fans. Not just because they are keeping hold of a talented player, but it gives them the indication that the club are being firm when it comes to big clubs snooping around their personnel.

Since their promotion back to the Premier League in 2018, Nuno has built a strong unit that went on to achieve back-to-back seventh-placed finishes in the Premier League. This is mainly down to maintaining the core of the squad over the years.

Traore is part of the beating heart of the team after his £18m move from Middlesbrough and it is important that the West Midlands side can keep their best players, despite losing Diogo Jota to Liverpool.

In other news, Paul Robinson accuses Wolves’ fan-favourite of ‘clear intent’ during Leeds victory.

According to The Sun, Tottenham are interested in luring Norwich defender Ben Godfrey to north London this summer.

What’s the word?

Jose Mourinho’s side have had a difficult season this year, particularly defensively, with 44 goals conceded in just 32 Premier League matches.

And with the long-term futures of both Jan Vertonghen and Juan Foyth up in the air, it’s no surprise to hear the Lilywhites are interested in reinforcing their defence.

As per The Sun, along with the likes of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, Spurs have set their sights on Canaries centre-back Godfrey, who is currently valued around the £25m mark.

Shades of Ledley

Despite only being 22, and playing for a side rooted towards the bottom of the Premier League table for the entire season, Godfrey has shown his leadership qualities week-in and week-out, even taking on the captain’s armband for the clashes against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.

Spurs of course know all about young and promising centre-backs who can carry a dressing room, with Ledley King taking on the skipper’s role full-time back in 2005, at the age of just 25.

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The 6 foot Godfrey has himself previously admitted to embracing the idea of being a leader, after being named captain of England’s U21s. He said: “Being made under-21s captain was such an honour. I do see myself as a leader. I don’t know why. I enjoy being captain of the team and, with or without the armband, I’d be the same but it’s such a good feeling to lead out your country.”

With Spurs struggling to keep things tight defensively, and on the verge of losing an experienced character in Vertonghen, bringing in someone like Godfrey who seems like such a natural fit to the role, makes a lot of sense. And with the Canaries likely to go down, Daniel Levy has the perfect chance to take advantage and sign him up.

Mourinho could very well find his next leader a la John Terry in Godfrey.

Everton were dealt a blow to their transfer hopes on Tuesday as mooted midfield target Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg joined a rival Premier League club but they can alleviate matters with a swoop for Aaron Ramsey.

What’s the word?

According to Duncan Castles, Juventus are prepared to offload the Welshman on a free transfer just a year after joining the club from Arsenal.

It’s claimed that the Toffees are one of the teams keen on clinching him but face the major stumbling block of his whopping £400k-per-week wages, though you’d imagine he’d have to take a pay cut if he’s going to move on from the Serie A.

Ramsey is currently valued at £25.2m by Transfermarkt.

Meanwhile, Hojbjerg’s £15m move to Spurs was confirmed earlier this week.

Forget Hojbjerg

Whilst the former Saints skipper would have been a very decent addition in Carlo Ancelotti’s engine room, a move for Ramsey could well be the better play.

If you forget about his wages for just a minute, he’s still one of the best box-to-box midfielders in Europe and despite being marred by a supposed poor injury record, he still featured 35 times for the Italian giants this term – and that’s because of team selection rather than niggles.

Back in 2015, Steven Gerrard lauded the ex-Gunners maestro as the ‘best attacking midfielder in the Premier League’ whilst his old boss Arsene Wenger believes he is the ‘complete midfielder’.

This is reinforced by his numbers from the 2013/14 season when the 29-year-old provided 12 goals and nine assists and finished with the most tackles of any Arsenal player.

If Ramsey could find half of his form throughout his north London career, then Everton would still be getting a major upgrade in midfield – one that is a massive need.

Neither Tom Davies nor Andre Gomes could average over a 6.5 rating this campaign whilst a measly 0.6 key passes per game is the best either could muster.

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Davies or Ramsey? There’s surely only one answer.

AND in other news, Everton can end winger nightmare with a move for ex-PL FLOP…

Plenty of Leeds United fans have reacted to a tweet from Phil Hay regarding Marcelo Bielsa’s belief that striker Jean-Kevin Augustin can become a £40m player.

The French striker arrived at Elland Road in January from RB Leipzig but he has failed to gain sufficient playing time in Bielsa’s starting eleven.

Making a return to training with his fellow teammates last week, positive reports had emerged over the striker’s efforts and determination with The Athletic claiming coaches were impressed.

However, despite that initial excitement, Football Insider followed it up with a claim that the striker will have his work cut out to convince Bielsa to hand him a starting place over Patrick Bamford.

Bamford had started all-but two Championship games this season for Leeds, making him the club’s number one frontman and it is fair to say that the jury remains out on Augustin.

Touching on the striker, The Athletic writer Hay claimed that Bielsa believed Augustin would go on to be valued at around £30m-£40m when ‘fit’ and ‘firing’.

Reacting to Hay’s tweet on Augustin, Leeds fans gave their thoughts on the striker’s potential and it seems that opinion is split. Whilst some agree with the manager, perhaps taking into account his 20 goals for RB Leipzig despite only being 22-years-old, others aren’t as convinced which is likely due to the fact he has only managed 48 minutes on the pitch for the Whites so far…

Do you think Augustin can go on to be valued at £40m? Let us know in the comments section below…

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has said he is a fan of Brighton defender Tariq Lamptey and believes that the youngster “made the right decision” in moving to the Amex Stadium.

The 19-year-old joined the Seagulls on a permanent deal from Chelsea in January of this year and has broken into Graham Potter’s line-up recently, starting against Leicester and Manchester United.

Speaking on Sky Sports alongside Patrice Evra last night, Redknapp said of the teenager [via Sussex Live]: “I like him. Me and Patrice were talking about him before the show and Patrice is a fantastic full-back, so he’ll know better than anybody.

“He was in the Chelsea Youth Cup-winning team. He’s made a big decision, because he could probably have stayed at Chelsea with all of his mates getting in the first team.”Redknapp added: “I like watching him play. It’s a massive decision for a player to maybe stay at Chelsea or perhaps go to another club and play. He’s made the right decision for him right now because he’s in the first team.”Lamptey may have been questioning his wisdom about leaving Chelsea for Brighton earlier in the year when he wasn’t even getting into Potter’s matchday squad, let alone obtaining game-time. However, his patience has been rewarded with starts in their last two matches, with his Seagulls debut against Leicester seeing him named as Sky Sports’ man of the match.At Stamford Bridge, Frank Lampard has shown plenty of faith in the Blues’ young prospects, with Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount playing regularly while the likes of Fikayo Tomori, Billy Gilmour and Reece James have also forged a way into the first team (as per TransferMarkt).Lamptey may well have thought himself capable of following suit but, having made just three senior Chelsea appearances before his January move, he now has two for Brighton and will almost certainly add a few more to that total in the remaining weeks of this season.Also, at just 19, he still has ample time to maybe return to Chelsea in the future as an established Premier League player who got his break at Brighton because he appreciated the value of senior game-time, something he is now getting with the Seagulls.Brighton fans, was Lamptey right to leave Chelsea? Have your say by commenting below!

According to Football Insider, Leeds United will be in the race to land Rhian Brewster this summer, but it could depend on a couple of crucial factors.

What’s the word?

It’s claimed that the Yorkshire side missed out on the impressive 20-year-old in the January transfer window with the English starlet opting to join Championship rivals Swansea City on loan instead.

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A source has told Football Insider that those at Elland Road are continuing to monitor Brewster ahead of a second attempt ahead of the new season.

However, this will only be able to happen if Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp gives the green light for another loan move – something that may be bolstered if the Reds clinch Timo Werner from RB Leipzig.

Second time lucky?

Brewster has gone on to be a prolific source of goals for the Swans in the second tier since moving to the Liberty Stadium. He’s found the net four times in just 919 minutes of action, via Transfermarkt.

Victor Orta and Marcelo Bielsa had to settle for Jean-Kevin Augustin instead, and he’s only been able to make three short cameo appearances, so that is looking more like a disaster as every week passes.

The Liverpool youngster has been lauded as “exceptional” and “fearless” in the past and is clearly rated highly by Klopp despite a lack of senior opportunities.

It’s also believed that there could be a chance he progresses up onto another Premier League club rather than returning to the Championship, so Leeds would need to ensure promotion so they can springboard to the front of the interested pack.

Therefore, if the Whites hold a genuine interest in Brewster, then they’ll need to firstly, be a top-flight team once again, and secondly, hope that the popular German sanctions another temporary exit.

AND in other news, Leeds fans react to huge Andrea Radrizzani claim…

Rangers’ battle with the SPFL continues to rumble on and fans over at Ibrox have been left absolutely fuming by the latest announcement.

The Scottish Professional Football League board have released a statement questioning the need for an internal investigation into the premature end to the season after the Glasgow-based side sparked a general meeting.

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All 42 member clubs will vote on May 12th to decide whether or not an external review of the circumstances to cut short the campaign was conducted fairly – this comes after Dundee altered their vote to pass the decision.

It could affect the end to the Scottish Premiership season.

The board’s letter highlights a risk of “recrimination and division” and this has riled up the Gers faithful with many voicing their anger on Twitter this week.

Rangers currently sit second in the standings, some 13 points off the league leaders and would need an almighty collapse to turn things around.

Here’s what fans have been saying…

AND in other news, Alan Hutton supports Rangers move for 21 y/o starlet…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to reports from Football Insider, Leeds United are in the hunt to sign Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara.

The Finland international would provide Marcelo Bielsa’s team with an extra element if he were to join the Elland Road outfit.

What’s the story then?

The report states that the Whites would be looking to make this move in the summer rather than in January as they’re only looking to bring bodies in at the start of next year if any of their loan players are recalled.

The article also claims that the Scottish outfit value the midfielder at over £8m, which may prove to be a bit of a hurdle for the club, but if they do sign him he’ll give them some much-needed depth in the middle of the park.

Added depth

Leeds do have a number of midfield options, but injuries have continued to plague their squad.

Jamie Shackleton and Adam Forshaw have both missed portions of the season already, and that has meant that Stuart Dallas has had to play out of position in the middle of the park.

With Mateusz Klich also looking like he’s needed a rest in recent weeks, the addition of another midfielder could certainly be what United need, especially when that player is a Europa League regular – featuring seven times in qualifying and four times in this term’s group stages.

Simply put, it certainly wouldn’t hurt Leeds to bring in more midfield reinforcements due to the problematic number of injuries their current players are sustaining.

Robbie Gotts and Mateusz Bogusz are coming through the ranks but it’s difficult to assess whether they’d be up to the standard right away. Therefore, adding someone with senior experience could be invaluable.

That being said, £8m is a steep fee and there may be other areas of the squad that need addressing before they think of splashing that type of money on the 24-year-old.

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…

Amongst all of Southampton’s problems right now, there is one thing that can be deemed as one of their most troublesome.

The full-back positions.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has already deployed square pegs in round holes on numerous occasions when it comes to the full-back positions, as the Austrian played midfield ace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg at left-back against Manchester City.

Additionally, the former RB Leipzig boss made two questionable selection decisions in one game against Everton recently, putting right-back Cedric Soares at left wing-back and midfielder Stuart Armstrong at right wing-back.

It is telling that Yan Valery – a natural right-back – was on the bench behind Armstrong in that defeat to the Toffees, so the Saints definitely need full-backs – one reported January target fits the bill in that respect, but for more reasons than the mere fact that he is a full-back.

QPR left-back Ryan Manning has been linked with a January move to St Mary’s, with Southampton under the impression that they can sign the Irishman for a cut-price fee with his contract running out.

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Manning – who has one goal and three assists in 17 Championship starts this season – has the ability to play either at left-back or at left wing-back, a trait that may prove to be vital under Hasenhuttl given the Austrian’s tendency to switch between a back four and a back five – the former RB Leipzig boss has failed to settle on a consistent formation throughout the season.

So, with Manning being comfortable in both a left-back and a left wing-back role, this bodes well for his hopes of immediately settling into Hasenhuttl’s system.

Furthermore, The Telegraph report that Gao Jisheng has handed Hasenhuttl a ‘limited’ January budget, so if the news of Manning being available for a cut-price fee is true, that makes this deal all the more sensible for the Saints.

In other news, hear what Hasenhuttl had to say about his side’s showing against Arsenal, words that can be considered as a real stepping stone…

Manchester City fans have joined Trevor Sinclair in stating that there is a media agenda against the club after the John Stones incident with Pep Guardiola.

The Spaniard was seen screaming at Stones to get ready as reports across the UK seem to suggest that there is friction between the two.

Guardiola was visibly angry with the centre-back, but Stones told BT Sport after the game (as quoted by The Mirror): “I had them [shin pads] on but I just needed to fix them up properly. Time is of the essence and that’s what he wanted.”

Fans have been quick to jump in on the story and state that there is a slight bend in the approach to their coverage. Certain fans believe that the media “does not like Pep and City”, whilst another supporter claimed it is a “worldwide agenda”.

Sinclair told talkSPORT: “Anything that Pep does or anything that Manchester City players do, the media are all over them,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s a story. That’s why I’m saying there’s some kind of agenda.”

In truth, it was a nothing story, as Guardiola has shown many times down the years to be of the aggressive sorts.

Shouting at his players to get ready as an injured man leaves the pitch is an everyday occurrence for any manager. The boss will ultimately want his players stripped and ready to go as soon as possible.

Perhaps if this wasn’t City, it would not have been covered the way it has.

At least, that’s what some City fans believe…