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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Southampton vice-chairman Les Reed has said signing Graziano Pelle in the 2014 summer transfer window was a “no-brainer”.

Pelle was brought to the club by Ronald Koeman, reunited with his manager at Feyenoord. And looking at his goalscoring record at the Dutch outfit, it was no surprise that Koeman was so keen on a reunion.

In 66 appearances, Pelle scored 55 goals. And given his height and stature, something Koeman spoke about upon his arrival, the Italian looked like the perfect Premier League striker.

Ultimately, for Reed, Southampton had no choice but to sign him as they looked to replace Rickie Lambert, who had left for Liverpool the same summer.

“We wanted to replace Rickie Lambert,” Reed exclusively told FFC. “Ronald had worked with Graziano at Feyenoord. Graziano had a similar style, you know, scoring record etc.

“So it was a no-brainer out of three choices of strikers to go with Graziano because the the manager knew him, trusted him, knew how to handle him and so on.”

Pelle went on to make 80 appearances for Southampton, scoring 30 goals during his two-year stint at St. Mary’s.

During that time, he also had a key role in the Italy national team, a member of the squad highly appreciated by Premier League title winner Antonio Conte.

A major update has emerged on Manchester United’s Jacob Carney, regarding Sunderland’s pursuit of his services.

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, Sunderland are closing in on a deal to sign 20-year-old goalkeeper Jacob Carney on a free transfer from Premier League side Manchester United.

The Sun on Sunday (14/05/2021, p59) claimed that Burnley and Brighton are also interested in Carney, with the former said to have made an offer to Carney. Lee Johnson’s Sunderland now look set to beat both of them in the race to land his signature.

Earlier this year, Portadown manager Matt Tipton lavished praise on the “excellent” shot-stopper, who was on loan to the Northern Irish side from Manchester United. He told News Letter:

“Manchester United are in contact with me after every game and obviously regularly with Jacob directly, so they seem pleased with his progress at Portadown.“It is unfortunate for Jacob not yet to have that clean sheet but it should not take away from his excellent performance levels.” Fans will be buzzing

Sunderland fans will be buzzing by this update. It shows a sign of intent from the club to snap up a talented young prospect ahead of serious interest from clubs in higher divisions.

As the report stated, Premier League side Burnley have made a contract offer to Carney, yet it still appears as though he is set to join Sunderland instead of Sean Dyche’s team. This also shows that Sunderland are an attractive club to join despite being in League One, which the supporters will surely be delighted about.

Lee Burge is set to be the only senior goalkeeper on Sunderland’s books next month as Remi Matthews is due to leave in the coming weeks. This means that there is a gaping hole in Johnson’s squad that now needs to be filled ahead of next season.

Having three first-team goalkeeper options is ideal for the club, as it only takes one injury to end up with no cover if you have two on the books. Therefore, bringing in young Carney may allow Johnson to use him as the club’s U23s goalkeeper as well as his third-choice in the first-team.

At the age of 20, Carney could also have plenty of potential to improve as a player. Although Manchester United are allowing him to leave, he must have impressed for Premier League teams to show an interest in him, with Burnley and Brighton in the race.

That suggests that he’s shown enough to prove that he has a bright future in the game – perhaps just not at the very top level. Sunderland fans can get excited about a talented prospect joining the club this summer.

AND in other news, Sunderland dealt blow on £3k-p/w ace with “glowing reports”, fans will be gutted…

Tottenham Hotspur officials have travelled to Portugal this week as the club, and by extension manager Antonio Conte, allegedly eye one of the division’s top players.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites eye Nunes move?

Sporting Lisbon midfielder and star man Matheus Nunes, as per a plethora of reports, is a transfer target for Tottenham as Conte plots a major summer rebuild.

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The Telegraph claim that Spurs’ head coach wants as many as six major signings, including two new midfielders, with many Portuguese sources claiming Nunes is a man firmly on their radar.

O Jogo (via Sport Witness), back in March, stated that the Lilywhites have already made contact with Sporting over the 23-year-old pre-summer.

Meanwhile, Jornal de Notícias (via Sport Witness), more recently relayed that Nunes is still attracting real interest from Spurs managing director Fabio Paratici and Conte.

The Latest: Tottenham officials dispatched…

Now, another Portuguese newspaper in A Bola (via Sport Witness) spotted that Tottenham officials were at the Estadio do Dragão on Thursday for Sporting’s big cup clash with FC Porto.

While this report doesn’t state who Spurs employees were there to run the rule over, this midweek mission comes amid heavy links to Nunes with Conte allegedly eyeing the midfield ace.

The Verdict: Make a move?

With the rising star likely to still be on Tottenham’s radar, we believe he would seriously upgrade Conte’s options in the middle and Paratici should spare no expense in bringing him to the Premier League.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola, after his Sky Blues side thrashed Sporting in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League tie earlier this season, branded Nunes ‘one of the best players in the world’ – serious praise from such an elite coach.

His numbers back up this theory, as WhoScored reveal, with the starlet ranking as one of manager Ruben Amorim’s top five performers in the league going by average match rating (7.07).

He also completes more successful take-ons per 90 (2.4) than any Sporting star, attracting the joint-most fouls and proving to be a real nightmare to play against (WhoScored).

Valued at around €40 million (£33m) by the Portuguese giants and called ‘unbelievable’ by former teammate Goncalo Santos, he certainly stands at as a realistic and quality target from a Spurs perspective.

In other news: Paratici advancing: Tottenham line up fresh bid money bid after personal Conte request! Find out more here.

A number of Liverpool supporters are happy after journalist Neil Jones claimed James Milner would leave the Reds in the summer.

The 36-year-old has proved to be a fantastic servant for Liverpool since arriving on a free transfer from Manchester City back in the summer of 2015.

Milner has made a total of 272 appearances for the Reds, using his experience to great use and winning both the Premier League and the Champions League.

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The midfielder’s current deal expires this summer, however, and it may be that his time at Anfield comes to an end at that point.

That certainly seems to be the opinion of Goal‘s Jones [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], who claims that Milner is ‘expected to leave’ once the season reaches its conclusion.

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Liverpool fans react to Milner claim

It’s fair to say the versatile veteran hasn’t been at his best this season, and these Liverpool fans reacted to the news positively on Twitter, claiming it is the right time for him to move on.

“Great news”

Credit: @2kelo_tuks

“Thank you Lord”

Credit: @charmokwana

“This is the best news of the year so far. Strip #7 off of him and give it to Harvey or Diaz”

Credit: @Sabista_

“Good”

Credit: @Smartooski

“Milner off to Leeds where he’ll be a player-coach”

Credit: @yemoisakop

“Give Diaz no.7 then I beg”

Credit: @BSSLFC

In other news, Liverpool have reportedly made an ‘official proposal’ for one player. Find out who it is here.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer believes Marvin Johnson fits the bill for his old side, with Darren Moore bringing him in to add more experience to his squad.

Johnson was a free agent after leaving Middlesbrough at the end of his contract and officially joined Wednesday on Thursday.

The Star initially reported on the Owls’ interest in the winger last month.

Ultimately, for Palmer, 30-year-old Johnson can bring the sort of experience that Wednesday need as they aim to make a return to the Championship at the first time of asking.

“You can’t just go with young players,” the ex-Wednesday star told FFC. “You’ve got to balance the side with experienced players, so he fits the bill. 

“A player of his calibre should be able to cope with that league easily and bring experience to the young heads in there.”

The Owls have brought in a few young players this summer, including left-back Jaden Brown, so perhaps the experience of Johnson is something that they needed.

The Englishman has made over 100 appearances in the Championship, with 42 of those coming last season. On a free transfer, you can certainly see the logic behind signing him.

If you consider the huge amount of spending Wolves undertook last summer, this year has been relatively quiet in comparison.

The Old Gold have kept hold of their best players and added Trincao to their ranks, a player who should earn the admiration of supporters quite quickly.

What’s the word?

Another player who could catch the imagination quickly is Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

According to his agent, Mamuka Jugheli, Wolves are one of a number of teams interested in securing his services before the window shuts at the end of the month.

Speaking to Sportall, he said: “Khvicha is wanted by almost every team in the English Premier League, for example, Everton, Brighton and Wolves, but one thing is interest and the other is a real offer.

“Apart from Inter from Italy, Kvaratskhelia is also wanted by Juventus. There’s the interest of Atalanta, Napoli and Lazio. The initiative is shown by at least five clubs of the German Bundesliga.”

The Rubin Kazan winger is valued at £16.2m via Transfermarkt.

The next Traore

Kvaratskhelia may not be a household name but he looks like an exceptional player, someone who could take the Premier League by storm with his remarkable trickery and dribbling.

He only found the net on four occasions last term but was incredibly creative, providing his teammates with eight assists in the Russian top-flight.

Furthermore, no player in the entire division completed more successful dribbles than the 20-year-old last season.

The Georgia international managed a whopping 78 at a rate of 3.4 per game. That tally is even better in World Cup qualifying with Kvaratskhelia managing five dribbles per match.

Described as a player with “crazy technique” by Russian coach Denis Bushuev, he also compared the youngster to two of the trickiest wingers we’ve seen in recent history.

“He is from the same constellation of players as Ribery or Robben,” Bushuev admitted.

On that evidence, it’s clear to see who he’s most comparable to at Wolves; Adama Traore.

Like the Rubin Kazan attacker, the Spaniard is an incredible dribbler who is capable of taking down even the sternest of defences.

In 2020/21, no player in the Premier League made more dribbles than Traore who registered a jaw-dropping 153 at 4.1 per outing.

Capable of playing on the left, Kvaratskhelia would provide Pedro Neto with some reliable competition. Combine that with his incredible ball skills and you’d have a fine signing.

AND in other news, Get rid: Lage must axe £22k-p/w Wolves dud who caused “sleepless nights” last season…

Former Rangers star Michael Ball has told The Transfer Tavern that the club should keep Jermain Defoe at the club this summer.

At the age of 38, the former Tottenham Hotspur striker has been used sporadically this season.

He has made 20 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals and laying on two assists in a season in which Rangers have gone unbeaten and won the title at a canter.

Defoe’s contract expires at the end of the season but Ball believes that he should remain at the club next season, given the way that he looks after himself.

Indeed, Ball has expressed his surprise that the star even ended up at Rangers in the first place, given the finances involved in doing such a deal.

Speaking exclusively to TT, Ball has backed the former England star, who won 57 caps for the Three Lions and scored 20 goals, to sign a new deal.

Asked if he should be kept at the club, he said: “Oh, yeah. I think he’s another one who Steven brought to the club and it probably shocked a lot of people, who didn’t think it could happen for financial reasons but also his age.

“But it’s proved that it’s worked. It’s what Steven needed, he knows how Jermain is. He’s a fantastic professional, looks after himself.”

A number of West Ham fans have been showering Ben Johnson with praise after his performance against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

The Hammers picked up a sweet win against Spurs at the London Stadium, prevailing 1-0. Michail Antonio was on the scoresheet, and the Irons have now moved up to fourth place in the Premier League table. David Moyes and co will surely be confident of improving on their sixth-place finish last season after this result.

Johnson was included in the starting line-up for his third league outing of the campaign (Transfermarkt) as he continued to deputise for the injured Vladimir Coufal. Once again, the 21-year-old helped the Irons keep a clean sheet as he kept the likes of Heung-Min Son and Sergio Reguilon quiet down his right flank, and lots of fans were absolutely delighted with what the youngster had to offer.

West Ham have not conceded a goal whenever he has been on the pitch this season (Transfermarkt), with Johnson starring as he won all seven of his duels and made five tackles in a tremendous defensive display (Sofascore).

These Hammers fans took to social media platform Twitter in their droves to share their thoughts on Johnson’s “class” performance.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Johnson

“Ben Johnson has been wonderful this season. 5 games he has started in he has kept a clean sheet in every single one of them. Still a few things to work on going forward but he kept Son quiet expertly today, his awareness and urgency is superb.”

Credit: @AzamWHUFC

“Ben Johnson was immense today.”

Credit: @aldredtj

“Ben Johnson ain’t put a foot wrong defensively yet, been class”

Credit: @DraigCawson

“Remember when we were all fuming when we let Ngakia go? Moyes got it spot on once again. Ben Johnson unreal talent”

Credit: @antonymmartin84

“How amazing has Ben Johnson been by since he has come into the side the way!? I thought he was so good yesterday. Never thought I’d say this but Coufal might not even get back in straight away”

Credit: @W_Bellow

“Ben Johnson was superb – but can’t underestimate how the arrival of Zouma has improved confidence and skill of whole back line”

Credit: @Tony_McNulty

In other news, many West Ham United fans loved this Jesse Lingard news

Liverpool fans are far from happy with the news that Anthony Taylor will referee their match at Manchester United this weekend.

The Reds have had a good start to the season under Jurgen Klopp. They have not yet lost a game in the Premier League after eight outings and sit second in the table behind Chelsea (Sky Sports), while they also have nine points from a possible nine in the Champions League.

They face a huge match against the Red Devils on Sunday at Old Trafford. United, of course, are Liverpool’s fiercest rivals, which adds an extra spice to proceedings.

It has now been revealed that Taylor will be in the middle (via The Manchester Evening News), something which has not pleased the Liverpool fans given he is from Altrincham, which is in Greater Manchester.

The news was shared on Twitter by @LFCTransferRoom, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Taylor news below

“Absolute joke that this is allowed to happen.”

Credit: @ChrissyT1874

“Unbelievable”

Credit: @glawth

“someone is taking back handers”

Credit: @giorgio809

“Of course he is”

Credit: @HarryC19_20

“Oh what a surprise. The ‘Altrincham’ fan refereeing another Manchester game. He could walk to OT for that one!!!”

Credit: @warbythered

“Everything to save them and Ole if they lose badly to us Sunday then it’s Ole out and the big guys don’t want that.”

Credit: @Domapfl

“Surely they would put anyone else but a referee from Any where near Manchester or Liverpool ?? Sounds and looks like a little bit of corruption going on here ? Just saying”

Credit: @Stixsamphotos

In other news, these were Liverpool’s three best players against Atletico Madrid.

Former Sheffield Wednesday player Carlton Palmer believes that Josh Sims would be a good signing for the club. 

Yorkshire Live reported that Sheffield Wednesday were in talks with Sims, who is a free agent after leaving Southampton this summer.

If the winger does complete a move to Hillsborough, he would be reunited with manager Darren Moore, who he previously played under at Doncaster Rovers.

The 24-year-old winger was on loan at the Keepmoat Stadium last season and featured 30 times for the Reds, scoring three goals and providing eight assists.

Carlton Palmer believes that Sims would be a good signing for Sheffield Wednesday, exclusively telling Transfer Tavern: “If they manage to get it over the line, I think it’s a good signing. He worked with Darren at Doncaster, so the fact he’s worked with Darren, understands the way Darren works and wants to play and enjoyed it, I think it would be another good acquisition by the football club if they can get that one over the line.”

Moore has been very active so far in the summer transfer window, with no fewer than eight new faces arriving at Hillsborough. That number could soon increase, though, as football writer Ian Mitchelmore reported that George Byers is close to securing a move to the Owls.

After a busy summer, Darren Moore will be hoping that his Sheffield Wednesday side hit the ground running early in League One, with the Owls beginning their campaign on the road away to Charlton Athletic this weekend.