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Wolves are blessed with some incredible players.

You get flair from Joao Moutinho, explosiveness from Adama Traore, natural finishing from Raul Jimenez and a touch of class from Ruben Neves.

But arguably, a less flashy player has been their star man so far this season.

The Midlands outfit top the charts for clean sheets (three) along with local-rivals Aston Villa and that’s in part thanks to the form of utility man Romain Saiss.

Having originally joined the club as a midfielder in a £3m deal from Angers SCO in 2016, the 30-year-old has been an integral part of Nuno Santo’s backline for most of the year.

Throughout last season, the Moroccan international cemented his place in that back three with industrious and strong showings as he filled in for the then-injured Willy Boly.

Now he is regularly deployed alongside him and Wolf Pack skipper Conor Coady.

Per WhoScored, Saiss started 38 matches across the Premier League and Europa League. He averaged 3.7 clearances, 3.6 aerials won, 1.7 tackles and 4.1 long balls per league match last term.

He has since started all six of Wolves’ matches, not only playing in central defence but even at left wing-back in the absence of Jonny and Marcal.

Saiss is undoubtedly an underrated unsung hero amongst the squad, so it should be a major concern that he’s out of contract at the end of the season.

It is perhaps rather strange that Nuno is yet to activate the one-year option in his current deal considering Jimenez, Coady and even Max Kilman have signed long-term extensions in the past month alone.

Traore is thought to be next in line – but why not Saiss? He’s even got a one-year option just waiting to be activated.

It’s a dangerous game to wait on him as this sort of form will surely bring transfer interest during the January transfer window.

Last year, he was linked with a move to Atletico Madrid and that’s when he was warming the bench, so you can only imagine what some teams think now he’s a key man for the Molineux-based outfit.

The £9m-rated versatile monster even been named captain of his national side, a decision teammate and ex-Bayern star Medhi Benatia lauded, he said: “It is he who must take over and supervise young talents. He is impeccable, loved.”

Nuno must tie Saiss down at all costs, it would be unforgivable to not do so.

AND in other news, Wolves dodged one massive bullet with £90k-per-week Jorge Mendes FLOP this summer…

Despite being repeatedly linked to new attackers ahead of the summer transfer window, the one area that Manchester United seemingly need to improve is their defence.

The Red Devils have had no problem finding the back of the net since the restart, scoring 12 goals in their last four games, but defensive lapses are still there to be exploited.

Handing Bournemouth a route back into the game due to Eric Bailly giving away a silly penalty could have cost Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team points had they not been so clinical going forward, and conceding an injury-time equaliser to Southampton is what currently stands between them and a top-four spot.

United fans will be glad to know that they’ve been linked to a £43.2m-rated centre-back this week, with reports circulating that Inter Milan are willing to offer the 20-time champions of England a swap deal involving Milan Skriniar for Anthony Martial.

Skriniar would seemingly bolster the United backline, he’s started 28 league games for a team with the best defensive record in a league famed for its defensive prowess, but is it worth sacrificing their top scorer for him when there could be a player just as good already on the books?

Of course, we’re talking about Chris Smalling.

The 30-year-old has seen a bit of a career resurgence over in Italy, and due to the fact he’s playing in the same league as Skriniar it’s very easy to compare the two.

The Englishman does make fewer tackles per game, but he trumps the Inter man when it comes to interceptions, clearances, catching people offside, making blocks and being dribbled past.

In fact, the 31-cap ace is dribbled past six-times more often than Smalling, and in a league where most teams have incredibly pacy attackers, that could be very costly if United want to bring him in.

Signing defenders from Serie A is always going to be fashionable due to the reputation that league has, but United’s loanee has shown he can hang with the best of them in Italy, and he has more than earnt his chance at another shot at Old Trafford, especially when one of the alternatives is swapping Martial for a defender who has been statistically outperformed by Smalling this term.

Despite the financial uncertainty surrounding football at the moment, Tottenham look set to back Jose Mourinho in the transfer market this summer.

The north London side appear to be on the verge of completing a deal for Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, with a medical set to take place sooner rather than later.

And now, according to The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, Spurs “admire” David Brooks, with Mourinho keen to make changes to build a more balanced squad.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…



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Rated at £18m by Transfermarkt, the Wales international actually proved his potential first with England, winning the ‘Best Player’ award in the 2017 Toulon tournament after scoring twice in the competition – including in the final itself.

Ankle surgery kept him out of action for the majority of the last campaign, although he returned fit for the Premier League’s restart, playing in every single game as Bournemouth slipped to relegation.

The season before however, Brooks really showed why he is more than capable of being a fine signing for Tottenham. He scored seven times and provided five assists in the top-flight alone, with the versatile midfielder averaging 1.4 shots, one key pass and 0.8 dribbles per game.

At just 23, the Welshman has plenty of time to kick on and develop, and his Premier League experience already means he should find it much easier to adapt to Spurs.

Newcastle United’s prospective £300m takeover is in ‘serious doubt’ according to fresh reports from the Guardian this week.It is claimed that the World Trade Organisation have found that Saudi Arabia are behind illegal satellite TV service beoutQ, meaning it may threaten the deal involving the Magpies as it could be a breach of international law.The WTO’s report won’t be made official until mid-June, so there could be a further wait for news from the Premier League in terms of the takeover being approved.However, big Geordie figure Steve Wraith has delivered his verdict on this latest twist as he played it down in a series of tweets.He said:

Wraith suggests that the Premier League would need to find the entire consortium to be involved in the beoutQ scandal – that’s PCP Partners’ Amanda Staveley, the Reuben brothers and crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

He also claims that they won’t be able to do so as the public investment fund is an investment separate to the parties involved in the country’s alleged control of this illegal streaming service.

Think you’re a big Magpies fan? Can you name these former players by looking at their careers? Go on, give it a go…

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As you can see, the whole process has been complicated by this, all whilst the top-flight try to resume the current campaign.

If Saudi’s PIF is indeed separate to the state, then there’s a good chance that the Magpies’ see the green light sometime soon, providing Wraith’s understanding is correct.

AND in other news,ÂLuke Edwards makes worrying claim on Newcastle takeover…

The Daily Record has suggested that Glasgow Rangers should target Swansea City right-back Kyle Naughton this summer.

The 31-year-old currently plays for the Championship club, but he is out of contract this summer and, as such, the newspaper has suggested that the nine-time England U21 international could be perfect for Steven Gerrard’s side as they look to find an able back-up option for James Tavernier.

It is actually a very good suggestion. Naughton, at his age, has years of experience. He has played Premier League football as well as in the Championship, and even appeared in the Europa League during his time with Tottenham before moving to Wales.

Tavernier is fantastic going forward, with him amassing 15 assists last term, but it is often his defensive ability that has questioned. That, though, is where Naughton actually excels. He has regularly averaged over two tackles and 1.5 interceptions per match during his career and, this term, the Swans have conceded 1.16 goals per match with him in the starting XI compared to 1.18 without.

Currently valued at £2.16m by Transfermarkt, signing him on a free transfer would represent a true transfer bargain during a time when it makes sense to be as clever in the transfer market as possible. As such, Ross Wilson and co would be mad not to look into a move for Naughton if the opportunity arises.

Let us know what you think below!

Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil has sent sections of the Emirates Stadium faithful into raptures this week after he posted an image of a former player to Twitter.

Best of the Decade: Top scorers & creators – Can you name them?

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The 31-year-old uploaded his old teammate Serge Gnabry in an Arsenal shirt with the caption “once a Gunner, always a Gunner?” which has left many fans going wild in the responses.

Gnabry has become a sensation in European football since his exit from north London in 2016. He’s clinched a Bundesliga title with current club Bayern Munich, where he also won their Player of the Season award.

This campaign, the electric German winger has found the net 18 times and has even laid on 11 assists in only 33 appearances, via Transfermarkt, becoming one of the most dangerous attackers in the game.

Arsene Wenger let him leave Arsenal for just £4.5m and plenty of supporters are absolutely desperate to see him return home in the near future.

Although, he’s now valued at £81m and without the prospects of Champions League football next season, a move for the 24-year-old would seem rather unlikely.

Here’s a glimpse at what fans have been responding to Ozil with…

AND in other news, Bukayo Saka update has lots of Arsenal supporters FUMING…

Everton fans have been discussing the future of veteran midfielder Fabian Delph this week after one fan account posed the question – “keep or sell?”

And there has been an overwhelming response to get rid of the Englishman.

Delph joined the Toffees in the summer on a three-year deal from Manchester City with the Merseyside outfit paying an initial £8.5m for his services.

The 30-year-old, now valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, has featured in just 20 matches this term, starting 16 of them but evidently, he hasn’t done enough to convince the Goodison Park faithful.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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Since taking the managerial reins, Carlo Ancelotti has predominantly operated a 4-4-2 system, meaning there is only space for two central midfielders and despite having a few options in the role, it is the team’s biggest weakness.

Andre Gomes’ remarkable return from his nasty injury only highlights that even more with Tom Davies the other man in the middle.

Although some supporters are clearly hoping that Delph will be gone by the time next season swings around.

Here’s how they have been reacting…

AND in other news, Everton fans react to emerging Moise Kean news

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Vincent Kompany has stated that his former teammate Bernardo Silva could win the Ballon d’Or one day but will struggle to do so because of other “PR machines” in football.

What did he say?

The former Manchester City captain certainly knows talent when he sees it, having played amongst some of the Premier League’s best down the years. Now, Kompany has hailed Silva as one of those many players and even stated he could win one of the most prestigious prizes in football.

The Anderlecht player-manager has, however, touched on how he will struggle to officially win the award because of his kind and humble nature.

Kompany wrote in his book (as quoted by Manchester Evening News): “Could he one day win the Ballon d’Or? Of course. He could achieve anything but the problem for Bernardo is that he’s so humble.

“He’ll always drop a couple of places in the contenders’ list just because of that.

“There will always be guys that are better at self-promotion and have better PR machines around them.”

Not many better

Silva signed for City two seasons ago for £43m and he has since become an integral part of Pep Guardiola’s dominance over English football. Last season, the former Monaco man scored seven times and provided seven assists as City defended the Premier League title.

The Citizens secured an unprecedented domestic treble last campaign and Silva’s helping hand in this earned him a spot on the Ballon d’Or shortlist. Also, the winger would play five times and score once as Portugal registered another trophy in the UEFA Nations League.

However, Silva is up against the formidable forces of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the running for the award. As you would expect, Silva will go into the ceremony in December having less of a status than those two PR titans.

In the PR game, Silva is a puppy barking at a Rottweiler.

On the pitch, though, he battles with the very best on any field and deserves more credit.

Loads of Tottenham Hotspur fans on Twitter have been reacting to Troy Parrott’s notable absence from the club’s Champions League training session ahead of hosting Olympiacos in north London on Tuesday night.

The 17-year-old may be yet to make either his Premier League or European debut for the first team, but he was often involved in training at this stage when Mauricio Pochettino was manager, even if he then featured for the U19s in the youth league on the afternoon before the senior fixture.

There was no sign of the teenager in what was Jose Mourinho’s first Champions League session as Spurs boss though, which understandably raised some concerns from supporters.

The former Chelsea and Manchester United chief hasn’t exactly been known for his positive work with younger players throughout his managerial career, but his praise for the academy shortly after his appointment suggested he may be open to changing his ways.

The absence of Parrott may suggest that isn’t the case so far, although to be fair to the 56-year-old Oliver Skipp and Japhet Tanganga were both present at Hotspur Way on Monday.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

That didn’t stop Tottenham fans commenting, and while one said they “do worry” about Parrott who has been linked with moves to Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, another individual was “shocked” that he wasn’t involved.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

In other news, Tottenham legend Graham Roberts has made an outrageous transfer swap suggestion following a tweet from Alasdair Gold…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Aston Villa face a trip to Manchester this weekend as the Premier League’s reigning champions play host at the Etihad Stadium.

You’d imagine this is their toughest test since opening the season at the Champions League finalists Tottenham, but having picked up back-to-back victories for the first time this campaign, they’ll have every bit of confidence in snatching a result.

After all, Wolves did manage to before the international break.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

After smashing five past Norwich City, Dean Smith’s side saw off Brighton & Hove Albion thanks to late heroics from Matt Targett.

The summer arrival was found with a deft ball from captain Jack Grealish in the 94th minute before he managed to slot home from an acute angle.

On the Chalkboard

Targett has been an influential player on the left-flank since making his long-awaited debut against Burnley.

In his three Premier League appearances, the 24-year-old has improved game-by-game in terms of rating, and even that hasn’t dipped below 7.01, per WhoScored.

Basically, Villa are unbeaten when Targett is in the starting line up.

His presence offers the west Midlanders an attacking threat, much more so than Neil Taylor, and this shift in attitude has contributed hugely to their upturn in form.

Aston Villa’s summer signings’ performances so far this season are rated in the video below…

Targett is averaging 2.3 key passes and 0.3 dribbles per game compared to the Welshman’s 0.1 and 0 respectively – that’s quite the contrast.

Even defensively, the former Southampton is offering more with 2.3 interceptions and three clearances per match, via WhoScored.

When taking a look at the previous matches of the pair, the contrasting playing styles between both of them is even more apparent, below are the heatmaps from the Brighton and Arsenal games – the latter being the last game in which Taylor started.

The 30-year-old’s focal point is well behind the halfway line (right image), whereas Targett has a heavily intensive area in the opposition’s half (left image).

This is far more than Taylor does, and he was playing against ten men in that match for the best part of an hour.

Yes, really. That’s how defensive-minded he is.

This is only emphasised when looking at their average playing position, which can be seen below for the same fixtures, via WhoScored.

Targett’s average position is bang on the halfway line (left image), with the Welshman’s being much further back.

With the £9m-rated man being able to bomb forward, it has allowed Grealish a chance to thrive in the final third as he can cut inside knowing the 24-year-old is going to be there out wide.

Their partnership should continue to flourish, and that will give Villa the best chance of success in attack – in the last two matches alone they’ve netted seven goals.

Whereas in their previous seven matches before that, Smith’s side only scored eight.