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Sheffield Wednesday flop Matt Penney is one foot closer to the exit door at Hillsborough after a fresh report emerged this week…

What’s the word?

According to The Star, the 23-year-old Owls defender is on the radar of Championship rivals Queens Park Rangers ahead of the summer transfer window.

Penney, a graduate of the club’s academy in south Yorkshire, is out of contract at the end of the season and no fresh talks have been held with Wednesday’s league status still uncertain.

The Hoops are keeping tabs on his situation as he could be available on a free transfer in just a few months’ time.

Let him go

As outlined in the report, the Owls have put contract talks on the backburner until they know which division they’ll be competing in next season, and at this stage it certainly looks likely that they will be relegated to League One.

However, they should be glad that a decision could already be made for them over the struggling left-back, as he’s simply not worthy of fresh terms at Hillsborough. After returning from a season-long loan at 2.Bundesliga outfit St Pauli, the club exercised a one-year option on Penney’s contract to keep him around for the current campaign.

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However, it is rather telling that he has only gone on to feature 12 times in the Championship despite the Owls not having any other left-back in their squad.

Since Darren Moore has taken over, both utility man Adam Reach and right-back Liam Palmer have been preferred in the role, whilst the 5 foot 8 ace ranks among Wednesday’s worst performers, as per WhoScored ratings. Penney’s 6.45 average is only above five other players to start ten or more league games, and figures such as his 62.4% passing accuracy and 1.1 fouls per game are reasons why he has underperformed greatly.

Garry Monk saw something in him to warrant that extension last summer, telling The Star: “Potential-wise, when I look at the profile of Matt, the characteristics of him, he’s what we’re after – young, hungry and dynamic. He has the technical ability as well.”

Former Owls boss Jos Luhukay, who signed him on loan for St Pauli, has evidently always been a fan and once claimed: “He has been fantastic in that left-back position. He plays with no fear, he is not afraid and he is a very good player for us. I am so happy with him.”

However, we’ve never really seen him live up to such hype at Hillsborough, so Wednesday shouldn’t fret amid interest from QPR. Instead, they should be glad they can finally wave goodbye to the 23-year-old flop.

It’s time to move on this summer.

AND in other news, Worrying update emerges over £20k-p/w “leader”, it’s bad news for Moore…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has hailed Aston Villa assistant head coach Craig Shakespeare for the impact he has had at the club.

Shakespeare, who has spent time working with Leicester City and the England national team, was added to Villa’s backroom staff by manager Dean Smith in August 2020 as the 49-year-old looked to add more experience to his coaching team.

That coaching team, of course, also includes former Chelsea and England captain John Terry, and Palmer believes the ex-central defender and Shakespeare have played a massive part in Villa’s defensive improvement this season. He told FFC:

“Conceding goals was a major thing that they had to address. I think he’s [Smith] done a fantastic job, he really has. I think his recruitment of Craig Shakespeare… been number two to Nigel Pearson, number two to Sam Allardyce at Everton, fantastic. He really is a fantastic coach.

“So he’s done well recruiting that and, of course, he’s got an ex-England international centre-back there. So obviously that will help with the defensive side of things.”

Without a doubt, the Villans have been exceptional in defence this term. In 27 league games, Smith’s men have conceded just 28 goals (per WhoScored). Only Chelsea (25) and title favourites Manchester City (21) have managed to register better records in that department.

It is quite the shift from last season, with Villa conceding 67 goals by the end of the 2019/20 Premier League campaign, the second-worst record in the division.

The Midlands club have also managed to keep 14 clean sheets this term, a number that only Chelsea (15) and Manchester City (16) can once again beat, really putting into perspective how solid they have been since last September.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United man Steve Howey has been discussing the injury to Fabinho ahead of Leicester vs Liverpool this weekend.

The Brazilian is set to miss the trip to the King Power Stadium due to a minor muscle injury, leaving Jurgen Klopp with very few centre-back options ahead of the game against the high-flying Foxes.

Liverpool did bring in Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies during the January transfer window and it seems likely that at least one of them will appear against Brendan Rodgers’ side in Saturday’s early kick-off.

Here’s what Howey had to say when speaking exclusively to FFC:

“Well, you’ve got to look at them in training, which Klopp obviously has. I think that you’d probably take one, and [play Henderson alongside him]. I would’ve thought, I’d be pulling Henderson and telling him ‘I’m putting him in, be around all this week’, so it’s not a major shock to the system.

“With these two lads coming in, they might be like ‘what the hell’, because Jordan Henderson’s giving them a right volley because they haven’t put the ball within an inch of where he wants it to be. I would have thought the manager probably will try one of them this week with Fabinho not there. Which one it is, I don’t know, it depends on which one he feels his ready at this particular point.”

Howey clearly feels that one of Kabak or Davies will start alongside Henderson against Leicester on Saturday and suggests that Klopp has most likely told his captain to help prepare the new signings this week so that they are ready for the high standards that Liverpool demand from their players.

It will be interesting to see which, if any, of the new signings make their debuts against Leicester, for what is a game that the Reds arguably cannot afford to lose if they still have hopes of retaining the Premier League title this season.

And, in other news… Klopp suffers huge blow ahead of Leicester as James Pearce confirms injury to “world-class” beast

Rob Lee spoke exclusively to Football FanCast as he claims he sees similarities in Allan Saint-Maximin which his former teammate, David Ginola, possessed.

Ginola, like Saint-Maximin, had that flare that gets fans excited and on the edge of their seats, but that does come with its problems, which Lee experienced first hand.

They both could be seen as luxury players in Newcastle United’s team. However, those players can win games on their own, something Lee admitted Ginola was all too good at doing.

The former french winger was a standout player under Kevin Keegan before his move to Tottenham Hotspur. However, Lee claims that it could sometimes be frustrating for the other players when Ginola was having a below-average game.

Lee, who made over 300 appearances for Newcastle, admits you have to free the reins on players such as Ginola and Saint-Maximin, telling FFC.

“He’s a bit like David Ginola that we used to have, you had to let him go and do what he wants to do.

“The rest of the team have to understand that sometimes he’s going to be rubbish, sometimes he’s going to lose the ball every time.

“On his day, he could drag the team single-handedly. On another day, he’d be trying to do the same things and be losing the ball and the rest of the team would have to have to cope with that.

“When you have those sort of players you have to let them go, you can’t say to him you’re playing you on the left but you have to always get all the way back because that’s not what he’s good at.

“That’s not why you put him in the team, you put him in the team to attack, to score goals and create goals, not defend for 80 minutes.”

Saint-Maximin has scored six goals and provided a further 10 assists in 46 appearances for Newcastle to date.

Many fans of West Ham United have been reacting to a post on Twitter in which Jesse Lingard reflected on the Hammers’ weekend Premier League draw with Arsenal.

Following the 3-3 stalemate with the Gunners, a game in which Lingard scored one goal and registered one assist, the 28-year-old took to Twitter, claiming that he and his team were “disappointed not to take the 3 points” from the fixture, but that he felt West Ham “have come a long way” and that he is “proud to be a part of it.”

Since joining David Moyes’ side on a five-month loan deal back in the January transfer window, the £13.5m-rated attacking midfielder has been in remarkable form over his seven league appearances for the Hammers, scoring five goals and providing two assists, as well as averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.48 – ranking him as the seventh-best player in the entirety of the top flight.

In reaction to his post on Twitter, numerous fans of West Ham flocked to have their say on the matter, with many heaping a considerable amount of praise on the England international, while others begged the Manchester United loanee to stay at their club beyond his current temporary deal.

So, what exactly did these West Ham United fans have to say in reaction to Jesse Lingard’s post on Twitter?

“Incredible performance yet again, now we need to focus on getting top six.”

@ScoutSoucek

“You do us proud, don’t leave us.”

@SamanthaWalsh1

“Makes us all very happy to read that, what a player you are, if we can sign only one player next season, it has to be you!”

@WHUFCRAIG008

“Pls don’t leave us I beg.”

@WhuEthan

“Please stay that’s all I want.”

@WHUSP3

“Love this positivity.”

@umesh_fpl

In other news: these West Ham fans flocked to a claim from ExWHUEmployee – find out more here!

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly made contact over a Serie A defender this week…

What’s the word?

According to Sport Italia journalist Gianluigi Longari, Spurs are one of several European teams to register interest in out-of-contract Juventus teenager Radu Dragusin.

He claims that the Serie A giants are working to tie him to a new deal, but the north London outfit alongside Newcastle United and RB Leipzig are trying to poach him on a pre-contract agreement.

The 18-year-old only signed a one-year deal with Juventus in September having joined from Regal Bukarest’s U18 squad in 2018.

The future Van Dijk?

This certainly isn’t going to be a move for right now, nor will the 6 foot 3 Romanian colossus be the “pacey” centre-back Spurs boss Jose Mourinho wants to reportedly sign before the transfer deadline on February 1st.

But it would still be a smart decision as it shows there is still one eye on the future and under the Portuguese veteran, plenty of academy stars have been given a fair opportunity – Alfie Devine, Oliver Skipp, Harvey White and Dane Scarlett, to name just a few.

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Interestingly, I Bianconeri manager Andrea Pirlo has trusted the youngster with game time this term. Dragusin made his senior debut for the club last month, coming on as a substitute against Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League group stages.

After which, Pirlo praised him publically, claiming: “He’s physically very strong. He’s very young and must develop on a technical level, but he will have time to do it, training every day with great champions.”

Dragusin has since done the exact same in the league, featuring from the bench against Genoa before starting their Coppa Italia encounter less than ten days ago, so clearly he’s very well thought of by one of the game’s greats, and that should be enough for a team like Spurs to strike.

If it’s not, then perhaps his likeness to Virgil van Dijk can be more convincing.

Indeed, the rising starlet has told reporters about how he’s modelled his entire game on Liverpool’s defensive monster. The pair are both physically imposing figures, the Dutchman being only one inch taller.

Not to mention the pair having very similar hairstyles, undoubtedly the young centre-back admires the Reds’ beast considerably.

Whilst Dragusin has also admitted that he has tried to “steal” secrets from Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini in training, so if he can even become half the player of any of the three aforementioned stars, then he’s certainly going to be one hell of a player one day.

Obviously, a lot needs to be done as he’s only 18, but the fact that he’s making waves at Juventus already, rather than having to make a name for himself at a Groinigen or a Celtic like Van Dijk is a hugely promising sign.

If Levy can seal him on a pre-contract agreement ahead of the Italian giants, then it could prove to be quite the coup later down the line.

AND in other news, Spurs interest in the next Vidic spells trouble for £42m flop…

Ralph Hasenhuttl has sent Southampton striker Danny Ings a message as the speculation around his future continues.

Hasenhuttl pushes Ings

Ings has been offered a new contract at St. Mary’s Stadium. His current deal still runs until 2022, but the Saints are eager to see him commit his long-term future to the club.

Hasenhuttl has been talking about his star striker’s situation at the club, and he has made it clear that he does not rely on one single player – if Ings does not want to sign a new deal, Southampton will move on. The boss said:

“Danny has come from a bigger club and he knows what he has, now he is here.

“I see in every training session how much he enjoys playing here, but he also sees that there are now more and more players committing to our way and signing new contracts.

“As I said, who wants to be part of this, is invited to come.

“I think the offer we made him is a fantastic one and, in my opinion, we showed him how much we want him to stay here and the rest is on him.

“Now he has to take the responsibility for this and we will have to live with it too.

“We are not addicted to one player only and we must always have a squad that can replace anybody.

“We have a good core now after extending contracts and we have a few players negotiating.

“We are building the future at the moment and those who want to come with us are heartily invited.”

Strong mindset

It is fantastic to see Hasenhuttl refusing to put too much importance on Ings. In reality, he will know the £18m-valued former Liverpool forward (Transfermarkt) is vital to the success of his team, as his 28 goals in his last 46 Premier League matches reveal. However, he cannot afford to be held to ransom by any specific player.

If Ings does move on, Southampton will too. Plenty of top players have been and gone at St. Mary’s – the south-coast outfit are no strangers to losing some of their star performers – so Ings will just be the latest addition to an ever-growing list. He does appear to be enjoying his football under Hasenhuttl, though – hopefully that will be enough to convince him to stay at the club.

In other news, the price has been set for the Southampton target compared to Lionel Messi.

Carlo Ancelotti is facing the “impossible” task of finding a like-for-like replacement for Richarlison with Everton potentially without the Brazilian at Sheffield United on Boxing Day.

According to The Guardian, the Goodison Park natives are waiting anxiously for word on whether or not Richarlison can take to the field at Bramall Lane on Saturday night as he continues to be assessed for a potential concussion.

The 23-year-old was substituted off during the Toffees’ Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester United on Wednesday night under the orders of the club’s doctor, having received an elbow to the head in an accidental collision with Eric Bailly.

Ancelotti has insisted Everton will not breach the Football Association’s concussion protocols and field Richarlison regardless, after he claimed “everything is fine” in a message shared on Twitter.

Everton will be hoping Richarlison can feature at Bramall Lane as they strive to secure a fourth-straight Premier League victory to maintain the club’s position in the top-four places, as the Toffees are yet to win a top-flight fixture without the Brazilian since his arrival in 2018.

Ancelotti will also be without James Rodriguez after confirming the Colombian will miss the festive meetings with Sheffield United and Manchester City with the same calf injury that has sidelined the 29-year-old for the Blues’ last three league games.

“Without Richarlison, we know it will be difficult,” Ancelotti said. “If he had a concussion he has to stay out, we have to follow the protocols, and we have to be able to replace him better than what we did when he was not here.

“James will not be available for the next few games and it is a challenge for us to replace them both.”

Everton lost all three Premier League fixtures while without Richarlison earlier in the season following his red card at home to Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby, during which Ancelotti admitted it is “impossible” to find a like-for-like replacement for the 23-year-old with who he already has at the club.

Ancelotti will be keen to see Everton avoid a repeat of their struggles while Richarlison was suspended should he not be able to feature against Sheffield United on Boxing Day, knowing the £50m record signing accounts for much of the Toffees’ offensive advances.

No Everton player has registered a higher number of successful dribbles than Richarlison (32), who ranks second to Dominic Calvert-Lewin (39) for total shots (24) in Premier League fixtures and third for big chances created (3), per SofaScore.

Only Calvert-Lewin (11) and Rodriguez (3) have scored more often than Richarlison (2), too, with fellow forwards Alex Iwobi, Anthony Gordon and Cenk Tosun yet to find the back of the net.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands will have to ditch his favoured Everton approach to sign a sought-after £18m enforcer.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma this month by Duncan Castles on The Transfer Window Podcast, and the Mali international’s stats suggest that he would be a great addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

Since joining the Seagulls from LOSC Lille in 2018, the 24-year-old has gone on to make 76 appearances, in which he has contributed four goals and one assist.

This season has seen the midfielder average a solid 6.83 rating for his performances in the Premier League, whilst he has demonstrated his long-range shooting quality with superb goals against Everton and Blackpool so far this campaign.

With Fabinho having played centre-back for much of the season, Liverpool have arguably lacked some bite in midfield at times this campaign, which Bissouma could add if he were to make the move to Anfield.

The Brazilian has averaged 2.1 tackles per game, which is the most of any Reds player. Bissouma, meanwhile, has averaged 2.9 tackles per game in the top-flight, which suggests he would fit well into Klopp’s midfield.

The 24-year-old also scores highly with his pass accuracy rate (86.2%) and dribbles per game (1.6), which again suggests that he could adapt to Liverpool’s style of play, as we have often seen the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum and Thiago use their dribbling qualities in order to make space for the front three.

Bissouma may well be likely to depart Brighton in the near future given he is attracting interest from sides across the Premier League, with manager Graham Potter also full of praise for him earlier this season, saying:

“He’s got that quality (to play in the Champions League), he’s got those attributes that you need at that level.”

With Wijnaldum looking likely to join Barcelona at the end of the season, Bissouma could prove to be the ideal replacement if Michael Edwards is able to bring the £11.7 million-rated midfielder to Anfield during the summer.

And, in other news… “I think they’ll try and get it done this window” – Exclusive: Pundit tips LFC to target “perfect” 28 y/o

Leeds United lost a number of their key first-team players from the 2023/24 campaign after they failed to earn promotion back to the Premier League.

Daniel Farke had to watch on as Crysencio Summeville, Glen Kamara, Georginio Rutter, and Archie Gray all departed from Elland Road on permanent deals.

The Whites lost to Southampton 1-0 at Wembley in the play-off final in May and those four players opted to pursue top-flight football elsewhere this season.

One sale that, perhaps, went under the radar was the deal to send Luis Sinisterra back to Bournemouth on a permanent basis, after his difficult spell at Leeds.

Luis Sinisterra's spell with Leeds

The Colombia international was signed from Feyenoord, for a reported fee of £21.4m, by former Whites head coach Jesse Marsch ahead of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.

Unfortunately, the former Eredivisie star suffered muscle, ankle, and foot injuries that kept him sidelined for a combined 16 matches that term, which hindered his progress at Elland Road.

Appearances

19

Goals

5

Assists

0

Big chances created

0

Key passes per game

0.5

As you can see in the table above, Sinisterra did provide a decent goal threat from a wide position but struggled to offer much in the way of creativity, as Leeds were relegated from the Premier League.

The 25-year-old forward then seemingly decided that he did not want to play a full season in the Championship with the Whites, as he sealed a move on loan to Bournemouth in the top-flight.

Leeds struck gold with Luis Sinisterra

Leeds completed a deal, which became official this summer, to sell the Colombian flanker to the Cherries for a reported fee of £20m back in February.

The West Yorkshire outfit struck gold with that fee as the winger struggled in front of goal and with fitness issues during the 2023/24 campaign, in which he was outscored by central defender Pascal Struijk.

Sinisterra produced just three goals in 23 appearances for Bournemouth in all competitions last season, with two goals in 20 Premier League games.

Meanwhile, Struijk, who played at the heart of the Leeds defence, racked up five goals in 25 outings in all competitions, with three strikes in 23 Championship outings.

This illustrates how little the Colombia international provided at the top end of the pitch for the Cherries, as he was outscored by a centre-back and former teammate.

Sinisterra's injury issues were also prevalent, once again, as he missed nine of the last ten matches in the Premier League with a hamstring injury, which came after the club had already agreed to pay £20m to sign him permanently.

This means that the 25-year-old flop has only played 40 matches at league level in the last two seasons combined in the top-flight, for Leeds and Bournemouth, and scored seven goals in that time.

More assists than Rutter in 23/24: Leeds must regret selling £1m "animal"

The Whites had a shocker when they allowed the full-back to move on from Elland Road.

1 ByDan Emery Sep 11, 2024

Overall, Leeds struck gold by cashing in for £20m, making a loss of just £1.4m, as they managed to offload a player who has struggled with injuries and form over the last two years, particularly when you consider that Transfermarkt currently value him at just €17m (£14m).

Sinisterra has scored one goal in three Premier League matches so far this season but time will tell if he will be able to maintain a consistent run of form and fitness to ultimately make Leeds regret their sale.