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Wolverhampton Wanderers kickstarted the new campaign with a bang on Monday evening and they could fire another warning shot to the rest of the league with a swoop for one mooted transfer target…

What’s the word?

According to the Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, the Midlanders are poised to make another attempt to sign Arsenal utility man Ainsley Maitland-Niles before the window closes next month.

He claims that Nuno Santo is still keen on the newly-capped England star as a potential replacement for the recently-departed Matt Doherty.

It’s thought that the decision could come down to the player himself as he wants assurances over playing time having broke into Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions during the international break, though he started the Gunners’ opener vs Fulham on Saturday.

Perfect fit

Yesterday evening saw Adama Traore revert back to the right wing-back position but after providing six goals and 12 assists last season, he’s better off in an advanced role up the field.

His versatility surely makes him a dream fit for Nuno’s system at Molineux. At the weekend he played left wing-back having started his career out as a midfielder.

In 20 appearances last season, Maitland-Niles averaged 2.1 tackles, 1.6 clearances, one dribble and 0.6 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

Despite not being a regular starter in north London, the 23-year-old has received plenty of glowing endorsements for his performances in an Arsenal shirt.

Former Gunners striker Jeremie Aliadiere believes Maitland-Niles has “all the attributes to become a top player” whilst BT Sport pundit Chris Sutton labelled him a “diamond” who’s a “versatile talent”.

“The young man’s versatility is a weapon, as is his pace and the way he reads the game”

Chris Sutton.

Wolves will become seriously restricted if they head past October with just Traore as the only option on the right, so Jeff Shi must sanction the £30m swoop, it could soon prove to be one of the coups of the window.

Maitland-Niles would fit in like a glove in the Midlands.

AND in other news, Wolves have to avoid signing yet another Jorge Mendes client in injury-prone flop…

Many Liverpool fans were devastated to discover that goalkeeper Alisson Becker will miss this evening’s Premier League clash against Aston Villa.

The 28-year-old shot-stopper has taken a knock in training and is being wrapped in cotton wool by manager Jurgen Klopp for the trip to Villa Park, according to The Athletic’s James Pearce.

It is not the first time that the Brazilian ‘keeper has taken time off due to fitness concerns. Last season, he missed 11 matches in all competitions after picking up an injury during his side’s first game of the 2019/20 campaign against Norwich City, as per TransferMarkt.

Because of this, Adrian will be expected to step into the fold before the scheduled international break kicks in, the timing of which could be a blessing in disguise for Klopp with one of his key players missing today’s game.

With this in mind, the news about Alisson sparked a wave of comments from fans voicing their concerns about what could happen to the team in the longer-term. Some questioned the Brazil international’s fitness as a whole, with others suggesting that Liverpool should consider investing in a new goalkeeper.

You can see some of the feedback from concerned Kopites here:

Liverpool fans, how badly will your side miss Alisson tonight? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Many Everton fans reacted excitedly to reports that Napoli ace Allan is on his way to Finch Farm to finalise his transfer to the Merseyside club.

In a clip posted by Football Daily on their official Twitter page, the Brazilian international can be seen getting into a vehicle that is reportedly heading to the Toffees’ training ground.

Indeed, Allan would arguably be an upgrade on the current central midfield players available to Carlo Ancelotti at Goodison Park, as the 29-year old averaged more tackles and key passes than Fabian Delph, Tom Davies and Andre Gomes in their respective domestic leagues in the 2019/20 season, as per WhoScored.

With two other midfielders in James Rodriguez and Abdoulaye Doucoure reportedly very close to joining as well, the Toffees will be looking forward to a new-look midfield come the start of the 2020/21 season.

These Everton supporters loved seeing the footage of Allan, with one fan branding him a ‘beast’:

Evertonians, are you excited by Allan’s impending arrival? Comment below with your views!

Newcastle United and Southampton are reportedly interested in signing Burnley striker Chris Wood in the summer transfer window, according to the Sunday Mirror (via HITC).

As per the outlet, the striker is valued at around £13m, as Steve Bruce looks to add goals in the forward areas of the pitch.

Indeed, Wood can be seen as a bit of a goal-poacher, having scored a relatively impressive 146 times in 410 games over the course of his club career, playing for the likes of West Bromwich Albion, Brighton and Hove Albion, Leicester City, Leeds United and indeed the Clarets (per Transfermarkt).

The New Zealand international has also managed to net 24 times in 56 matches in all competitions at senior level for his country since making his debut back in 2009 under Ricki Herbert, according to the Transfermarkt.

For Burnley in the 2019/20 season, Wood scored 14 goals and supplied one assist in 32 appearances in the Premier League, as per Transfermarkt.

Comparing his stats in the top flight in the last campaign to Newcastle strikers Andy Carroll, Dwight Gayle and Joelinton, Wood averaged the most shots per game, while also achieving the highest average overall rating (6.72) on Whoscored.

Based off of his experience and knack to find the back of the net, perhaps the Burnley striker would be a valuable asset at St James’ Park and, at £13m, may well turn out to be a bargain if Newcastle can get him for that price.

At 28 years of age, Wood is arguably in his prime years as a footballer, and so a move for the New Zealand international may not be a bad idea, but the Magpies may have to fend off the Saints first for his signature.

Geordies, do you think Wood has the makings of a good signing? Comment below with your views!

Key Information about Ashton Gate Stadium

Ashton Gate Stadium has been the home of Bristol City Football Club since 1900. It was formerly the home of Bedminster FC before their merge with Bristol South End who previously played at St John’s Lane.

The Championship ground has an all-seater capacity of 27,000 and comprises four famous stands, the Lansdown Stand, the Dolman Stand, the Atyeo Stand, and the South Stand, which unlike the other stands it is not named after a figure who had strong ties with the South West England club.

A history of Ashton Gate Stadium

The four stands were redeveloped during different years since Ashton Gate Stadium opened over 100 years ago. The oldest redeveloped stand was the Doman Stand which was built in 1970 which makes it the oldest stand at the ground. At the time of construction, it had a family enclosed zone which stood in front of the stand; however, this was later rebuilt and converted to seating. The original wooden seats in the upper tier of the stand were replaced with modern plastic seats in 2007, and further enhanced during the summer of 2015 as part of a whole stadium redevelopment.

The stand is named after the former club chairman and president Harry Dolman. The Atyeo Stand is the smallest stand at Ashton Gate Stadium with a capacity of just 4,200, though it was built in 1994 to replace an open terrace. It still contains the old dressing rooms and a gym for players to use in training. This stand is named after Bristol City legend and all-time top goalscorer John Atyeo who played well over 600 games for City, scoring an incredible 351 goals. Atyeo sadly passed away a year before the new stand was opened, and it was subsequently named in his honour. Ahead of the 2017-18 season, the Atyeo Stand was made available to away fans, and it is closed for Rugby Union matches played by Bristol Bears who have ground-shared since 2014.

Bristol City commenced major redevelopment of Ashton Gate Stadium in late 2013, with work being carried out the following spring. This included the demolition of the existing Williams and Wedlock stands, to be replaced with new modern stands (south). In addition to this, the extension of the Dolan stand was permitted as well as a new pitch that was laid to enable shared use with Bristol Bears rugby club. The redevelopment was completed ahead of the 2016-17 season.

Tickets to Watch Bristol City at Ashton Gate Stadium

Adult tickets for members of the Bristol City can purchase a single matchday ticket from £20-32 depending on which stand is desired. Seniors and under-25s can go from £17-29, under-22s from £14-26, under-19s from £10-16, and under-12s for just £5. Adult season tickets for next season range from £366-636, and under-12s can go the entire season for just £55.

Related Links

https://www.bcfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Bristol City

https://www.bcfc.co.uk/tickets-memberships/matchday-prices/ – Bristol City Ticket Office

Ever since Tottenham’s new stadium was first opened, one of the big questions has been what it could be potentially called if Daniel Levy managed to sell its naming rights.That hasn’t happened as of yet, and now, The Daily Mail have provided an insight into why that’s been the case.

Hilariously obscure Premier League players – Can you name them all?

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The report claims that Spurs have been attempting to sell naming rights for the stadium for five years, but that any interested parties have been put off by Levy’s £25m-a-year valuation.

And with the Premier League potentially hosting the rest of the season at neutral venues, The Daily Mail claim Levy has “expressed fears” that this would “further hinder” his attempts to get a naming rights partner.

After hearing about the update, Spurs fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.

One Spurs fan urged Jeff Bezos to just “sign the stadium” and then take over from Levy.

With the current situation taking its toll, Levy’s insistence on holding out for the price he wants may have cost Spurs in the long-run.

Instead of guaranteeing an annual revenue over these next couple of seasons already, Spurs could realistically be without a value-for-money sponsor for their stadium for the time being, particularly with the issue of where Premier League games are to be played in major doubt.

Tottenham Hotspur fans have been left drooling over the prospect of landing a new striker this summer after fresh reports emerged this week.

According to French journalist Abdellah Boulma, Spurs have made an official bid for Lille talisman Victor Osimhen and supporters would love to see it happen.

Jose Mourinho poached assistant manager Joao Sacramento from the Ligue 1 outfit when he took the reins back in November, so at least one member of the coaching staff knows the forward well.

Osimhen has enjoyed a fruitful campaign, scoring 18 goals from 38 appearances in all competitions, including a strike against Chelsea in the Champions League.

The young Nigerian has also been linked with a move to Premier League rivals Liverpool as well as Frank Lampard’s Blues.

At the start of the month, Telefoot revealed that an unnamed club had bid €85m (£75m) for Osimhen.

Spurs have paid the price for not having a viable alternative to Harry Kane this season after the skipper went down injured on New Year’s Day.

The Greatest Bargains in Premier League history – How much did they cost?

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Since then, the Mourinho’s side have crashed out of all cup competitions and have sunk seven points adrift of the top four.

Osimhen could fill that void in the eyes of many, here’s what has been said…

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold reveals why Spurs have HUGE advantage over Premier League rivals…

According to FCInterNews, Newcastle United are prepared to offer Napoli forward Dries Mertens a lucrative contract with his current deal set to expire at the Serie A giants.

What’s the word?

It’s claimed that the Magpies’ prospective new owners would pay the Italian frontman €7m-per-year (£6.14m) across two seasons, but they will have to compete with Napoli offering him an extension as well as Inter Milan’s proposal.

Stuck in isolation? Our mega footy quiz will cure any boredom…

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Premier League rivals Chelsea are also keen on landing the 32-year-old with his contract set to finish at the end of the current campaign.

Newcastle’s offer is believed to eclipse both Italian teams whilst there is no word on what Frank Lampard’s Blues would hand Mertens.

Just the start

If Amanda Staveley’s consortium were able to clinch the veteran forward, then it would be the perfect start to the new Saudi era at St James’ Park.

Despite his age, Mertens has found the net 12 times this campaign and has also provided six assists, meaning he has contributed to 18 goals in just 29 appearances, via Transfermarkt. But this has been the pattern throughout the duration of his Gil Azzurri career – scoring 121 goals as well as racking up 73 assists from 331 matches.

Mike Ashley wasted an abhorrent £40m on the one-goal Joelinton, so swooping for Mertens would certainly ease their attacking problems substantially, going by the above record.

Mertens’ experience in Europe would also help the club transition from midtable straddlers under Steve Bruce into genuine contenders for glory, which will surely be the aim under the lucrative new ownership.

The Belgian is described as a hard-working frontman who possesses good technique and dribbling, so it won’t take long for the Magpies faithful to fall in love with him either.

Mertens should be high on their priorities this summer.

AND in other news, Phillips claims money may tempt unemployed manager to join Newcastle…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk was told earlier in his reign that he would be given funds to sign some players of his own in January, and even though that hasn’t changed, the ability to do so has just been made all that tougher.

Last week, the EFL announced that following a formal investigation, they have charged the club with financial misconduct surrounding the sale of Hillsborough to owner Dejphon Chansiri.

The ground was sold for approximately £60m in order to offset any debt for the year 2017/18, but there were doubts over how and when this actually happened.

Wednesday released a statement shortly after claiming they will contest the charges, although no clear punishment has yet been decided.

Football finance expert and university lecturer Kieran Maguire believes the south Yorkshire club will face a minimum penalty of a hefty 12 points deduction while they haven’t been prone to the odd transfer embargo in the past either.

Either way, the EFL could make an example out of the Owls, and this will only cause mayhem for the job the manager has at his hands.

Any potential signing is now going to look at this situation and have to consider it before making a move, regardless of whether they are punished this season or not.

If they are indeed penalised as Maguire predicts, the season will drastically change from being in playoff contention to a relegation scrap, just like that.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

They currently sit three points outside of the playoff zone, which makes the club an exciting proposition for any new player as they’ll hopefully be helping the side earn a spot in the Premier League, but with a deduction, they’ll only be outside the relegation zone on goal difference, meaning a player may not want to risk his career by getting a blemish on his record.

Therefore, Monk’s task has got so much harder as there’s such an air of uncertainty surrounding this incident that it may prove difficult to attract players to bolster his squad this January.

Many Leicester City fans have praised their club’s media team after the club released a Christmas advert that would make you the grinch if it didn’t play on your heartstrings.

The Foxes’ official Twitter account released a video with the caption ‘gifts that inspire’.

The advert focusses on a child actor playing a young Ben Chilwell when he receives a Leicester scarf for Christmas. The advert continues with the youngster playing football with it on a muddy field and wearing it at school before he sees his name on a teamsheet at school.

‘Chilwell’ then goes to the club’s training ground and runs out on the pitch, before it cuts to the present day of the left-back – as well as other youth players Harvey Barnes and Hamza Choudhury – at the King Power, before the 22-year-old gives one to another youngster while coming out of the tunnel.

You can see it in full below.

Unsurprisingly, fans loved to see such an emotive video based around community, their youth players and the club. In fact, some loved it so much they thanked the club and called it better than this year’s John Lewis advert.

Here are some of the replies below…