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Daniel Podence could potentially return for Wolves’ Premier League clash with West Ham next month, according to the Express & Star’s Joe Edwards.

The 25-year-old has become a key man for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, especially since Diogo Jota’s departure to Liverpool last summer.

Podence has three goals and two assists to his name in the Premier League this season, starting 17 times and providing quality in attacking areas.

Unfortunately, the Portuguese has been absent with an adductor injury since early February, arguably playing a part in Wolves’ disappointing league form.

Edwards provides key Podence update

Podence was expected to miss around six weeks of action, meaning his return should now be close, and that appears to be the case.

Speaking on The E&S Podcast [via This Is Futbol], Express & Star journalist Edwards hinted that the forward could be back for the visit of West Ham on April 5th, although there is no guarantee of that:

“I think longer than he thought [time sidelined], it was start of February that he said, I’ll be out for five or six weeks. And you know, it’s been that now and I asked Nuno, was it last Friday, about Podence and he hadn’t trained with the group and hadn’t trained individually either on the grass at Compton.

“I think he’s still just restricted to gym work and stuff like that at the minute. So, just depends what level of work you can do after the international break, maybe could sneak in for West Ham, but I’d probably say it might be the one after that, Fulham, or perhaps even the one after that, really.

“So we’ll see hopefully sooner rather than later.”

Transfer Tavern take

Podence’s return would be a huge boost for Wolves, considering recent performances have been lacking in attacking threat, with just three goals scored in their last five league outings.

The winger brings quick feet, directness and unpredictability to the team and him being back could coincide with Wolves enjoying a strong end to 2020/21.

In other news, Wolves fans have been reacting to some key contract news regarding a player. Find out who it is here.

Reports by Chronicle Live over the weekend claimed Giovanni van Bronckhorst would be interested in replacing Steve Bruce, but Mike Ashley could set Newcastle United up to fail in their quest for Premier League survival by hiring the former Guangzhou R&F head coach.

Van Bronckhorst reluctantly stood down from his role at the Chinese Super League outfit in December to be closer to his family after one year in charge, with the pandemic previously meaning he could not see his relatives.

Newcastle are not yet claimed to have reached out to any potential alternatives with Bruce still safe in his position at St. James’ Park, despite the Magpies sitting just two points clear of the relegation zone exiting the international break.

Ashley is alleged to be keen on giving Bruce every opportunity to turn the ship around and save the Toon, and is hopeful of avoiding having to pay in excess of £4m in compensation should Newcastle decide to fire the 60-year-old.

But that has not stopped out-of-work managers from considering the St. James’ Park hotseat for their return to the game, with Van Bronckhorst and ex-AFC Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe both open to taking on the challenge.

Howe is noted to be looking for the right fit after leaving the Vitality Stadium last August and has also been linked with the vacant Celtic position, though he would consider being reunited with former forwards Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser on Tyneside.

Van Bronckhorst would be keen to hear what Newcastle have to say, as well, two years after United opted to appoint Bruce over the former Arsenal and FC Barcelona forward as Rafa Benitez’s successor.

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The Dutchman was very keen on the Magpies job in 2019, when Chris Wilder – who left Sheffield United by mutual consent earlier this month – also had admirers at St. James’ Park.

Ashley may soon change his position on Bruce’s tenure and begin to assess potential alternatives if Newcastle’s form does not show any signs of improvement, with United facing Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday to begin a tough end-of-season run.

But Ashley opting to fire Bruce and appointing Van Bronckhorst in hopes of keeping Newcastle in the Premier League could prove ineffective, as the 46-year-old may not be cut out for the challenge.

While Van Bronckhorst admitted last year that it would be a “dream” to return to the Premier League and perhaps manage Arsenal, his former Rangers teammate Ronald de Boer suggested the Gunners gig would be too big of a challenge for the two-time FA Cup winner.

“I think Gio would be a great fit in Scotland with Rangers,” De Boer said, via quotes by The Scottish Sun in 2019. “I also believe there could be something for him at his former club Arsenal, where he is highly thought of.

“Perhaps not as a manager, maybe as a coach. He would have a good chance of that.”

Van Bronckhorst, who was inspired by Pep Guardiola after five months studying the Manchester City boss’ methods, also won just eight of his 23 matches in charge of Guangzhou R&F before stepping down.

The Chinese Super League outfit were defensively suspect throughout his tenure, with the Blue Lions keeping only five clean sheets and conceding three or more goals on eight occasions across all competitions – including shipping seven in his final game in charge.

Losing 7-6 to Shandong Taishan on the final day of the 2020 season ensured Guangzhou ended the year in the relegation play-off positions, with the second-worst goal difference of the eight sides in their division at minus-14.

West Bromwich Albion (minus-37) and Sheffield United (minus-34) are currently the only Premier League sides to boast a poorer goal difference than Newcastle (minus-20), despite Bruce’s defensive style.

So expectations of Van Bronckhorst – who former Feyenoord Director of Football Martin van Geel claimed was “more than fantastic” in Rotterdam – coming in and steadying the ship would be minimal if the axe were to fall on Bruce.

AND in other news, Newcastle are planning an £8m move for a “great character” with an amazing skill set…

David Sullivan must block David Moyes from reuniting with Manchester United defender Phil Jones at West Ham this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Eurosport, Moyes is keeping tabs on Jones’ situation at Old Trafford with a view to signing the centre-back at the end of the season.

The Hammers boss is monitoring the defensive market knowing his London Stadium natives will require additional options next term, should they fulfil a surprise challenge for European qualification.

Manchester United are expected to try and sell Jones in the summer, having been without the former England international for more than a year.

Jones has suffered with a long-standing knee injury since January 2020 and could miss the entirety of the current season after a string of setbacks.

That is apparently not an issue for Moyes though, as the West Ham head coach is seemingly willing to take a chance on the 29-year-old next term.

The Hammers will have to negotiate a fee with Manchester United for the transfer of Jones, who they valued at £12m amid interest from Newcastle last year and have under contract through to 2024.

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Should West Ham sign Man Utd’s Jones?

West Ham have benefited more than most will have imagined through the loan signing of Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard, but the likelihood of Moyes enjoying a similar success story with Jones has to be questioned.

Lingard had featured three times this term under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – each in the cups – before moving to the London Stadium, where he has since been involved in more Premier League goals (eight scored, three assisted) than any player since debuting on February 3rd.

What allowed Lingard to hit the ground running in claret and blue was that he arrived in a strong physical state, having never let his lack of game time impact his commitment to training.

It was also Solskjaer’s system rather than Lingard’s talent that saw the England dynamo fall to the fringes at Old Trafford, while Jones may not have any games under his belt for almost 18-months by the time the next transfer window opens.

Jones was hardly operating at his best before his injury, either, having played just eight times last season, while Martin Keown claimed “he looks like he’s on roller-skates” following a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup.

Moyes knows what Jones is capable of having fielded the defender 36 times across all competitions during his year at the Red Devils helm, but it is unlikely that the Scot can rediscover his best form.

Sullivan would instead be expected to eventually regret sanctioning Moyes reuniting with the £75,000-per-week enforcer – who Carlton Palmer claims is “big, strong, athletic” – if West Ham offer Jones a chance to hit the reset button this summer.

AND in other news, West Ham eye 23-year-old talent once backed to become “world-class”…

Manchester City bounced back from disappointment in the derby with an emphatic 5-2 win against Southampton on Wednesday evening.

Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne both helped themselves to braces, with Ilkay Gundogan also getting on the scoresheet, although Pep Guardiola’s side perhaps could and should have scored more at the Etihad.

Although Mahrez was arguably the star of the show, Guardiola will be delighted to see Gundogan back on the scoresheet after going six games without a goal, and the German midfielder looked back to his best against the Saints.

As per SofaScore, the former Borussia Dortmund man would earn an impressive 8/10 rating for his display, with only Mahrez, De Bruyne and Phil Foden rated higher on the night.

During the 90 minutes, Gundogan would have 93 touches of the ball and impressively complete 74/79 of his passes, resulting in a superb 95% pass accuracy, which was joint with Ruben Dias as the best score of any player who started the game.

As well as his goal, the 30-year-old would contribute three key passes, which is even more than City’s chief creator De Bruyne, who would manage just one.

It is also double the 1.5 key passes Gundogan has averaged in the Premier League so far this season, which emphasises just how good he was against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side on Wednesday.

The midfielder, who joined City for £20 million in 2016, also excelled from a defensive point of view, as he made four interceptions and two tackles during the game, which again is far more than the 0.8 interceptions and 0.8 tackles he has averaged per game in the Premier League this season.

Therefore, it was an all-round display from Gundogan and after some arguably disappointing performances recently, he looked back to his best in the 5-2 win against Southampton, which will surely delight Guardiola.

And, in other news… Txiki disasterclass: City sold 6 ft 5 beast starring in the PL far too easily

Edu can deliver yet another Arsenal masterclass by getting rid of Shkodran Mustafi in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

With Sokratis and Mesut Ozil both leaving the Premier League side earlier this month, attentions are now on Mustafi, with the Germany international’s contract at the Emirates also coming to an end in the summer.

And, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Manchester United on Saturday afternoon, Mikel Arteta appear to confirm reports earlier in the week that the Gunners are looking to reach an agreement where they could terminate Mustafi’s contract.

He said: “He’s another situation at the moment that is opening and we are having conversations internally with the player and agent.

“We will see what the right solution is for this one as well. We are monitoring the situation, I cannot say much more than that. We have conversations ongoing and we’ll see what’s the best (decision) at the end of the transfer window.”

Edu masterclass

With all his high-profile errors over the course of his Arsenal career – nobody will be able to forget his mistakes against Crystal Palace and Manchester United at the Emirates in particular – it’s no surprise that the Gunners finally seem to have moved on from Mustafi.

The German has played a combined total of three minutes of Premier League football since late October, and the likes of Gabriel, Rob Holding, David Luiz, Pablo Mari and Calum Chambers are all ahead of him in the pecking order, so the chances of any first-team action anytime soon seems improbable to say the least.

Stan Kroenke and co will be livid that in a time like this where Arsenal like most clubs are struggling with the financial implications of this whole situation, the Gunners are continuing to spend around £90k-a-week paying Mustafi to do virtually nothing.

Reaching a mutual agreement now like Edu has already done with the likes of Sokratis and Ozil would see Arsenal take another giant step to completing a much-needed clear-out of their high-earners who don’t figure in Arteta’s plans.

Meanwhile, Arsenal can sign a perfect Lacazette successor in this French striker…

Gabby Agbonlahor has reacted to a reported interest from Everton in signing Keven Schlotterbeck once the summer transfer window comes along.

Bild journalist Christian Falk reported last week via Twitter that the Goodison Park faithful are interested in signing the central defender, but Agbonlahor does not think that this would be a particularly good investment by the Merseyside club.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Aston Villa and England international striker has claimed that Carlo Ancelotti’s team do not need to strengthen at centre-back and does not see the move happening himself, adding that the Toffees should be looking to strengthen at right-back instead:

“They don’t need to strengthen there at all.

“This guy sounds like a decent defender but you look at Godfrey, he’s been outstanding. Keane is a good defender. You’ve got Mina, you’ve got Holgate.

“They need to look for cover at right-back rather than centre-half. Coleman isn’t getting any younger.

“So I really don’t see them bringing another centre-half in, no way.”

Schlotterback could be a good signing for Everton

Schlotterbeck could be a good signing for the Blues, as long as other positions are prioritised first of all with the likes of Ben Godfrey, Mason Holgate, Michael Keane and Yerry Mina already at the club.

The 23-year-old stands at a mighty six-foot-two-inches frame and so should be able to cope with the physical nature of the Premier League.

He has also done very well so far playing for Freiburg in the 2020/21 term so far, winning no fewer than 5.2 of his duels a game in the Bundesliga as well as averaging 5.2 clearances, two interceptions and 1.4 tackles per match (Sofascore).

However, EFC do not really need to buy another centre-half at this moment in time, and so any approach made for him should be with caution.

In other news, find out why one former Everton boss has been slammed by fans recently here!

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Howey, who made 193 Premier League appearances during his career, believes it may be the right time for Crystal Palace to sell Wilfried Zaha.

The 28-year old only has one Community Shield in his trophy cabinet and after numerous transfer windows of being linked with a move away from Selhurst Park it may be the time has come for Zaha to try himself at a bigger club again.

He’s made 383 appearances in all competitions for Crystal Palace and except for a miserable season at Manchester United which included a loan spell at Cardiff City, Zaha has been a mainstay at Palace after coming through their academy.

Zaha is the catalyst at Selhurst Park and without the Ivory Coast international, Palace have lost 18 out of 23 games. What is more worrying though, is when Zaha has been absent Palace have failed to score in 16 of those 18 defeats.

His contract isn’t set to expire until 2023 so, the Eagles hold all the cards but this summer could be the window they maximise Zaha’s market value which currently stands at £45 million.

Speaking on Zaha’s apparent desire to leave Crystal Palace most transfer windows and his attitude which can go either way, Howey spoke exclusively to FFC:

“It’s like every other week, he seems to put in a transfer request or wanting to be away.

“He’s got that attitude about him, sometimes it’s a good attitude and other times I think it’s not.

“Would he suit Arsenal? Yes. We’ll have to see what happens in the summer. You’d have thought that Palace might want to cash in on him so they can get a couple of players in and don’t miss him as much.”

This is currently Zaha’s second-best season in-front of goal with nine goals, just one short of his best total during the 2018/19 season. He’s adding goals to his games alongside his pace, strength and skills which could make him a perfect player for a top-six club.

To be considered a great player, Zaha may have to prove himself at a bigger club than Crystal Palace and win some silverware.

According to Tuscany newspaper La Nazione, via Sport Witness, Crystal Palace are reportedly close to signing Christian Kouame from Fiorentina.

What’s the word?

Reports in recent times revealed that Roy Hodgson’s side have been actively pursuing the 23-year-old for quite some time.

It’s claimed that Kouame is still of interest to Palace but they face stiff competition from European heavyweights Marseille and Eintracht Frankfurt for his signature.

The report reveals the Eagles are close to concluding a deal to bring the Ivory Coast U23 international to England.

Parish heading for inexcusable mistake

Having forked out huge sums of money on the likes of Alexander Sorloth and Michy Batshuayi, the last thing Parish needs to do right now is to sign another expensive striker who isn’t fit for the big stage.

In 18 appearances in Serie A, the £12m-rated Kouame has scored just the once so far this season and there must be a reason why he hasn’t started a league game since the draw with Parma last year.

Palace already have to contend with Parish’s baffling decision to re-sign Batshuayi on loan from Chelsea, as the Stamford Bridge outcast currently earns around £90,000-per-week at Selhurst Park. Quite mind-blowing really, especially when you consider the fact he earns more than Eberechi Eze. Say no more.

Palace need a striker who can hit the ground running, someone who can bang in plenty of goals in a season. Hodgson’s side have scored just 22 goals in 17 games – the same amount as their bitter rivals, Brighton and Hove Albion.

Kouame has scored one goal in 16 games in Serie A for Fiorentina this season, averaging a lowly WhoScored rating of 6.18. Along with his struggles in front of goal, he is only averaging 0.3 key passes per game for Cesare Prandelli’s side, showing an inability to hold onto the ball and bring others into play.

Hodgson’s system requires a holdup frontman with a robust playing style. Someone like Olivier Giroud would be a far better option.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace can end four-year nightmare with swoop for Newcastle striker Dwight Gayle…

Liverpool slumped to a 1-1 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon, after a late VAR call gifted the home side a penalty, with Pascal Gross scoring the equaliser from the penalty spot.

While there were signs of improvement from the defeat against Atalanta in midweek, it was another disappointing result for Jurgen Klopp’s side, even though it does see them return to the top of the Premier League for the time being.

One bright spark from the game, however, was the performance of centre-back Nathaniel Phillips, who was restored to the starting lineup after missing the last few games.

The 23-year-old was making just his second appearance of the season for the Reds but showed that he can be a solid replacement for the likes of Joel Matip and Fabinho should Klopp opt to rest either of those two, as he did with the Cameroonian international during this game.

As per SofaScore, Phillips earned a 7.4 rating for his display against the Seagulls, which ranked him as Liverpool’s best player on the pitch.

The Englishman was rarely bested in the game, as of the 16 duels he was involved in, he was able to win 12, whilst no Brighton player was able to dribble past him during the 90 minutes.

He also made three clearances, blocked one shot, made two interceptions and four tackles during the game, in what was an excellent defensive display from the former Stuggart loanee.

Whilst his style of play may seem more like an old-fashioned centre-back, rather than the delicate quality shown by other Reds centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Gomez, he also showed himself to be adept on the ball during the game at the Amex Stadium

He completed 44/55 of his passes, resulting in a pass accuracy of 80%, whilst five of his 11 long balls found their mark.

After his previous Premier League display in the win against West Ham, Klopp was full of praise for the youngster, saying:

“He’s a brilliant guy, smart guy, intelligent, everything.

“He’s not easy on the eye, he’s not Messi but who cares? In the air, he’s a monster! He was incredible. “For the first game, I think everyone can imagine how nervy that must be after a long wait.” (per talkSPORT)

Therefore, it was a solid display from Phillips, and arguably he should keep his place for Liverpool’s next match when they take on Ajax at Anfield on Tuesday next week.

And, in other news… Liverpool can sign their long-term Salah replacement in “incredible” 21 y/o

Christmas is here and Everton sit inside the top-four of the Premier League table under Carlo Ancelotti after a terrific start to the 2020/21 season.

The Toffees have claimed top-flight victories over Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Arsenal while taking a point against Stanley Park neighbours Liverpool to round off Ancelotti’s first year at the helm.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin and James Rodriguez have been two stars of the show this term, with the England international netting 11 of Everton’s 25 league goals for the division’s second-highest contribution rate to date at 44%.

But neither Calvert-Lewin or Rodriguez feature in Everton’s top-15 most expensive transfers of all-time, with the former joining from Sheffield United for what now looks a bargain £1.5m in 2016 and the Colombian arriving from Real Madrid in the summer for nothing.

Only one Ancelotti signing features in Everton’s top-15 most expensive arrivals, in fact, so can you name all 15, based on total fees reported at the time of their arrivals?

You’re a true expert if you can get them all…