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It has been an incredibly tough season so far for Wolverhampton Wanderers. They recently sacked Gary O’Neil as manager, with the club reeling in 19th place in the Premier League and with just nine points to their name. The Old Gold have managed to win just two games this term.

As The Athletic reported on Thursday afternoon, Vitor Pereira will be the new Wolves boss, and will leave his post at Saudi side Al-Shabab to take the job at Molineux. He will have a big task on his hands, looking to turn the fortunes of Wolves around this season.

Naturally, the new boss will want to get a look at his whole squad, but will no doubt also want to track the progress of those out on loan, in case they are options for his side in the long run.

Wolves’ players out on loan

Firstly, it is important to note that the Old Gold have some youngsters out on loan at various clubs across the Football League. Two of those, Joe Hodge who is at Huddersfield Town, and Tawanda Chirewa who plays for Derby County, are injured and have had little involvement this season. Chem Campbell has five goals and four assists in 18 games for Reading.

In terms of their more prominent first-team players who are out on loan, one in particular is thriving, although has struggled with injury.

Hugo Bueno is playing at Feyenoord in the Netherlands this term, and he has three assists in eight Eredivisie games, including one against FC Twente.

Another full-back, Ki-Jana Hoever, is plying his trade in France with AJ Auxerre, where he has had an eventful time. The 22-year-old has an assist and a red card in 13 games so far. Winger Chiquinho is having a less smooth ride, on loan in Spain at Mallorca. He has played just 140 minutes in La Liga this term.

There is another Wolves loanee out in Spain this season, who is thriving and could certainly be a player Pereira could utilise at Molineux.

The loan star who Pereira could love

The player in question here is striker Fabio Silva. It has been a mixed time of things at the Old Gold for the youngster, who cost £35.6m from Portuguese side FC Porto. He has not really lived up to the price tag at Molineux so far, with five goals and six assists in 72 games.

However, after a few loan spells across various clubs in Europe, it seems like the striker has finally settled down somewhere. Currently plying his trade in La Liga for Las Palmas, the 22-year-old seems to be hitting his best form.

He has five goals and two assists in 12 La Liga games so far, including a goal against Catalan giants Barcelona. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as a “joy to watch” for a reason.

According to recent reports from Spain, via SportWitness, the striker will not be staying at El Pio-Pio beyond this season, due to financial constraints. The La Liga club cannot afford to pay his £78k-per-week wages, as per Capology.

This is certainly something that might be of interest to Pereira, who surely would not be opposed to bringing back such a talented player to the club.

Statistically on FBref, he has performed well in La Liga for Las Palmas, with an impressive 0.51 goals per game on average, ranking him in the top 18%.

Pereira has a real chance to revive Wolves’ season, and the same can be said for Silva’s career at Molineux. The Old Gold striker has not really left his mark on the club yet, but perhaps under the tutelage of the new manager, he can.

It will be fascinating to see if he can turn things around in the Midlands. An unlikely opportunity for a return to the club has presented itself, and it could be one both Silva and Pereira jump at and try to transform his career at Wolves.

As well as Andre: Pereira must instantly axe "promising" Wolves star

Vitor Pereira will want to leave his mark on the Wolverhampton Wanderers side.

By
Kelan Sarson

Dec 19, 2024

Having lost both the T20 & ODI series to South Africa, India are in post-mortem mode. In this wide-ranging analysis, Sanjay Manjrekar reflects on five areas of concern

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-2015Pace-bowling concerns
India’s pace attack lacked wicket-taking ability and leaked runs, especially in the final ODI in Mumbai where Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohit Sharma went at over 10 runs an over.1:33

Manjrekar: India’s pacers have limited talent and have to be smart

Where is the next allrounder?
While there have been bits-and-pieces players who have been used as allrounders, India are still searching for a genuine allrounder.1:34

Manjrekar: India have not found a genuine allrounder

Middle-order muddle
India chopped and changed batting positions during the ODI series, which left their line-up unsettled.2:02

Manjrekar: Rohit can be a middle-order option

Raina’s future comes under a cloud
Suresh Raina, having managed only 68 runs, including two ducks, failed when India needed him to fire in the death overs. Raina was hurried by pace and his short-ball problem continued.1:45

Manjrekar: Raina continued to struggle against the short ball

What will be the impact of the ODI series on the Test series?
South Africa will be confident after winning both the T20 and ODI series, but will be challenged on turning pitches.1:11

Manjrekar: South Africa will be challenged on turning pitches

Manchester City have dedicated a 'shrine' to academy graduate Phil Foden, who has won 15 trophies with the club.

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• Man City dedicate 'shrine' to Phil Foden
• Academy gym features images of academy graduate
• Foden has won 15 trophies with club

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Foden came through the club's academy and into the first team and images of him are all over the current academy gym, highlighting to young players what they are trying to emulate, according to Mail Sport.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Foden is arguably the greatest academy graduate of the club's modern era, winning six Premier League titles, the Champions League, and multiple other trophies. He was named the Premier League player of the year for 2023/24 and now inspires the next generation at the club.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Foden is now being followed into the first team by several other promising youngsters, including Rico Lewis, James McAtee and Nico O'Reilly. Cole Palmer also broke through before being sold to Chelsea and reaching stardom of his own in West London.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR FODEN?

  Foden has not been quite as impressive this term, though he has still scored 10 goals and assisted six in 39 appearances in all competitions. He is aiming to win his next piece of silverware in the FA Cup, in which City will play Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals.

Quinn, Agar rip through batting before Muyeye half-century extends advantage

ECB Reporters Network12-Jun-2023Leaders Surrey were battling hard to avoid their first defeat of the season in the LV= Insurance County Championship, taking six wickets in the final session after Kent had built a significant lead on day two at Canterbury.The champions were all out for 145 in their first innings with Matt Quinn taking three for 22 and Wes Agar three for 32, while India’s Arshdeep Singh took his first championship wickets. Sean Abbott was their top scorer with 34.Tawanda Muyeye then cracked a gleeful 79 and Daniel Bell-Drummond made 59 as Kent moved on to 197 for six in their second innings, a lead of 353, but a productive evening session gave the visitors hope going into day three, Dan Worrall claiming three for 53.The 171st Canterbury Week continued at the Spitfire Ground and a crowd of 2431 attended on day two, bolstered by around 1100 schoolchildren and teachers, although the start was delayed by 45 minutes due to a brief but violent thunderstorm.When play began Surrey, who were 18 for two overnight, batted with minimal conviction.Tom Latham was on three when Quinn had him caught by Muyeye at short leg and Quinn struck again when Jordan Cox took an acrobatic catch to remove Dom Sibley for 9.Arshdeep was rewarded for a spell of sustained menace with his first wicket in county cricket when he had Ben Foakes lbw for three and Quinn and Muyeye then produced an almost exact imitation of the Latham wicket to get rid of Jamie Smith for 6.Surrey lurched to 60 for six at lunch and hadn’t added to the score when Agar bowled Will Jacks with the tenth ball of the afternoon session, with a delivery that sent his middle stump pirouetting.Jordan Clark and Abbott put on the biggest stand of the innings with 48 for the eighth wicket, until both were dismissed by Joey Evison. Clark lingered for 25 before Evison hit his leg side bail and Abbott went for 34 in Evison’s next over, after a one-handed catch by Cox.The Dans, Worrall and Moriarty, added 20 for the last wicket until the former tried to slog Singh, who ripped out his leg stump, leaving Surrey seven short of the follow-on target, although with 57 overs left and the St. Lawrence experiencing sweltering conditions it was no surprise when Kent chose not to enforce it.They were 37 without loss at tea, and although Clark made the breakthrough with his first ball, getting Compton caught for 17 by Atkinson at point, Muyeye started to put on an exhibition.He reached 50 by cutting Abbott for four, but not for the first time in his career he fell when a century looked there for the taking when he hit Atkinson to Latham.It was a major disappointment for the majority of the crowd and a cluster of wickets followed.Denly went for six to Worrall that was grabbed by a diving Foakes, Worrall produced an unplayable outswinger to get rid of Jack Leaning for one and Cox was on two when he gloved Abbott behind.Bell-Drummond then fell in nearly identical fashion, leaving Evison and Hamid Qadri to bat out the rest of an almost interminable session, which finally ended at 7.37pm.

Jaiswal is yet to make his India debut in any format but has an outstanding first-class record where he has scored 1845 runs in 15 matches

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2023Yashasvi Jaiswal has been included in the India squad for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final as a stand-by player, in place of Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is getting married on June 3.The BCCI had added Gaikwad as a stand-by opener for the WTC final against Australia, but ESPNcricinfo understands that the batter informed the board that he would be able to join the team only after June 5. As Jaiswal holds a UK visa, he will be flying to London in the next few days.Jaiswal has been in top form in recent times. He scored 625 runs in 14 innings in IPL 2023 for Rajasthan Royals with five fifties and a century. Jaiswal is yet to make his India debut in any format but has an outstanding first-class record where he has scored 1845 runs in 15 matches, averaging 80.21 with nine hundreds and two fifties.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy, he scored 315 runs in five matches, averaging 45.00, with one fifty and a century.He followed that season up with 213 and 144 in the Irani Trophy for the Rest of India against Madhya Pradesh. His aggregate of 357 runs in the match was the most for a batter in an Irani Trophy game ever.The India team has left for the WTC final in batches. Virat Kohli was part of one of the first few batches to reach London. The final will be played from June 7 to 11 at the Oval. India were WTC finalists in 2021 as well, but lost to New Zealand.

The New York City FC's starlet has continued to impress since his transition to the first team

• Shore scores a stunning goal for NYCFC's NEXT Pro side
• Shows the reason for his rapid progression through NYCFC's youth ranks
• Midfielder signed Homegrown deal in 2023

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• WHAT HAPPENED

  In a throwback post on social media, New York City FC posted a brilliant goal from Homegrown midfielder Jonathan Shore – from his time in MLS NEXT Pro.

  The teenager dribbled past two defenders, held one off and then unleashed a lethal strike into the far corner of the net, beyond the goalkeeper. The goal, reminiscent of those scored by senior professionals, showcased Shore's exceptional technique and confidence at a very young age and the reason he has progressed so far this rapidly.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The now 17-year-old has enjoyed a rapid rise to the top, earning a place in the 2023 MLS Next All-Star roster at just 16 years old before making his debut for NYCFC earlier this season. Since then, Shore has played in five of the club’s six league games, starting three of those for a total of 345 minutes for the Eastern Conference side.

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  WHAT’S NEXT?

  With Shore already making his mark in the first-team, the focus will now be to keep his place in the team and find a consistent rhythm for himself going forward. The sit 10th in the Eastern Conference after a tough start to the campaign and face Minnesota United next on April 6. Following that, NYCFC host Philadelphia Union on April 12 and then go on the road to play New England Revolution on April 19 as the regular season starts to really get underway.

Plays of the day from the second ODI between South Africa and New Zealand in Potchefstroom

Firdose Moonda23-Aug-2015The tough chances
Adam Milne barely had time to catch his breath after celebrating Hashim Amla’s dismissal, when Rilee Rossouw gave him a chance for a second strike. Milne was looking for the yorker, but bowled a low full toss which Rossouw drove firmly to back down the pitch. The ball went low and so did Milne and although he got his hands to it, he had lost his balance and couldn’t complete the catch. Milne had the opportunity in the game, when Farhaan Behardien punched the ball to him at shoulder-height but the power behind the shot made it difficult to catch. Milne did not have to feel bad, though. Both Aaron Phangiso and Imran Tahir were offered chances in their follow through and neither could hold on.The easy chance
David Wiese was one of several South African players who put down catches in the first game and his luck did not improve in the second. Martin Guptill had been let off twice and it was third time lucky when he tried to hit Tahir over long off. But there was not get enough distance on the shot. Wiese moved to his left easily enough and was settled under the ball, which then burst through and hit him on his chest. Wiese tried to grasp it on the rebound but tumbled over instead.The miscommunication
As the search for runs became desperate towards the end of the South African innings, Phangiso decided to try and take them any way he could. He set off for a single after a gentle prod to point in the 47th over, but was ball watching instead of checking in with his partner. Vernon Philander, at the other end, had not moved when Phangiso was halfway down the pitch. A run-out was always on the cards and in the end, Guptill even had enough time to lob the ball to Luke Ronchi, rather than breaking the stumps himself. South Africa were hit by two more run-outs in the next three overs to end their innings three balls short of the full quota“Oh no.”
With the game gone, AB de Villiers decided to spice things up and brought himself on to bowl in the 42nd over. He had some success bowling in the World Cup, when he took wickets against Ireland, Pakistan and UAE but there was no repeat performance this time. Instead, he disappointed even himself and let out a loud “Oh no,” when he bowled a half-tracker that Guptill sent to the boundary.

Newcastle United have now tabled an offer to sign a new talented defender in January, according to a fresh report, as they look to beat Manchester City to his signature.

Newcastle looking for a new centre-back

It is no secret that Eddie Howe is keen to add another centre-back to his ranks, with the club trying and failing to land Marc Guehi over the summer transfer window.

They could yet return for the Crystal Palace defender, but there is now believed to be more interest in his services, which could make any potential move to Tyneside difficult.

Currently 12th in the Premier League, other sides are in a better position to offer the potential of European football next season, with both Liverpool and Chelsea thought to be weighing up a move for the England international.

This could force Howe’s side to pivot on their transfer targets, and they may instead look for a younger, more promising talent who would command a lesser fee than Guehi, allowing them to spend in other areas of the squad.

Abdukodir Khusanov is one player that the Magpies are considering, while they are believed to hold a long term interest in Sporting defender Ousmane Diomande.

Newcastle and PIF keen to sign "explosive" £90m star who's scored at SJP

He could be perfect for Eddie Howe’s counter-attacking football.

By
Ben Browning

Dec 18, 2024

Howe is keen to add fresh faces to his side in January after he admitted that his squad needed freshness: “I think freshness is important in a squad – I won’t sit here and deny that. Sometimes, the same squad can produce a staleness and a negative product.”

Despite this, it is unclear the budget that the Magpies will have to use in the winter window, which could force them to sign some younger gems rather than established stars. Now, they may have found a potential bargain.

Newcastle make offer to sign young defender

That is according to SportItalia [Via Sport Witness], who report that Eddie Howe’s side have tabled an offer to sign Juma Bah, currently playing in Spain with Real Vallodolid.

The 18 year-old defender is on loan from Sierra Leone side AIK Freetong, and has featured 10 times for his temporary club this season, drawing plenty of admiring glances and being labelled “quality” by his side’s official X account.

Standing at 6 foot 5 inches tall, he is unsurprisingly dominant in the air, winning more aerial duels than Newcastle’s Dan Burn and winning a higher percentage of them too.

Manchester City are thought to be among his admirers, but Newcastle have looked to beat Pep Guardiola’s side to the punch. According to the report, they have already tabled a €10m bid to sign the defender in the January transfer window.

Any deal would involve Vallodolid having to buy Bah first, before then selling him on at what would likely be a substantial profit. However, Newcastle’s offer was not deemed substantial enough and Vallodolid “turned it down” and are “demanding more money” to let him leave.

Despite this, they are open to letting him leave in January, which could provide an opportunity for any interested party to steal a march on rival interest and land him at a potential bargain fee.

Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers has revealed how fellow Birmingham native Jude Bellingham helped him settle into the England squad.

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• Rogers earned first Three Lions call-up in November 2024
• Played a part in both Tuchel's first games in charge
• Has a close friendship with Madrid star Bellingham

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Speaking to GOAL, in association with PUMA, Morgan Rogers revealed that having Jude Bellingham already in the England senior squad made his transition into international football much smoother. Rogers highlighted how Bellingham's presence, as someone he knew from their shared Birmingham roots, provided a sense of comfort and familiarity, with former Three Lions interim boss Lee Carsley rewarding the 22-year-old with his first call-up back in November 2024 after his impressive form with Villa.

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  Both Rogers and Bellingham have emerged as two of England's brightest young talents, with both featuring in Thomas Tuchel's first games in charge of the Three Lions. Indeed, the presence of a familiar face like Bellingham's around the camp is likely to have been invaluable to Rogers as he looked to adapt to the demands and pressures of international football.

• WHAT ROGERS SAID

  "It might not be as daunting as you think, even though you might think it is when you go in there," said Rogers, reflecting on joining up with the England squad, where he now has four senior caps to his name. "It's usually never that bad. So yeah, it was really nice [to be involved with England]. Obviously the one that was really nice [in helping Rogers settle in] was probably Jude being there. Obviously playing against him and what not, and playing with him at earlier age groups."

  "It's nice to have someone that I already knew, someone that you can kind of bounce off, that you know already and that you can just be comfortable with," he added. "So yeah, that's nice to have. But to be fair, because the group's so young, you know a lot of them. Or even if you don't know them personally, you played against them. So it's easy sentence starters and an easy way to talk to people and to get to know them."

  Rogers also touched upon the importance of representing Birmingham and not forgetting his roots: "It's where I'm from, it's where I grew up. It's nice to have other people doing that. Hopefully more can come up behind me and behind Jude and Jack [Grealish]. You try to be role models and try and be leaders to follow, so yeah, it's just about not forgetting where you're from. Wherever you go to, wherever you might end up, you still know your roots."

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Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing a new forward, but they are set to face competition from a whole host of other top Premier League clubs including rivals Arsenal.

Tottenham transfer rumours

Tottenham’s squad has been stretched significantly in light of recent injuries, with Guglielmo Vicario becoming the latest player to be sidelined after suffering an ankle injury, meaning Ange Postecoglou may have to be active in the January transfer window. The Spurs boss said: “A lot of it will depend on where we are as a squad at that time.

“Between now and then, it is only really Romero and Van de Ven who will be back in that time frame, but Richarlison will hopefully be back in the New Year and we will just assess where we are squad wise.

“I think last year we did a little bit of business [Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner] which ended up helping us, but nothing concrete now because January is always tricky.”

The Lilywhites’ fixture schedule does not get any easier in the run-up to Christmas, and with important games against Newcastle United and Arsenal on the horizon in January, Postecoglou may feel reinforcements are needed in order to be competitive.

Recently, Tottenham have made it clear they are interested in strengthening their attacking options, with Postecoglou said to be eyeing a move for Real Valladolid star Raul Moro, while Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi has also emerged as an option.

Now, Sky Sports have provided a new update on a potential transfer target in the last 48 hours, reporting that Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens is of interest to Spurs, but there is set to be plenty of competition for his signature.

Liverpool, Chelsea and rivals Arsenal are also named as potential suitors, with some of the interested parties having already opened talks with Borussia Dortmund to find out about the situation and position themselves for a future transfer.

The 20-year-old is currently said to be happy in Germany, given that his contract situation is comfortable, but he sees himself in the Premier League long-term, meaning a move could be possible at some point in the future.

Gittens impressing

The youngster has made a fantastic start to the ongoing campaign, having scored eight goals in all competitions, most recently scoring in Dortmund’s 1-1 draw against rivals Bayern Munich on Saturday afternoon.

Former teammate Niclas Füllkrug has previously lauded the Dortmund star, saying: “He’s an invaluable player to have in the final third, so dangerous for the opposition in the one-on-ones. We’re delighted to have him.”

As such, Spurs could have their hands on a future star if they do manage to win the race for Gittens signature, but it will not be easy, given the level of interest, and it seems unlikely he will be available as soon as the January transfer window.