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Taking to Twitter, Fichajes reporter Ekrem Konur has now backed an exciting West Ham United development involving defender Vladimir Coufal.

The Lowdown: Big news on Coufal emerges…

Near the end of last week, some major news emerged out of Rush Green on the Czech Republic international’s east London future.

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Indeed, as first reported by journalist Roshane Thomas of The Athletic, the 29-year-old has now reportedly put pen to paper on a new deal at West Ham – becoming the first in a long line of players rumoured to be the subject of fresh terms.

This comes after there was an original delay in negotiations due to Coufal allegedly being unsatisfied with the club’s intial offer (Sky Sports).

The Latest: Konur backs Coufal development…

Now, taking to social media, Turkish reporter Konur has backed this exciting Coufal news out of West Ham whilst also sharing what he’s heard on the length of the deal.

The right back will apparently extend his current deal for another four years, coming after a fantastic debut season at the London  Stadium last year.

“West Ham will extend Vladimir Coufal’s contract until 2025,” Konur explained on Twitter.

The Verdict: Big boost for West Ham…

Lauded as ‘unbelievable’ and a ‘machine’ by club legend Mark Noble, it’s safe to say Coufal penning a new deal will come as a major boost.

Playing his way into the hearts of West Ham supporters, quickly becoming a favourite, he impressively made the joint-most tackles per 90 in the Premier League for Moyes’ side over 2020/2021 (WhoScored).

It’s certainly safe to say that Irons supporters will be overjoyed to see him tied down.

In other news: ‘Yessss’, ‘Beautiful’, ‘This is massive’…Many West Ham fans erupt as club confirm ‘actually brilliant news’, find out more here.

Everton could go back in for a right-back in January, says former Toffees defender Michael Ball.

During the summer transfer window, Everton were heavily linked with a few players for that position, including both Denzel Dumfries and Nathan Patterson.

However, the Merseyside club failed to sign either, with Dumfries instead moving to Inter Milan and Patterson remaining at Rangers. It leaves Everton looking a bit light at right-back.

They do, of course, still have the experienced Seamus Coleman. But should anything happen to him, then Rafael Benitez’s men could find themselves in trouble.

Bearing that in mind, Ball expects his former side to revisit signing a right-back when the transfer window reopens in the new year. He told FFC:

“I think they would have panicked in the past and just paid the money that maybe Rangers wanted for Nathan Patterson; they might have offered more money for [Ainsley] Maitland-Niles just to get the deal over the line.

“I feel Everton could revisit this right-back option in January or next summer.”

Everton still have Jonjoe Kenny in their squad, who played in the 2-1 Carabao Cup second-round win against Huddersfield Town, so there is always that option for Benitez if Coleman picks up an injury.

A 2-2 draw with one of the Premier League’s top-flight teams is a result that Wolves will have happily taken after their languid start to the campaign.

Sadly, that outcome came in the Carabao Cup where Bruno Lage’s men ultimately had to settle for a penalty shootout defeat at Molineux to Tottenham.

It was the second time this season that Nuno Santo has got the better of his former employers and they must now be sick of the sight of the Portuguese.

There were negatives again in the way that Wolves defended, but at long last, they were scoring goals.

The Old Gold have only found the net via their own player once in the top-flight this term so when Leander Dendoncker and Daniel Podence found the net, it will have brought great joy to Lage and the club’s supporters.

The less said about Dendoncker’s penalty, however, the better.

His miss was made worse by Ruben Neves’ moments before and then skipper Conor Coady rattling the crossbar as the Midlands outfit crashed out.

Yet, one of the most disappointing performances on Wednesday evening was undoubtedly Fabio Silva’s.

It was a rare opportunity for the teenager to shine and it was surprising that he started. Raul Jimenez wasn’t included in the squad and it was expected that summer signing, Hwang Hee-chan, started instead.

He did begin on the flanks but it was Wolves’ club-record signing who was given the chance to steal the headlines.

Unfortunately, his display was extremely abject. Silva has shown glimpses of his enormous quality since arriving 12 months ago but for a player that cost £35.6m, you’d expect more than a return of four goals in 42 outings.

Game time has been limited for the youngster but even when he’s played, Silva has done little to justify the selection or his enormous price tag.

That was perfectly evident in the clash with Spurs in midweek when he was dragged off at half time after making a very minimal impact on the pitch.

The striker had fewer touches of the ball (13) than goalkeeper John Ruddy (29) while he made a measly six passes at a success rate of only 67%.

Silva struggled to hold onto the ball and ultimately lost possession every 2.6 times he received it from his teammates.

His abilities were limited so significantly that he had just one shot and was then bullied into losing 80% of his physical battles.

Based on this performance and the vast majority of his showings in the 2020/21 campaign, Silva has not been worth the money.

AND in other news, Signed for £18m, now worth £50m: Fosun played a blinder over “unbelievable” Wolves ace…

Sunderland head into their League One clash against MK Dons this afternoon on a high after winning their opening two matches of the campaign.

Supporters are typically full of optimism heading into a new season and so far Sunderland are living up to expectations following wins over Wigan and Port Vale. The Black Cats beat the Latics 2-1 in League One on the opening day of the season and then defeated Port Vale by the same score to progress through to the next round of the Carabao Cup earlier this week.

They will be hoping to maintain their 100% record as they travel to Stadium MK and it will be intriguing to see how Lee Johnson approaches the game, and whether he decides to change up his team after playing two games in the space of five days leading up to this match.

What changes should Johnson make? Here is our predicted XI for the game…

We are tipping Johnson to make eight changes to his team from this week’s win over Port Vale to freshen up his side against MK Dons.

Starting off between the sticks, we are predicting that Anthony Patterson is handed the goalkeeping duties for this match ahead of Lee Burge. Johnson alternated between them in the first two matches, which potentially indicates that he is still torn between them for the number one position.

Against Wigan, Burge made two saves and conceded one goal as he recorded a WhoScored rating of 6.37 for his performance. The £2k-per-week ‘keeper also made two high claims to retrieve the ball from crosses. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Patterson was handed an impressive WhoScored rating of 7.21 against Port Vale in the Carabao Cup. He won three aerial duels to claim the ball under pressure, whilst also making three saves and completing two high claims.

This suggests that he had the much better game out of the pair and therefore deserves to be named as the number one for the game against MK Dons, as he has performed to a higher level this season on the limited evidence available.

Ahead of this game, we urged Johnson to unleash Dennis Cirkin for his debut following his move to the club from Tottenham. The left-back has arrived on Wearside as a permanent transfer and is now the club’s only recognised left-back option, with young midfielder Dan Neil having played out of position in defence of late.

With Cirkin now in the building and available for selection, we are predicting that the gaffer will bring him into the starting XI. Not only is he an exciting young talent who could surprise people and make an impact, but it also allows Johnson to stop using Neil out of position, as the 19-year-old struggled against Wigan, when he earned a lowly WhoScored rating of 6.40.

In terms of the rest of the changes, we are backing Callum Doyle, Corry Evans, Carl Winchester, Aiden McGeady, Elliot Embleton and Ross Stewart all to return to the side after they started and impressed against Wigan on the opening day of the League One season, following their rests against Port Vale. They should now be fit and ready to fire on all cylinders this weekend, as none of the other players who came in against Port Vale did enough in our view to displace them.

AND in other news, Alan Nixon drops claim on £13k-p/w Sunderland “leader”, Lee Johnson will be relieved…

Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be in advanced talks for Barcelona youngster Ilaix Moriba, as reported by Calciomercato journalist Daniele Longo on Twitter.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye quality over quantity

Starting off 2021/22 with three wins out of four, Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo will be keen to continue this positive momentum by acquiring applicable talent for his squad before the window slams shut.

Adopting an approach of quality over quantity, the Portuguese coach has managed to bring in three additions in the form of Pierluigi Gollini, Bryan Gil and Cristian Romero [Transfermarkt].

Now, they could be set to snap up a prodigious young talent following recent reports.

The Latest: Talks at an ‘advanced stage’ for Barcelona midfielder Moriba

According to well respected reporter Longo on Twitter, talks between the Lilywhites and Barcelona are said to be at an ‘advanced stage’ for 6 foot 1 Moriba.

‘There is confidence’ that the deal will get pushed over the line, with ‘various details’ still to be ironed out before the move can be formalized.

He was rumoured to be over in London last weekend to hold talks with Chelsea, however it now appears that Spurs may have been the club to initiate discussions [The Sun].

The Verdict: Moriba would be an exciting signing for Tottenham

Offering bustling energy and the ability to instigate attacks from midfield, Moriba would be an exciting signing for Spurs with lots of room to improve.

In 2020/21, the Guinean managed to feature 18 times for the Barcelona first-team, registering one goal and three assists in all competitions [Transfermarkt].

Operating predominantly as a central midfielder, his ability to dictate play is a hallmark of the famous La Masia youth academy, recording a pass accuracy rate of 91.5% last term [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘incredible’ by former Barcelona B boss Garcia Pimienta, Tottenham Hotspur should look to close a deal out before the end of the transfer window [Barca Blaugranes].

In other news, Tottenham have managed to ‘reach’ an agreement with a Spain international, find out who here.

Many Wolves fans have been left fuming as a transfer update emerged on Owen Otasowie.

As per The Daily Telegraph, the USA international, who has just a year left on his current deal, has reportedly rejected a contract offer at the Midlands club.

He could leave Molineux for around £6m before the summer window shuts, with both Wolfsburg and Anderlecht interested in his signature.

At 20 years of age, Otasowie is a player who has a lot of potential, even though was only sporadically used in the first team by former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo last season, playing just six games in total and supplying one assist (Transfermarkt).

Wolves are pretty scarce in the central midfield position as well, and so it would seem like a strange move to let him go when he could be a valuable member of Bruno Lage’s squad over the coming months.

Wolves fans on Otasowie transfer update

These Wolves supporters fumed as the exit rumour was shared on Twitter, with one claiming that it would be ‘awful’ if Otasowie is sold and another venting their frustration at Nuno for giving him precious little game-time:

“Nahhhhhhhhhh I’m actually vexed – I really liked the kid and I’ll never forget how he made Kante look like a small boy in that Chelsea game”

Credit: @__Grav

“THIS ISN’T THE NEWS WE WANTED”

Credit: @_TightWadBill

“We’ll regret this if he does leave”

Credit: @AdamWWFC_

“Nuno you actual fraud”

Credit: @Mowiiiiiii

“Would be extremely poor if we let him go. If he wasn’t injured I’d imagine he would challenging for a starting role with how Lage plays.”

Credit: @parker_bradley

“This would be an awful loss.”

Credit: @Millenwwfc

In other news, find out what pre-season event had these Wolves fans fuming

Aston Villa fans have been handed an exciting update on their pursuit of Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Dean Smith’s side are lining up a swoop for the Saints star, having already confirmed an early window deal for Norwich’s Emi Buendia.

Then, in an article for The Athletic, David Ornstein appeared to pour cold water over such a move, saying: “The Athletic understands Southampton would be incredibly reluctant to sell their captain to a direct rival and they realise he is their most highly-valued asset. He has just signed a new contract with them.”

But now, The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath has revealed that both Villa, and fellow Premier League side Spurs, are still after Ward-Prowse and are now preparing to make a move for him after the season gets underway.

Dean Smith will be buzzing

While Ward-Prowse may not be the typical holding midfielder that Gregg Evans has said Villa want, he’s certainly got the quality to be a superb deep-lying play-maker for the Midlands club were he to join this summer.

Last season saw him net eight goals and provide another seven assists in the Premier League alone, which would have ranked him in the top three for both categories for Villa.

And, after speculation first emerged over Villa’s interest in the Saints midfielder, Noel Whelan backed a summer move for him.

He said: “I’m not surprised he wants to move. Villa are showing real intent early on. I think the move will materialise, it’s happening. They have already got Buendia through the door so it really is exciting times for Aston Villa fans.

“If they can get James Ward-Prowse as well, another international, they could really reach that next level. He was very unlucky not to be in the England squad for the Euros. He would add serious competition for places.”

Reports have suggested that Smith has made Ward-Prowse a leading midfield target of his, so news that the club haven’t been put off by Southampton’s rumoured stance, and are ready to go in again, will have him absolutely buzzing.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has delivered an Aston Villa transfer update…

An update has emerged on Everton target Rafael Leao, regarding how much AC Milan want for his services.

What’s the talk?

According to Calcio Mercato, Milan are willing to listen to offers in the region of £26m (€30m) for Everton transfer target Rafael Leao this summer.

The report claims Mino Raiola is attempting to get him a move to the Premier League.

Richarlison 2.0

Marcel Brands and Rafa Benitez must work together to seal a deal for Leao this summer as he could be Richarlison 2.0 for the Toffees. The Milan forward is a quality young attacker who could come in and provide an extra option at the top end of the pitch to challenge the Brazilian and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Goalscoring was a big issue for the Blues last season, with Calvert-Lewin the only player who managed more than seven Premier League strikes. Richarlison and James Rodriguez provided seven and six respectively, with no other forwards managing more than one goal.

Therefore, Everton are in desperate need of an extra goalscorer to come in this summer. That is where Leao could be the perfect addition as he scored seven goals and provided six assists in just 24 starts.

This suggests that he could get near double figures for goals and assists if he is given more starts in the league by the Toffees than Milan were able to offer him.

Former striker Rolando Bianchi once lauded him as spectacular. The ex-forward also previously said that Leao was playing like a great player. He said:

“Leao is very young and is having a great season. Sometimes young people give the impression of mirroring themselves a bit, but his performances are that of a great player. I had seen him at the U20 World Cup with Portugal and he made spectacular plays. He has great speed, he has a touch of the ball.”

Richarlison is also a young talent, but the comparisons between the two do not end there. They are also both right-footed attackers who can play out on the left-wing or through the middle as centre-forwards. Both players are keen dribblers, as they like to run at players with the ball to create chances and score goals.

Therefore, Everton could land their next Richarlison by bringing Leao to the club for £26m. At the age of 22, he also has plenty of room for development and could improve over time, which means that he is a player Benitez could work with on the training pitch to continue his growth.

AND in other news, Everton must act swiftly to land dream deal for powerhouse who “towers above” players…

Four youngsters are expected to leave Leeds United in the summer transfer window as they look to push on elsewhere in their careers.

The Lowdown: Leeds look to go up a gear

Marcelo Bielsa’s side secured an impressive ninth-place finish back in the Premier League in 2020/21, standing out as a hugely entertaining team in scoring 62 goals and conceding 54.

Leeds must now push on and look to do even better next season, which may require top-quality new signings being brought into Elland Road.

For the young players at the club, their chances of playing time could become more unlikely if there is a summer influx, and a fresh update has emerged regarding four academy talents.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Quartet on the move?

According to Football Insider, Robbie Gotts, Niall Huggins, Jordan Stevens and Bryce Hosannah could all move on this summer.

Leeds are thought to be ‘keen’ on sealing permanent exits for the quartet prior to the September 1 cutoff at the end of the transfer window.

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The Verdict: Makes perfect sense

Football at the top level is ruthless, and while it is sad to see talented youngsters being moved on, it may be best for all parties at Leeds.

The Whites have reached a stage where they need readymade top-level players in order to compete in the Premier League, and it is hard to see academy prospects making a real difference to Bielsa’s first team.

If they do leave, Gotts, Huggins, Stevens and Hosannah will all hopefully flourish elsewhere and ultimately prove to Leeds that they were wrong to sell them.

In other news, one club have demanded €35m for a rumoured Leeds target’s services. Find out who it is here.

Crystal Palace confirmed on Tuesday that they have cancelled their pre-season friendly with Portsmouth.

And, as to be expected, a number of Palace fans have been reacting to the update on social media.

The Eagles, who are currently at St George’s Park for a week-long training camp, were set to face the League One side in their first friendly on Friday.

However, that is now off, with Palace not revealing the reason why the behind closed doors fixture had to be postponed.

New manager Patrick Vieira won’t have to wait too much longer to see his Palace side in action, though.

A meeting with Walsall this Saturday is now the club’s first pre-season fixture, with a 1 pm kick-off in the West Midlands.

Palace fans react

Palace shared the news regarding the Portsmouth fixture on their official Twitter page. This is what these Eagles supporters had to say in reply, with one describing it as ’embarrassing’ and others believing it could be due to a lack of first-team players.

“Out of curiosity, when do we have to submit the 25 man squad list to the PL? I think we’re end up signing 6 but some of the youngsters are going to have to be fast tracked to up their age groups/to the first team because of our situation. Not seen anything like it”Credit: @CPFCMOORE”embarrassing and disappointing not only wasting our time but other clubs why not tweet when we can actually field a squad”Credit: @guitarman_180″This is Embarrassing.”Credit: @dansmudger”one month to go and we still can’t field an 11″Credit: @LlLFishy”Gonna confirm why?”Credit: @palace_tommy”do you reckon it’s actually because we don’t have any players”Credit: @aaroncpfc

In other news: ‘Kidding me?’ – Many Palace fans fume as transfer talks emerge, find out more here.