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Lots of Wolves fans have been left to gush as the Midlands club confirmed the signing of Jose Sa via their official Twitter page on Thursday evening.

The Molineux faithful released an announcement video to confirm the capture of the goalkeeper, who comes in as the replacement for Rui Patricio, who has left to join AS Roma.

As per their website, Sa has signed a deal worth five years at Molineux, and technical director Scott Sellars is very impressed by the signing.

He claims that the former Olympiacos ace is in his ‘peak years’ at 28 years of age, and notes that he is ‘aggressive’ when coming for crosses.

Sa also has ‘excellent distribution’ and is a ‘pro-active’ player, and should fit nicely into the style of play set to be implemented by new manager Bruno Lage.

Wolves fans on Sa update

These WWFC supporters gushed as the update was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that they were ‘excited’ while another described it as ‘quality’:

“Love to see ittt”

Credit: @emilyy8x

“YESSSSSS”

Credit: @Blackcrisp1231

“SAAA LET’S GOOO”

Credit: @ReadyTheRope

“Quality”

Credit: @maxgreen332

“Brilliant replacement For Rui”

Credit: @MMBeats_2025

“Really excited about this signing”

Credit: @hasnaoui_zak

In other news, find out what transfer update has Wanderers talking here!

Lawrie Sanchez has told The Transfer Tavern that he doesn’t think Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool connections would stop him from becoming Everton manager, amid reports the club are closing in on the appointment of Nuno Santo.

Benitez, who’s been out of work since leaving Chinese Super League outfit Dalian Professional, spent six years at Anfield between 2004 and 2010, leading the Reds to both FA Cup and Champions League glory in consecutive seasons before leaving for Inter Milan.

But the Spaniard is being seriously considered by the Toffees hierarchy which could see him make a stunning return to Merseyside, but this time across Stanley Park.

Benitez was managing in the Premier League as recently as 2019 with Newcastle but left his post at St James’ Park following constant disagreements with owner Mike Ashley.

He then enjoyed a brief spell in the Far East, but wasn’t able to add to impressive list of trophies, and is now looking to return to management after more almost six months out of a job.

And Sanchez exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that moving closer to home will be one of Benitez’s priorities were he to make the shock move to Goodison Park:

“As I understand, his family still live in the Wirral. Where he has been, his family have remained in the Wirral.

“It’s ok being paid millions, but if you’re separated and living in a hotel room, it’s no fun. So, if you can get the same sort of quality of pay close to your family, it doubles the value of it, so on that basis, I wouldn’t rule him out.

“Much as he was manager of Liverpool, I hate to say it, but we are mercenaries us managers. If the job is right for us, we will take the job.”

As Football FanCast exclusively revealed earlier this month, Everton are in the hunt to find themselves a new winger this summer.

A number of names have been linked already, including Gareth Bale and rather typically for the Toffees, Wilfried Zaha.

What’s the word?

A fresh face has now emerged on Carlo Ancelotti’s radar with the Toffees in the race to sign Valencia forward Goncalo Guedes.

That’s according to Football Insider who suggest Everton are competing with Wolves in order to bring him to the Premier League.

The Old Gold are confident of landing him ahead of the Goodison Park outfit, however, with a part-exchange deal being discussed that would see Patrick Cutrone go in the opposite direction.

Guedes cost Valencia £34.5m back in 2018 so they may have to face losing any profit on the Portuguese this summer.

Deulofeu 2.0

By luring Guedes to Goodison Park in the coming months, Marcel Brands could unearth Everton’s brand new Gerard Deulofeu.

That’s because the duo play in a pretty similar way.

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The Valencia winger has had an impressive campaign at the Mestalla, scoring seven goals and also registering seven assists.

A tricky attacker, the Portugal international is capable of dribbling past a man with ease, just as Deulofeu proved he could do in the Premier League.

During the course of this season, Guedes managed 2.1 dribbles per game in La Liga. Deulofeu, on the other hand, managed 2.2 in his last full season with Watford.

They are also capable of providing and scoring goals at a similar rate. Over the last two campaigns, Everton’s former Spaniard has scored a goal every 7.1 games. That’s compared to every 6.5 outings for Guedes.

What perfectly epitomises the pair of them is their enigmatic nature. At their best, they are capable of frightening the life out of defenders. However, in the very next game, they could be full of inconsistency.

Talking about the Everton target a few years ago, former Ballon d’Or winner Luis Figo commented: “Guedes is a fast, irreverent and unpredictable player, who himself builds actions for his teammates and is also able to finish well.”

The unpredictable nature is what could swerve Everton from making a move. That said, it would bolster their forward line considerably.

Named in Portugal’s squad for the European Championships, the 24-year-old ended the season in fine fettle; providing four assists and four goals in his final 13 outings.

This might just be worth the gamble from the Everton hierarchy.

AND in other news, Everton eye move for “exceptional” 17-goal monster, he’d be a huge upgrade on Iwobi…

Liam Kennedy has named four central defenders that are on a transfer shortlist at Newcastle United and has also dropped an update on Florian Lejeune.

The Lowdown: Newcastle looking for a centre-back

As per The Shields Gazette, St. James’ Park scouts have been tasked with finding the North East club at least one centre-back to sign once the summer transfer window opens.

The futures of both Fabian Schar and Federico Fernandez remain uncertain as they head into the final stages of their current deal on Tyneside, and so it is imperative that they sign at least one new centre-half if they both run out their contracts.

The Latest: Four names on shortlist

Writing in his latest piece for The Shields Gazette, Kennedy has claimed that Ozan Kabak, Rob Dickie, Kristoffer Ajer and Danilho Doekhi are all names that have been checked out and on the list as potential signings for the Magpies.

The journalist also claimed that Lejeune looks set to be used in order to help fund any moves, as he is likely to be sold going into the final year of his current contract.

The Verdict: Sell Lejeune; Ajer best bet

Given the limited funds that the Toon are likely to have going into the market due to the financial impact of the global pandemic, selling Lejeune would be ideal in order to help raise those funds.

As for the four players listed above, Ajer is probably NUFC’s best option, as his mammoth six-foot-six frame would help him dominate in both boxes, especially with the physical of the Premier League.

At just 23 years of age as well, the Norway international still has a lot of potential, and a figure of as little as £8m has been quoted as potentially being enough to sign him, which could be a bargain.

In other news, find out what big claim Luke Edwards has dropped on the potential takeover here!

Michael Ball said that Duncan Ferguson’s spell as caretaker manager prior to Carlo Ancelotti’s appointment got Everton “bouncing again”, amid recent reports that he turned down joining the Italian at Real Madrid as he wants to manage the Toffees.

Following Marco Silva’s sacking early in December of 2019, the legendary Toffees striker was placed in temporary charge with Everton sitting in the relegation zone following a 5-2 Merseyside derby loss.

And despite a dauting run of Premier League fixtures on the horizon, Ferguson relished the big occasion and laid the foundations for incoming manager Ancelotti.

Two Dominic Calvert-Lewis goals inspired Everton to beat Chelsea in Ferguson’s first game in charge before backing up that result by earning a point at Old Trafford, although that afternoon was more remembered for the Scotsman showing his brutal side when he famously substituted a substitute in Moise Kean.

Everton were then knocked out of the EFL Cup by Leicester three days later, but Ferguson rounded off his cameo in the dugout by holding Arsenal to a goalless draw to ensure he remained unbeaten in the Premier League.

And Ball told The Transfer Tavern that Ferguson’s brief spell in charge of the team got Everton back on track:

“The last time I went to Goodison Park and really enjoyed going again and watching Everton being Everton under Duncan Ferguson, it was only for four games, but he’s the one that got the club bouncing again against Manchester United and Chelsea.

“And that’s what Carlo came in and witnessed, he saw Goodison full, the performance that Duncan got and that atmosphere.”

Sheffield Wednesday need to be open to the idea of selling key midfielder Barry Bannan this summer, according to journalist Dom Howson.

The Lowdown: Superb servant for the Owls

The Scotland international has been one of the Owls’ best players in their recent history, making 258 appearances and also scoring 13 goals and registering 39 assists for good measure, gaining a reputation as a fans’ favourite at Hillsborough.

Wednesday’s relegation to League One could make it tough for the club to keep hold of the 31-year-old, however, with some Championship sides surely considering a move for him.

The Latest: Howson says Bannan should move on

Speaking in a Q&A for Yorkshire Live, Howson claimed that it was time for Bannan to end his stay at Hillsborough, assuming a bid comes in for him, with Josh Windass in the same boat. The journalist said:

“If offers come in for Barry Bannan, Josh Windass or anybody else this summer, it would be foolish in Wednesday’s financial position not to consider cashing in.

“Part of the reason the club have got themselves in this situation is because they haven’t sold players and then reinvested that money back into the team. They stockpiled players and knocked back a number of bids.”

The Verdict: Beneficial for all partiesIn an ideal world, Wednesday would be in a healthy financial situation and Bannan would be happy to stay put, but sadly that isn’t the case.The Scot is one of the club’s most prized assets, and as Howson alluded to, it would be reckless for the Owls not to accept a bid for him, especially given his age.It will be sad to see Bannan leaving Hillsborough, considering the contributions he has provided in the middle of the park for the last six years, but a fresh challenge makes sense for everyone concerned, and Howson is right to advocate taking the money for him this summer if an adequate offer is made.In other news, Sheff Wed have received a positive piece of news regarding the future of one player. Find out who it is here.

Marcelo Bielsa reportedly has two concerns over Leeds United summer signing Robin Koch.

That’s according to a report from Football Insider, who claim they have been informed by a Whites source that Bielsa believes Koch ‘is too soft’ to thrive in the top flight.

The report adds that he ‘doesn’t like the aerial challenges’, which is thought to be a ‘major issue’ at Elland Road.

Koch, on £33,000-a-week in Yorkshire, has missed a large chunk of his first season with the Whites through injury and appears to have fallen behind Liam Cooper, Diego Llorente and Pascal Struijk in the centre-back pecking order upon his return.

Transfer Tavern take

We all know that Bielsa doesn’t like to rush players back from long-term injuries. Koch has been involved in five matchday squads since returning from a knee problem, coming on as a substitute in three of those.

However, with Cooper, Llorente and Struijk all impressing in recent weeks, we feel it is just a case of Bielsa remaining loyal to those three.

Koch has actually averaged more aerial duels won per game than both Llorente and Struijk this season, as per WhoScored, so we’re not so sure on the reported concern in the air.

The German’s time to impress will come around again, and should he take his chance, these concerns could soon disappear.

In other news: David Ornstein reveals Leeds United man played key role in ESL collapse, find out more here. 

As Manchester City made history on Tuesday night, reaching their first ever Champions League final and overcoming Ligue 1 giants Paris-Saint Germain 4-1 on aggregate, many Sky Blues supporters took to social media and slammed Ander Herrera for his post-match comments.

Pep Guardiola’s men clinched a memorable 2-0 second leg victory at the Etihad Stadium thanks to a brace from star winger Riyad Mahrez and some heroic defending from the likes of Ruben Dias and John Stones.

The Algerian star was first there to pounce on a ricocheted Kevin De Bruyne effort to fire a neat finish through Keylor Navas’ legs.

As City sat back and waited for their next opportunity, the Sky Blues eventually found one in the form of a second half counter attack – with Phil Foden’s low cross then providing a tap-in for Mahrez to double their lead.

On an historic night for the club, however, many supporters took some anger out on Herrera following his post match message.

Despite the home side having more shots on target, efforts inside the box and big chances (SofaScore), the opposing midfielder and former Man United ace believes PSG were the ‘better side’ for a majority of the game (The Sun).

Flocking to his comments, many City supporters had their say – find a flavour of their comments from social media down below.

Man City fans destroy Herrera

“No way”

Credit: @MarshallMCFC

“Biggest clown I’ve heard”

Credit: @Lanuito7

“This is laughable”

Credit: @sam_bling

“Nah he’s got to be joking”

Credit: @ItsinSaneLeroy

“Thinks he’s Fergie”

Credit: @petermcr

“Herrera delusional.”

Credit: @MCFCVillain

“What game was he watching”

Credit: @bald_21lva

“No way 

They just can’t take it. Need to learn to lose respectfully.”

Credit: @notamendy

In other news: Man City fans also flocked to these quotes from an agent, find out more here.

According to a report by the Sun, West Ham United are leading the race to sign Blackburn Rovers star Adam Armstrong alongside Fulham – with manager David Moyes looking to bolster his forward options this summer. 

The Lowdown: Moyes on the striker chase

As well as prioritising a permanent deal for Jesse Lingard (Claret & Hugh), and more recently a new goalkeeper (talkSPORT), West Ham are on the hunt for a prolific forward who can strengthen their attacking options for the 2021/2022 season.

The Irons are just one point away from securing qualification for the Europa League next campaign and manager Moyes will need to bolster his squad with new players in key positions.

The Latest: West Ham hot on heels of Armstrong

Bringing the latest, a report from the Sun details how West Ham are currently leading the pack to sign Armstrong this summer alongside Fulham – but they may have to fork out around £25 million to get a deal done.

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It is said that both Brighton and Everton are also in the race for his signature but the two London sides are currently favourites ahead of them.

Rovers have been attempting to tie their star man down with a new deal but to no avail, and with just one year remaining on Armstrong’s current deal, the Ewood Park side are close to cashing in.

The Verdict: £25 million, a bit steep?

Valued at £25m, it could be argued that such money should be put to better use elsewhere.

A permanent move for Lingard could cost around that amount and the goalkeeping position is also said to be an area Moyes wants to strengthen ahead for next season.

If the Irons are going to shell out £25m on a striker, supporters may want it to be someone with more top flight experience, even if Armstrong has managed a brilliant 28 goals and five assists in the Championship over 2020/2021 (Transfermarkt).

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor touted Armstrong as a potentially ‘perfect signing’ for West Ham, but we’re inclined to disagree with the former Premier League striker’s verdict given the price tag involved.

In other news: West Ham make approach to sign ‘outstanding’ £120,000-per-week attacker, find out more here.

Carlo Ancelotti should look to unleash Mason Holgate in midfield after confirming injuries for Everton duo Allan and Andre Gomes.

The Toffees manager revealed ahead of Monday night’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace that the Brazilian was absent from the matchday squad alongside Alex Iwobi due to minor issues.

“We had a little problem in the past few days with Iwobi and Allan. Not a big deal but they are not able to play,” Ancelotti explained.

Gomes started the Premier League draw alongside Tom Davies in the engine room but was forced off after just half an hour when he sustained a hamstring injury.

Ancelotti does not believe the Portugal midfielder has sustained a serious issue, but the 27-year-old will undergo scans in the next few days to reveal the full extent of the damage.

“Andre Gomes has a hamstring injury, and we will have to check in the next few days,” the Blues boss noted.

“I don’t know how long he will be out. It doesn’t seem like a serious problem, it seems a little problem, but we have to check with a scan.”

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Ancelotti was already without Fabian Delph (tendon) and Abdoulaye Doucoure (foot) against Crystal Palace, but welcomed Jean-Philippe Gbamin back after 20 months out with serious hamstring and Achilles injuries.

To now be without Gomes and Allan when Everton visit relegation-threatened Brighton & Hove Albion next Monday could leave Ancelotti with a serious selection headache, with Davies and Gbamin potentially the only natural central midfield options available.

However, the manager is loath to rush Gbamin back into the team after almost two years out of action, and was not sure whether the Ivory Coast international would be able to feature against Crystal Palace before his 11-minute runout.

“He will put physicality and quality into the squad – and a strong desire to play. It is like we have a new player. We are really pleased to have him back,” Ancelotti said last Friday.

“But we have to consider the fact he didn’t play for at least one year and a half. I don’t know if he is going to play on Monday but, for sure, he will be available.”

If Allan and Gomes join Delph and Doucoure in the treatment room ahead of next week’s trip to Brighton, Ancelotti could look to avoid rushing Gbamin back too soon by unleashing Holgate in the holding midfield role.

Holgate anchored the engine room on two occasions for Everton during Duncan Ferguson’s interim spell in charge at Goodison Park in late 2019, but is yet to be fielded in one of Ancelotti’s starting line-ups outside of a centre or right-back role.

Some Toffees supporters were astonished at Holgate’s performance in the role as Everton drew 1-1 with Manchester United at Old Trafford, having appeared extremely comfortable in the makeshift position.

The 24-year-old boasted a 100% tackle success rate against the Red Devils that day and broke up Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s game plan with three clearances and an interception, for a joint team-high WhoScored match rating of 7.1 out of 10 along with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Holgate’s numbers see him rank first for clearances, average match rating and fourth for interceptions per Premier League game this season among Everton’s central midfielders, with only Davies (1.7), Gylfi Sigurdsson (1.5) and Doucoure (1.3) offering a higher volume of interceptions.

Ancelotti may have been opposed to utilising the 24-year-old in midfield so far, but should unleash the £16.2m-rated enforcer he calls a “fighter” if options are short at Brighton next Monday.

AND in other news, £45k-p/w flop has been backed to seal a summer move amid doubt in his Everton future…