Category News

Premier League giants eye winger Yan Diomande, Axel Disasi might move to France, Newcastle target Hungary’s Alex Toth.

Liverpool and Manchester City are closely monitoring 19-year-old RB Leipzig and Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande. (Caughtoffside)

Chelsea‘s Axel Disasi has interest from Lyon, with the Ligue 1 club keen on a loan move for the 27-year-old France defender. (L’Equipe – in French)

Aston Villa are interested in Strasbourg‘s 23-year-old Argentinian striker Joaquin Panichelli, with Chelsea and West Ham also monitoring him. (Teamtalk)

Leeds have made contact with Como over a potential move for 23-year-old Czech Republic attacking midfielder Martin Baturina, though the Italians appear to be holding firm. (Fabrizio Romano via Yorkshire Post)

West Ham and Crystal Palace are tracking Lens defender Samson Baidoo, 21, as a reinforcement for their backline. (Teamtalk)

Newcastle target Alex Toth, 20, could cost as little as £15m, but the Hungary midfielder is contracted with Ferencvaros until 2027 so his club may have more control over his price. (Chronicle)

Newcastle are looking to Brazil in search of the next wave of young South American talent, with a view to venturing into the market next summer. (ESPN)

Premier League giants eye winger Yan Diomande, Axel Disasi might move to France, Newcastle target Hungary’s Alex Toth.

Liverpool and Manchester City are closely monitoring 19-year-old RB Leipzig and Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande. (Caughtoffside)

Chelsea‘s Axel Disasi has interest from Lyon, with the Ligue 1 club keen on a loan move for the 27-year-old France defender. (L’Equipe – in French)

Aston Villa are interested in Strasbourg‘s 23-year-old Argentinian striker Joaquin Panichelli, with Chelsea and West Ham also monitoring him. (Teamtalk)

Leeds have made contact with Como over a potential move for 23-year-old Czech Republic attacking midfielder Martin Baturina, though the Italians appear to be holding firm. (Fabrizio Romano via Yorkshire Post)

West Ham and Crystal Palace are tracking Lens defender Samson Baidoo, 21, as a reinforcement for their backline. (Teamtalk)

Newcastle target Alex Toth, 20, could cost as little as £15m, but the Hungary midfielder is contracted with Ferencvaros until 2027 so his club may have more control over his price. (Chronicle)

Newcastle are looking to Brazil in search of the next wave of young South American talent, with a view to venturing into the market next summer. (ESPN)

Aberdeen have been invited to a meeting on Friday with city council leaders they hope “will be the first big step forward in some time” following a war of words over plans for a new stadium.

The Scottish Premiership club warned last week that the city risked missing out on a “transformational” boost to the local economy after a local newspaper report suggested their latest proposal for a new beachfront community stadium was going to be thrown out by the local authority.

Aberdeen chairman David Cormack told the club’s annual meeting on Monday “it would be pretty catastrophic” for the city if the football club moved away to a new stadium outside the centre.

Following the meeting, chief executive Alan Burrows told BBC Scotland: “We remain positive in terms of looking towards these discussions on Friday.

“As recently as today, we were asked to attend, Dave and I, a meeting with the senior representatives from the local council and we are going to go along on Friday and discuss the art of the possible.

Burrows replied “I hope it is closer” when asked how the situation had changed since the same question was raised at last year’s annual meeting.

“Even if we were to go to the meeting on Friday and the council leaders told us they were fully behind it and were going to support it, it would still take a significant amount of time to go through all the usual processes of building a stadium,” he pointed out.

“But I think hopefully what the call to have a meeting on Friday will be the first big step forward in some time that will allow us to make solid plans about what the next stage might be and that next stage will be hopefully is a real bona fide feasibility study to see just what it would cost, what it would bring, all these different factors.”

The stadium issue topped the agenda at a pretty positive annual meeting given recent form leaves Jimmy Thelin’s side unbeaten in eight games.

The Swede’s side had only won twice in the previous 12 and Burrows was asked if at any point the board were thinking they might need to start searching for a new manager.

“Responsible board of directors and senior executives are always looking at what they are doing and monitoring the performances,” he replied.

Aberdeen have been invited to a meeting on Friday with city council leaders they hope “will be the first big step forward in some time” following a war of words over plans for a new stadium.

The Scottish Premiership club warned last week that the city risked missing out on a “transformational” boost to the local economy after a local newspaper report suggested their latest proposal for a new beachfront community stadium was going to be thrown out by the local authority.

Aberdeen chairman David Cormack told the club’s annual meeting on Monday “it would be pretty catastrophic” for the city if the football club moved away to a new stadium outside the centre.

Following the meeting, chief executive Alan Burrows told BBC Scotland: “We remain positive in terms of looking towards these discussions on Friday.

“As recently as today, we were asked to attend, Dave and I, a meeting with the senior representatives from the local council and we are going to go along on Friday and discuss the art of the possible.

Burrows replied “I hope it is closer” when asked how the situation had changed since the same question was raised at last year’s annual meeting.

“Even if we were to go to the meeting on Friday and the council leaders told us they were fully behind it and were going to support it, it would still take a significant amount of time to go through all the usual processes of building a stadium,” he pointed out.

“But I think hopefully what the call to have a meeting on Friday will be the first big step forward in some time that will allow us to make solid plans about what the next stage might be and that next stage will be hopefully is a real bona fide feasibility study to see just what it would cost, what it would bring, all these different factors.”

The stadium issue topped the agenda at a pretty positive annual meeting given recent form leaves Jimmy Thelin’s side unbeaten in eight games.

The Swede’s side had only won twice in the previous 12 and Burrows was asked if at any point the board were thinking they might need to start searching for a new manager.

“Responsible board of directors and senior executives are always looking at what they are doing and monitoring the performances,” he replied.

It has been 227 days, three managers, two sporting directors, one technical director and 41 goals conceded since Wolves last won in the Premier League.

Rooted to the bottom with just two points and 13 away from safety, their top flight future looks bleak as they are already guaranteed to be bottom of the table on Christmas Day.

Monday’s 4-1 loss at home to Manchester United was their eighth-straight league defeat, their longest losing top flight run in the Premier League era and equalling their all-time top flight run of defeats from 1981-82.

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s first-half equaliser was just their first league goal since 26 October.

Wolves’ haul of only two points this season is the joint-lowest tally after 15 games of a campaign in the history of the top four tiers.

Angry Wolves fans boycotted the opening 15 minutes against United to protest against Fosun’s running of the club – they might have wished they stayed outside.

“I understand the frustration,” said manager Rob Edwards. “I won’t tell fans what to do.

“I’d love them to support the players but they have to see effort and commitment in return. Mistakes were punished tonight and that filtered through. There was an anger in the stadium. The lads are trying. The supporters are angry and I get it.

“It’s the toughest league in the world and we came into a team who hadn’t won since April. I wasn’t anticipating a quick turnaround.”

It’s important to distinguish this is a completely different Premier League era to Derby’s, so the comparisons may feel unfair.

It is not a problem purely based on this season either. Since successive seventh placed finishes in 2018-19 and 2019-20 Wolves have slowly slipped down the table.

In the past five seasons they have finished 13th, 10th, 13th, 14th and 16th, having needed to replace the manager at least twice to save themselves.

Edwards is the fifth head coach in four years and third in less than 12 months after Gary O’Neil and Vitor Pereira’s sackings.

The revolving door of managers has coincided with major changes in the squad as Wolves have sold and failed to replace their star players.

Raul Jimenez, Ruben Neves, Adama Traore, Pedro Neto, Max Kilman, Conor Coady and Joao Moutinho were all crucial to success under Nuno Espirito Santo and reaching the Europa League quarter-finals in 2020. The summer exits of Nelson Semedo, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha are also still being felt.

The five who arrived in the summer, excluding Jorgen Strand Larsen after he made his loan from Celta Vigo permanent, had no Premier League experience and are taking too long to adapt.

Edwards has already admitted they need more know-how, which will be an aim in January – although who they are able to sign will largely depend on how far adrift they have fallen.

There have been concerns about the squad’s ability to gel given the number of nationalities and their fitness levels, with boss Edwards eager to get them to the levels he wants to play with his levels of intensity.

The Derby side of 2007-08 had six points at this stage of the season and striker Robert Earnshaw, part of the Rams’ squad, knows how badly it can go wrong.

He told BBC Sport: “At Derby, the politics around the club disrupted what was going on in the changing room, on the pitch. It was almost as if everyone gave up, it was 20 games to go and it was like ‘we’re never going to do it’. There was all this negative talk.

“It was not an accident the team finished bottom and struggled for points. The club almost relegated itself. There was too much politics going on.

“You can relegate yourself based on how you think. If you come in on Monday morning it’s heavier to pick yourself up and heavier to look past the results.”

“You’ve sold the team, now sell the club” is a regular chant at Molineux from the South Bank as they direct their anger at owners Fosun and executive chairman Jeff Shi.

That will not change Fosun’s mindset. If Wolves are relegated they will remain and there are no immediate plans to sell, though they are open to minority investment into Fosun Sports Group, having spoken to former Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor in October.

Former director of player recruitment and development Matt Jackson was also promoted to technical director last month, a move met with scepticism by fans who want to see wholesale change.

Wolves are winless from their opening 15 league games.

The all-time English record for a top-flight winless start is held by Bolton, who failed to win any of their first 22 games in 1902-03. Unsurprisingly, they finished bottom and were relegated from the First Division.

Sheffield United’s Premier League record of 17 winless games is also under threat.

Wolves will have to beat either Arsenal or Brentford to avoid equalling it before ending the year with trips to Liverpool and Old Trafford.

The record for the lowest points tally ever recorded at Christmas in the Premier League belongs to the Blades who had two points in 2020, though that was after 14 games following the pandemic delayed the start to the season.

Sunderland hold the record low for a season which started in August with five points from 17 games.

West Brom were bottom at Christmas in 2004 and eight points from safety but, under Bryan Robson, became the first team to survive from that position.

Earnshaw scored 11 goals in 18 starts to keep the Baggies up in that campaign, but feels Wolves are lacking the quality to make a difference.

He said: “Those moments from top players which change games, in an instant, in five or six seconds – Wolves have not got that at all.

“They can’t score goals. You should be creating four or five good opportunities every half and they can’t buy a goal because there’s no quality there.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been called a “disgrace” who has caused “carnage” at the club by pundits as the fallout continues from his explosive interview.

Salah said he feels he has been “thrown under the bus” after being dropped to the bench for struggling Liverpool’s past three games, which led to him being left out of the squad for Tuesday’s Champions League match at Inter Milan.

The two-time Premier League winner’s remarks have led to stinging criticism from former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher and ex-Blackburn and Celtic striker Chris Sutton.

“I thought it was a disgrace,” Carragher said on Sky Sports. “Some have painted it as an emotional outburst. I don’t think it was.

“When Mo Salah stops in the mixed zone – which he has done four times in eight years – it is choreographed with him and his agent to cause maximum damage and strengthen his own position.”

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Sutton said: “Liverpool is carnage because of Mo Salah.

“He’s been honest and open, but he’s made it all about him and not the team. He’s been extremely selfish – that’s what he’s done because now there’s a bit of a civil war at Liverpool, and it didn’t need to be like this.”

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said he was “surprised” by Salah’s comments that their relationship had broken down completely and had “no clue” if the 33-year-old would play for the club again.

“I don’t feel my authority is undermined – it is not the way I feel it,” added Slot in Milan on Monday.

“After tomorrow we will look at the situation. There is always the possibility to return for a player.”

Egypt winger Salah will depart for the Africa Cup of Nations next Monday, but with his future at Anfield in doubt it remains to be seen whether he will be involved in Saturday’s Premier League home game against Brighton (15:00 GMT).

Carragher, who Salah predicted would “go for me again” in his interview, was particularly critical of the timing of the comments, coming after Liverpool had conceded a late equaliser to draw 3-3 at Leeds on Saturday evening.

The defending Premier League champions have won just four of their past 15 games in all competitions, going back to September, with Slot increasingly finding himself under pressure.

“He has waited, I think, for a bad result with Liverpool,” Carragher said.

“Everyone connected with the club feels like they are in the gutter and he has chosen this time to go for the manager – and maybe try and get him sacked.

“The one line that stands out for me was ‘thrown under the bus’. He has tried to throw the club under the bus twice in the last 12 months.

“Going after the owners initially, he complained a year ago because they hadn’t given him a contract at the age of 32.

“With the manager, he should be doing all he can to help the club get out of the worst run of results they have had since the 1950s.”

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former England captain Steph Houghton agreed.

“It probably couldn’t have come at a worse time for Liverpool,” she said.

“That’s what makes us think this is something that was pre-planned. He probably expected to come on at some point [against Leeds], he didn’t, and for Mo Salah that probably hurts his ego.

“But it’s poor from him. I think it does put other people in jeopardy. It’s got us talking about it, which he wants.”

Carragher also called for Salah not to be “obsessed” with his own numbers and help the other players, such as big-money signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, hoping to emulate his success at the club.

“Some of the criticism has been excessive this season but I will go after Mo Salah when he tries to throw my club under the bus off the pitch and just thinks about himself,” he added.

“The club have made the right decision in him not going abroad with them and whether he will play for the club again I don’t know.

After a stellar season in 2024-25, in which he spearheaded Liverpool’s surge to the title, Salah has been short of his best this campaign with only five goals in 19 games.

“He’s had a phenomenal career,” Sutton said.

“This season he hasn’t played so well, his numbers are down, he’s not the same player and all of a sudden he’s been left out for a few games and wants to live by different rules than other players in the dressing room.

“I find the whole situation absolutely ridiculous.

“What good could come out of what he did? What sickens me a bit about it is when Liverpool have been doing well, and players come out and speak, ‘it’s the team spirit, we all get on so great and everything’s marvellous’.

“And now we’re seeing Mo Salah for what he really is. It’s all about him. It’s him being selfish. I hate that sort of stuff. I think he’s really let himself down here.

“It’s all about who will go – will it be Slot or will it be Salah? And how is that beneficial for someone who loves the club so much?”

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Wrexham defender Conor Coady added: “I could only think that something has gone on behind the scenes that we don’t know about.