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Wolves U23s manager James Collins heaped praise on youngster Theo Corbeanu after his performance against Doncaster Rovers in the Papa John’s Trophy.

Corbeanu has the world at his feet

The Canadian-born Romanian winger has only recently been introduced to the second string setup after scoring four goals and providing one assist in the U18 Premier League last season. Corbeanu has managed to replicate that form for Collins’ team, scoring twice from his first seven outings (via TransferMarkt).

The 18-year-old played just behind the club’s record signing Fabio Silva, as his Portuguese teammate notched a brace which helped them to a 2-1 win at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Cited by BirminghamLive, Collins was full of praise for Corbeanu and is excited about what is to come from him.

“He’s athletic, tall, can head it, can defend, can dribble past people and score, he can shoot, he can pass, he’s both footed, he’s got a bit of everything,” he said.

“Theo can be anything he wants to be,” Collins continues. “He’s an outstanding prospect. But, and there’s always a but with these players, he’s got to learn to play within the system and play with the others, adapt his game for different scenarios and situations.

“He’s got to keep improving and he knows that, he’s another good kid who wants to learn – but I think Theo can be as good as he wants to be.”

Transfer Tavern take

Corbeanu has made himself one of Collins’ key assets already during this campaign, which could force Nuno Espirito Santo into looking at him for possible first-team appearances further down the line.

Having played alongside Silva so competently, Corbeanu has put his name out there and supporters will now be more away of his ability, thanks to Collins’ generous words about him.

The former Romania U17 international needs to maintain his consistency and ensure that his attitude is spot on. If he can do that, the Molineux faithful could have another future star on their hands.

In other news, Wolves fans beg Nuno Espirito Santo to sign ‘monster’ midfielder.

Former Portugal international Jorge Costa has torn into West Ham United winger Felipe Anderson for the Brazilian’s slack efforts whilst on loan with FC Porto.

Costa, who graduated from the Porto academy before captaining the Liga NOS giants during his playing days, has brandished Anderson as a “big disappointment” during a recent interview with O Jogo.

Anderson joined the Estadio do Dragao natives on a season-long loan this summer after failing to impress David Moyes last term, with the Scot ultimately preferring a sizable loan fee and the Brazilian’s wage being covered than to utilise his services after failing to secure a permanent transfer.

Moyes called on the 27-year-old to start just four of his 10 Premier League appearances between replacing Manuel Pellegrini at the London Stadium and sanctioning the temporary transfer, with Anderson also offering his first and only goal during the Scot’s first top-flight fixture back with the Hammers.

Porto are yet to see any return from their agreement to cover Anderson’s wages, said to be in excess of £100,000-per-week, as the former SS Lazio star Pellegrini signed for a then-club-record £36million has featured for just 49 minutes across all competitions to date.

Porto boss Sergio Conceicao is yet to award the one-time Brazil international his first start, either, instead favouring Anderson from the bench while even leaving the attacker out of his matchday squad to face Olympique de Marseille in the Champions League entirely.

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The forward’s struggles saw Costa, who currently manages Romanian club CS Gaz Metan Medias, tell O Jogo: “Anderson is, for now, a big disappointment.”

The 50-cap ex-international is not the first to question Anderson, either, as Porto boss Conceicao recently told Desporto Ao Minuto that his early impression of the Irons outcast was that he is not committing his all to the Liga NOS side and must forget his prior achievements in order to be a success in the future.

“Felipe has this notion, that in order to return to having brilliant moments as he had, it is necessary to work hard,” he said.

“Anything he does now can have beautiful consequences in the future, and everything that happened no longer matters, he stays at home in the museum. The important thing is what you will do at FC Porto.”

Moyes will undoubtedly agree with Conceicao that all that matters for Anderson right now is what he can achieve with Porto, as any further failings in Portugal this season will cause the West Ham manager to have nightmares in 2021 should he again try and sell him.

Any hopes Anderson has of reviving his Irons career next year will also come short, unless he can prove to Moyes that he can offer more than the one goal from four big chances and four assists recorded throughout the 2019/20 Premier League campaign, per SofaScore.

AND in other news, David Moyes enjoyed a narrow escape on a £31.5m sensation West Ham courted this summer.

As Premier League games go, they don’t come much harder than having to face the reigning Premier League champions. But that’s the task that awaits Aston Villa when they face Liverpool at Villa Park on Sunday night.

Dean Smith rang the chances for the Carabao Cup clash against Stoke City on Thursday, and promptly saw his side crash out of the competition at the last 16 stage.

But he is likely to revert back to his strongest eleven for the Premier League encounter with Jurgen Klopp’s men. However, there may be one player who Smith should look to finally unleash: Jacob Ramsey.

The 19-year-old spent the first-half of last season playing for Villa’s youth sides, before making a loan switch to Doncaster in the January transfer window. And whilst there, the teenager made quite the impression, scoring three goals in just seven League One games.

That form would no doubt have caught Smith’s eye during pre-season back with the club, and it’s been quite telling that the youngster has already played four times with the senior side this season, including picking up an assist in the Carabao Cup victory over Bristol City.

Despite starting all three of Villa’s games in that competition, Ramsey has only been restricted to 13 minutes of Premier League football, coming on as a substitute against Fulham.

The 19-year-old has come through the academy at Villa Park, and given the way Jack Grealish has developed into a superstar and talisman for them, that same path could be trodden by Ramsey too.

The club’s academy manager said: “If he continues to match his undoubted technical ability and eye for a goal with the desire and energy to reach the next level, he will have a bright future in the game.”

All he needs is an opportunity to showcase his talent in the Premier League, and whilst it of course comes with an element of risk, Smith could be more than surprised.

The Southampton union was split up last night as Denmark and England locked horns in their latest international performances. Jannik Vestergaard came off the bench for the Danes, who enjoyed a slim 1-0 victory over an unsteady looking Gareth Southgate side.

The Three Lions picked up a startling two red cards as Harry Maguire and Reece James were given their marching orders. Saints stars Danny Ings and James Ward-Prowse didn’t make it off the bench for England, despite the game crying out for some creative play.

However, their skills haven’t gone unnoticed and Vestergaard has lauded his south coast teammates for their influence on the club. Speaking to Goal.com, the centre-back praised Ings’ huge goal tally from last season – finishing just one goal shy of Jamie Vardy’s Golden Boot winning amount.

A winning formula for Southampton

“I am always madly impressed by his nose for goals – he can sniff them up out of nothing,” Vestergaard said. “He is an amazing player to have in your team and a fantastic person as well.”

Indeed, the former Liverpool man has been a dream signing for Ralph Hasenhuttl. Ings bagged 22 goals in 38 Premier League appearances last season and has already burst out of the blocks this term, netting three goals in four (via Transfermarkt).

Similarly, Ward-Prowse was hailed for his work ethic, with Vestergaard boldly tipping him to have unmatched free-kick skills. “What an engine Ward-Prowse has got! It just never runs out of fuel during games – he is so hard-working for the team,” the 28-year-old said before going on to state that he sees his teammates as close friends of his.

This clear tight-knit chemistry Hasenhuttl’s team has could be key for driving Southampton up the table this season. The duo – both valued at £18million by Transfermarkt – may play a huge part in ensuring the Saints secure a top ten finish at the end of this campaign.

In other news, Theo Walcott comments could see exciting partnership between him and Kyle Walker-Peters…

According to Football Insider, Glasgow Rangers are set to lose out on Terem Moffi as Lorient have had a bid accepted for the striker.

The Gers were linked to the 21-year-old (Score Nigeria via The Boot Room), who only made the move to current club KV Kortijk for £135,000 in January, but it looks as though French side Lorient will now be his next destination.

They have reportedly had a bid of £7.3m accepted for the Nigerian, who is also said to have agreed personal terms.

Moffi has been in terrific form ever since he moved to FK Riteriai in Lithuania. He managed 20 goals in 31 games there before making the move to Belgium, and he has five in 11 so far with his current club, with him having scored once in two matches this term.

At the moment, the striker situation at Ibrox remains unclear. Alfredo Morelos is still at the club as the transfer deadline approaches, but there is still time for him to depart, whilst Kemar Roofe is currently injured, something that has been a problem in recent years. The Gers could arguably do with another striker just to be safe, but it looks like Moffi will not be that man.

Back to the drawing board for Steven Gerrard and Ross Wilson, it seems.

Let us know what you think below!

As the opening week of the Premier League draws nearer, Liverpool continue to keep faith in signing Thiago Alcantara in time.

The Reds have been in talks with Bayern Munich over securing the signature of the Spaniard, but despite a long and ongoing saga, no official offer has been made from the English champions.

The Germans value their midfielder at £26.6million, which is a reasonable amount for a player who has just lifted the Champions League trophy. However, Liverpool are struggling with funds and could be holding out for the sale of Gini Wijnaldum before they can bid for Thiago.

Manchester United are now also reportedly interested in the 29-year-old, with Fredrik A. N. Filtvedt claiming that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made contact with the player (via @LFCTransferRoom).

Loads of Reds fans have responded to this update and some are concerned that their Northern rivals may snub their chances of signing Thiago after all this time. One supporter has tweeted ‘I have a bad feeling’ about the Thiago situation as they suspect a move to United could be on the cards.

Read more replies from the Twitter selection here:

Do you think Thiago could potentially join Manchester United? Have your say in the comments below…

Giovani Lo Celso has excelled in his new role at Tottenham Hotspur ever since the Premier League restarted last month.

After Jose Mourinho decided to give Harry Winks another chance, Lo Celso was deployed further forward, and he was let loose against the Everton defence.

While it may not have been pretty, he played an instrumental part in breaking the deadlock, as Michael Keane deflected his strike into the back of his own net.

Paul Robinson insists he would not swap the Tottenham ace for Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Spurs star claims Lo Celso has been “outstanding” for Mourinho’s side.

Last month, Fernandes revealed Spurs came close to signing him before Sporting Lisbon blocked the deal, via Sky Sports.

Mourinho dismissed his compatriot’s comments and said he would rather have Lo Celso anyway.

After being asked by Dylan Childs if he would swap the Argentine for Fernandes, Robinson admitted he would like to have both of them, but would choose Lo Celso if he was forced to pick between the two.

He told Football Insider “I would like to have them both! Two top-quality players.

“Lo Celso has shown a side to his game that not many people, including myself, knew that he had. He is not afraid to do the hard yards and play as a holding midfielder as well as an attacking midfielder.”

“I certainly would not swap him for Bruno Fernandes. Two outstanding players but Lo Celso has become key to what Spurs do. He’s settled and adapted to life in the Premier League very easily and very quickly.

“He looks to be a very astute signing along with Bergwijn. They are the type of signings that Spurs need. They have changed the team.

“Fernandes is a top player but I would not swap him for Lo Celso.”

It is hard to argue with Robinson here, as Lo Celso pulled all the strings in the 1-0 win over the Toffees.

The midfield maestro was widely touted as Christian Eriksen’s successor but ended up playing in a deeper role alongside Winks before the break. This didn’t stop him from being one of the club’s best players prior to the nationwide lockdown in March.

However, the 24-year-old has burst into life since the restart, as his performances have continued to get better and better with each passing week. Indeed, he earned a solid SofaScore rating of 6.8 in the draw with Manchester United, but bounced back with impressive displays against West Ham and Everton.

While Bruno Fernandes has been in electric form ever since he arrived at Old Trafford in January, the statistics don’t paint the full picture.

Lo Celso only has two goals this season, but these numbers can be attributed to the fact that it has taken him until 2020 to get his shot in central midfield.

Mourinho has let him off the leash over the past week or so, which has given him the freedom to move further forward, and he was unlucky not to score his first Premier League goal after his effort ricocheted off Keane.

It is difficult to believe it will be too far away if the Portuguese sticks with his new system as Lo Celso continues to take new strides in the final third.

That isn’t to say Fernandes wouldn’t make an immediate impact, as the evidence is there for all to see, the fact remains Lo Celso is arguably a better fit for where Spurs are at right now.

It is highly likely he will stick around for the foreseeable future, whereas Fernandes will no doubt be attracting attention from Barcelona and Real Madrid, which could unsettle the United squad.

Mourinho’s side are currently eighth in the table, eleven points behind fourth-placed Leicester, tied with Sheffield United on 48 points.

All hope of claiming silverware this season is basically over at this point and he will be looking to plan ahead for next season instead.

Tottenham fans, who would you choose? Let us know down below!

Newcastle United’s prospective £300m takeover has been a long and drawn-out process and it appears as if it is still quite some way off from being resolved.Premier League CEO Richard Masters didn’t give much away when asked about the current situation during an interview with Sky Sports’ Bryan Swanson but he did hint towards ‘timing’ not being an issue – meaning this is surely set to rumble on.And Keith Downie has responded on Twitter, questioning previous reports that have suggested the takeover being given the ‘green light’ in recent weeks.He said:

Downie believes that there is still plenty of work to be done and given it has taken nearly two months already, the Magpies faithful are going to be far from pleased with the news.

The Premier League have also had to deal with ‘Project Restart’ and following their announcement that the season will resume in mid-June, it is hoped that their focus can now be put towards approving the takeover.

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AND in other news,ÂLee Ryder slams Mike Ashley for contract situation…

Having conceded 40 goals in the Premier League this season – the joint-most of anyone in the top ten – it’s no surprise to hear Tottenham being interested in making some defensive reinforcements this summer.

The latest player to be linked with a switch to north London? Hellas Verona’s Marash Kumbulla.

According to Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Spurs have earmarked the centre-back as a potential option to replace Belgium international Jan Vertonghen, who reports claim is set to leave on a free transfer when his contract comes to an end.

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The report adds that Spurs could face intense competition from Premier League rivals Everton, and Serie A giants Inter.

After hearing about the links to the 20-year-old, Spurs fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their rumoured transfer target.

One Spurs fan in particular however, raised some concerns about potentially signing Kumbulla, wondering whether he could be another Vlad Chiriches.

At just 20-years-old, Kumbulla could well be the future of Spurs’ defence.

If Vertonghen does indeed leave north London this summer, then going after someone who is considerably younger may be the way to go, particularly with the financial impact of the current situation set to take effect for the next couple of seasons at least.

Kumbulla may be the answer for Spurs.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans react to this PL star’s admission.

Having joined Liverpool’s youth set-up back in 2013, Pedro Chirivella has been a familiar name to fans of the Anfield side for a number of years now.

The Spaniard made his first-team debut under Brendan Rodgers when he came on as a first-half substitute for Kolo Toure in a Europa League group stage clash against Bordeaux.

But since then, Chirivella has struggled massively to really make a big impression on the Liverpool first-team, spending a number of seasons out on loan at sides like Go Ahead Eagles and Willem II in the Netherlands.

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The biggest news surrounding the now 22-year-old was his inclusion in an EFL Cup tie against MK Dons when it was later revealed that he was actually ineligible to play.

Despite the lack of real opportunities at Anfield – he has played just 11 times for the senior side in his entire career – Liverpool’s former U23s manager Neil Critchley waxed lyrical about Chirivella back in February.

He said: “For such a young player and a young person, he has unbelievable intelligence and experience of playing the game and he passes that on to everyone around him. He is first on the training ground every day, he plays like a real leader and the boys love him for that.”

But the fact is, at 22, Chirivella is hardly a “young player” anymore. With his contract coming to an end this summer, Jurgen Klopp must be ruthless with the Spaniard and simply let him walk away on a free transfer.

Having him in the squad simply eats up a first-team spot that could quite easily go to an academy graduate trying to make their name at Anfield.

Chirivella hasn’t shown anything to suggest that he could be someone who the Reds can build their midfield around, and it’s exactly why they should part ways with him this summer.

Meanwhile, Liverpool fans react to links with this Ligue 1 ace.