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Wolverhampton Wanderers are eyeing up a number of striking solutions according to fresh claims.

 What’s the word?

According to Pete O’Rourke, the Old Gold are very keen on signing a new forward.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he picked out a certain Goncalo Ramos, in particular, saying: “I’m sure they’re maybe stepping up their interest in all of their striker targets after that injury to Jimenez.

“Ramos has been a long-term target. He’s been playing for Benfica in these Champions League qualifiers and scored a hat-trick the other night against Midtjylland so it could put up his price tag as well. Benfica will be hoping to keep him, especially if they qualify for the Champions League having sold Darwin Nunez to Liverpool this summer so it could be a hard deal to do for Wolves.

“They might have to put their hands in their pockets to try and get the right striker that they need to lead the line for them this season.”

Just what they need

It is clear that the Midlands club are in dire need of a striker after the injury to their main marksman, with Jimenez out for a reported “number of weeks.”

Regardless of the injury, at 31 years old, the Mexican needed a successor following the failed experiment with young Fabio Silva. The 20-year-old has now left for a loan spell at Anderlecht, leaving Wolves with few options in Jimenez’s absence.

Ramos, who is valued at £34m, could be just what they need up front, and with their Portuguese connection, it could sweeten the deal further.

The 21-year-old, who has been described as having “outrageous numbers” by scout Jacek Kulig, most recently scored a hat-trick for Benfica in a Champions League qualifier as they ran out comfortable 4-1 winners, with this kind of experience instantly separating him from the youthful inexperience of Silva.

Last season, however, he featured 29 times in the league, scoring seven and assisting a further two. He has proven that he knows where the goal is, and at such a tender age he still has so much room for growth.

Further labelled as “incredibly prolific” by Kulig, he could be just that at Molineux, with his talents supported more by his capability in front of goal at such a young age.

In that department, he is clearly astounding and he could be both a scorer and provider for Bruno Lage’s side, facilitating the likes of star man Pedro Neto.

Averaging 0.8 key passes per game and boasting an 80% pass success rate, Ramos is clearly also not a one-dimensional forward. Being able to link the play as well as score goals is a must for Jimenez’s replacement, with his role being integral to their functioning system.

This wonderkid could certainly take the Premier League by storm, and with Wolves’ issues up front, he could be exactly the prolific man they need to ensure another solid campaign is seen out.

AND, in other news: Sellars makes Wolves enquiry to sign “quality” £20m “marksman”, imagine him & Neto.

Tottenham Hotspur finally return to Premier League action this afternoon as they welcome Southampton to north London to kickstart the 2022/23 campaign.

Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte will be looking to get off to the best possible start after he steered Spurs back into the Champions League last season with a fourth-place finish, snatching it late from arch-rivals Arsenal’s grasp.

Backed in the transfer market with six new summer signings, the Italian will have been delighted with his pre-season preparations but it remains to be seen what sort of side he’ll select this weekend.

Here’s the XI we’re predicting for today’s encounter…

In goal, club captain Hugo Lloris is likely to resume his no.1 duties as Fraser Forster, signed on a free from today’s opponents, has only been brought in as a backup.

Conte will surely remain with his wing-back system, so we’re expecting a back three involving Eric Dier and Cristian Romero, whilst the third spot is a little less clear. Ben Davies missed some of pre-season with injury, so summer loan signing Clement Lenglet could get the nod.

The French centre-back could be joined by one more new arrival in the form of Ivan Perisic, who is expected to become Conte’s first choice left wing-back this season.

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Meanwhile, on the other flank, the Italian head coach has a big call to make as he has as many as three options. Emerson Royal could be chosen ahead of Matt Doherty and £15m signing Djed Spence.

In midfield, Spurs won’t have the services of the injured Oliver Skipp and another summer signing, Yves Bissouma, is a big doubt, so the reigns are likely to go to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Further up the pitch, the £60m acquisition of Richarlison isn’t likely to change much as Conte will surely run with the free-flowing and exciting front three of Heung-min Son, Dejan Kulusevski and Harry Kane.

Predicted Spurs XI (3-4-3): Lloris; Lenglet, Dier, Romero; Perisic, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Emerson; Son, Kulusevski, Kane

AND in other news, Spurs dealt “freak” injury blow ahead of Premier League opener…

Manchester United are considering a move for a recently relegated winger, if reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, Manchester United are exploring the possibility of signing Ismaila Sarr.

He said, speaking to GIVEMESPORT: “Sarr has reminded a lot of clubs in the Premier League that he’s probably worth an offer in this window.

“There are a few clubs that have been thinking about it – Newcastle, Man United and West Ham among them.”

Other reports have claimed he may cost £25m to sign this summer.

An unplayable addition

With key exits, frustration in the transfer market and dramas within the club, Erik ten Hag has been left light up front to start off the Premier League season.

In his side’s 2-1 loss to Brighton last weekend, his starting front three was Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Christian Eriksen as a makeshift striker.

Perhaps bolstering the wide options in the hope that either a new striker is signed, or Cristiano Ronaldo decides to stick around at Old Trafford, could be the Dutch manager’s best bet.

That would make Ismaila Sarr a fine candidate, given his incredible speed and directness, which makes him unlike anything they already have at the club.

Dubbed “unbelievable” by Troy Deeney, in only 22 Premier League appearances last season for Watford, the Senegalese star scored five and assisted a further two, however, he has started this Championship season on fire.

Recording a goal and an assist in his opening two fixtures, with the goal being an absurd lob from inside his own half, it appears that Sarr has started this campaign a man on a mission. United are in desperate need for hungry players who can pull their side through when things are tough.

The tricky winger labelled “unplayable” by journalist Sam Street could thrive if given a stronger team around him, and although he would join a club in disarray, perhaps his arrival could spell the exit of some of the more toxic performers.

Last season he created five big chances despite only registering the two assists, suggesting that if these chances had been created for someone of Ronaldo’s ilk, his stats would look much more impressive.

He proves himself not to be an idler too, outlined in his 4.7 total duels won per 90. United cannot afford any more passengers, so with this £71k-per-week ace, they would get both the skill, speed and hard work.

Ten Hag needs more attackers in his side, and to sign this unplayable winger with proven Premier League experience and all the attributes to succeed, could be one of the Red Devils’ best pieces of business in recent years.

With a “hectic” end to the window in store for Scottish champions Celtic, according to manager Ange Postecoglou, the likelihood is that the Parkhead outfit will be adding to the seven major deals that they have already completed this summer.

One of those potential signings could be Maccabi Haifa midfielder Mohammad Abu Fani, with the 24-year-old having been heavily linked with a move to Glasgow throughout the last few months.

While previous reports had suggested that a move would be unlikely, a more recent update from the Daily Record suggested that the Israel international is a ‘live option’ for the Premiership champions, having been watched on ‘several occasions’ by club scouts.

The 14-cap menace has scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 104 games for his current club so far in all competitions, while also offering a robust and physical presence from his midfield berth, despite his diminutive frame.

The 2021/22 campaign saw the midfield maestro – who still has four years remaining on his existing deal – particularly impress, as he laid on 12 goal contributions in 44 appearances across all fronts.

Not just a creative asset, Abu Fani also clearly has something of a tenacious side after racking up 14 yellow cards in all competitions last term, while his streetwise nature was also illustrated by a viral clip which showed him time-wasting late on in a clash against Maccabi Tel Aviv in January.

Such a figure could well become a real cult hero for the Hoops, while his prospective addition could also pave the way for the departure of a player who has failed to make his mark for the club so far in James McCarthy.

The 31-year-old, who signed on a free transfer from Crystal Palace last summer, is yet to feature this season having been resigned to a bit-part role under Postecoglou in his Celtic career so far. He made just 22 appearances last term, with only six of those coming from the start.

The Republic of Ireland international has endured a “frustrating” time of it so far in Scotland, in the words of former Hoops striker Frank McAvennie, and it’s no real surprise that there are already reports that he could be on his way out this summer.

Unlike Abu Fani, the £14k-per-week midfielder has shown little of an attacking threat in recent times, having recorded just one assist and failed to score in all competitions last term, while his average match rating of 6.72 saw him rank 26th in the Celtic squad for the 2021/22 season, as per SofaScore.

Such a dismal record is an indicator of just what a nightmare spell it has been for the 42-cap dud so far at Parkhead, and it seems that he might need to move on to try and revive his career, even with three years left on his contract.

That is the view of journalist Pete O’Rourke – speaking in an interview with Football FanCast – as he stated: “Obviously Celtic did a lot of business late on in the last summer window and McCarthy was among those signings. It hasn’t worked out for either party, really.

“McCarthy hasn’t played enough games and maybe Ange Postecoglou hasn’t seen the best of him. So maybe if McCarthy is looking to play regular first-team football he might have to leave Celtic.”

Postecoglou could well hasten that potential exit by bringing in the younger Abu Fani in the coming weeks, with it hard to see the former Everton man having much of a role to play for the Hoops going forward.

Tottenham Hotspur have scheduled a new round of talks with Valencia over the sale of winger Bryan Gil, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown

After a busy summer in the transfer market, managing director Fabio Paratici is now looking to offload players who are excess to Antonio Conte’s requirements.

The likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Joe Rodon have all left the club on loan, whilst Steven Bergwijn and Cameron Carter-Vickers also sealed their permanent exits from Hotspur Way earlier in the summer.

Elsewhere, attention has now turned to Gil, who has been receiving interest after spending the second half of last season on loan in La Liga.

The Latest

Romano has shared an update on the Spaniard’s position at the club, revealing details of a possible move away from north London.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist claimed: “Tottenham and Valencia have new round of talks now scheduled for Bryan Gil deal. Negotiations in progress as all parties want to get the deal done next week. #THFC”

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The Verdict

Having arrived at Spurs last summer in a deal worth £21.6m, with Erik Lamela heading the other way to Sevilla, the 21-year-old has failed to establish himself as a core member of the Tottenham first-team.

The Spain under-21 international has played just 20 games for the Lilywhites, only nine of which have come in the Premier League (all off the bench), totalling a meagre 85 minutes in the division.

Having made 17 appearances for Valencia during his short stint at the club, a return to Spain seems to be in the best interests for the youngster, who has been dubbed a ‘very exciting’ player by ESPN editor David Cartlidge, as he has a lot of potential to fulfil.

Therefore, with game-time looking scarce under Conte (he’s yet to feature this term), this could be the ideal scenario for Gil’s career.

Leeds United have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Hwang Hee-chan to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments cited by the Express & Star, Bruno Lage revealed that, despite Jesse Marsch being heavily linked with a £25m move for the Wolves forward in recent days, he is more than happy to retain the services of the 26-year-old winger beyond the closure of the summer transfer window next week.

Regarding the future of the South Korea international, Lage said: “I’m very happy with him and I like him a lot.

“Hwang spends a lot of time in the academy like other players and he wants to be in his best shape all the time, and do everything he can to play. So we’re talking about a great professional, a great kid, a top player and someone who scored six important goals for us last season.

“Who wouldn’t want a player like him? I want him, I like him, but in the end, we need to understand the market and the situation of the club. So we are looking for players from other teams, and we need to expect other teams are looking at our players also. He can play as a winger – especially on the left – and as a striker, like he’s done in the first few games.”

Marsch will be gutted

Considering just how short Marsch currently is of centre-forward depth behind Patrick Bamford, and with the American having already enjoyed a great deal of success with the 26-year-old during their mutual time at Red Bull Salzburg, the news that Lage appears adamant to keep a hold of Hwang beyond Thursday’s transfer deadline is sure to have left the Leeds coach gutted.

Indeed, Hwang’s remarkable record of 16 goals and 24 assists over 43 appearances for Marsch in Austria – with the forward averaging a direct goal contribution for every 66 minutes of football played – played a key role in the American’s success at Salzburg, with the duo helping the club to secure a league and cup double in 2019/20.

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In that campaign, the £14.4m-rated forward was in scintillating form over his 27 Austrian Bundesliga appearances, bagging 11 goals, providing 13 assists and creating 15 big chances for his team-mates, along with taking 1.7 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing 1.2 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the player who Richard Buxton dubbed “incredible” average a sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.29, not only ranking him as Marsch’s joint sixth-best player in the league – behind the likes of Erling Haaland, Dominik Szoboszlai and Patson Daka – but also as the joint seventh-best performer in the Austrian top flight as a whole that season.

As such, with the versatile Hwang – who can operate on either wing and as a centre-forward – appearing to be a player from whom Marsch can extract his best form, and with the 48-year-old being in rather desperate need of backup to the injury-prone Bamford, a £25m move for the Korean would appear to make a great deal of sense for Leeds.

However, following Lage’s latest comments concerning the immediate future of the former Salzburg sensation, it would seem as if Marsch will have his work cut out in convincing the Portuguese coach to part with the 26-year-old in the coming days – especially considering how badly the two managers fell out during in the Whites’ 2-1 victory over Wolves earlier this season.

Aston Villa have reportedly made an enquiry regarding the availability of Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga.

The Lowdown: Search for a defender

Villa are looking to bring in a new defender ‘this week’ following a serious injury to summer signing Diego Carlos earlier this month.

The Brazilian is set to be out for the foreseeable future after rupturing his Achilles against Everton. Carlos has had surgery on the problem, which has resulted in Villa being linked with a number of centre-backs, including Tanganga.

The Latest: Tanganga approach

Birmingham Live relayed an update from Sportitalia, regarding Tanganga, who has been heavily linked with a move to AC Milan.

They claim that Villa chiefs have made an approach to Spurs for Tanganga but face competition from Milan and Nottingham Forest.

The Verdict: Unlikely?

Tanganga, who Alan Shearer labelled ‘magnificent’, seemingly does want to leave north London this summer but has had his eyes on a move to Milan.

Therefore, a move to the Midlands could be unlikely at this moment in time, but it makes sense for Villa to test the water with an approach due to their need for a defender.

The centre-back can also turn out as a right-back so would provide cover in numerous areas for Steven Gerrard, and could even still find a role in the team once Carlos returns, rotating both with the Brazilian and Matty Cash.

It looks as if the club want to push through a deal for a defender in the coming days, whether that be Tanganga or someone else, so this will certainly be one to watch in the next 72 hours or so.

Manchester United have reached an agreement with Newcastle United to sign goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

The Lowdown: Antony in the building

The Red Devils are finally making inroads in the transfer window late on, with Ajax’s Brazilian winger Antony set to follow countryman Casemiro to Old Trafford.

United have agreed on an £85m deal to sign the forward, who is already at Carrington after footage leaked on social media. The 22-year-old looks like he’ll become the club’s fifth summer signing, and a sixth isn’t far off either, seemingly.

The Latest: Dubravka next…

Fabrizio Romano revealed on Twitter in the last 24 hours that United have reached a “full agreement” with Newcastle for Dubravka.

The transfer expert stated that the goalkeeper will join on an initial loan deal with a £5m option to buy next summer, with the Slovakian set to undergo a medical today.

The Verdict: Needed

Although a move for Dubravka might not get United fans as excited compared to a mega-money deal for Antony, it still appears to be a shrewd piece of business.

The 33-year-old, who has been labelled as ‘top class’ by journalist Josh Bunting and dubbed a leader by The Chronicle’s Mick Quinn, has plenty of Premier League experience under his belt during his four-year stay at St James’ Park.

Therefore, he should provide adequate cover for David de Gea, with Erik ten Hag’s side also having Europa League football in their schedule this season.

Failing to bring in another goalkeeper would have left Tom Heaton as the only senior alternative to De Gea, so this transfer is definitely needed.

Leeds United correspondent Phil Hay has detailed why Rasmus Kristensen was absent from the 5-2 defeat to Brentford.

The Lowdown: Afternoon to forget

The Whites suffered a second loss of the season on Saturday, with a number of defensive mistakes costing Jesse Marsch’s side.

Leeds also didn’t have the rub of the green when it came to the officials, with Marsch handed a red card in the second half after an apparent foul on Crysencio Summerville both outside and inside the penalty box went unpunished.

The afternoon began with Cody Drameh being a surprise inclusion in the starting XI due to Kristensen missing his first Premier League game of the season.

The Latest: Thorp Arch injury

Taking to Twitter, Hay shared the ‘news’ on Kristensen, saying that the 25-year-old was ruled out of the clash in west London due to a ‘knock picked up in training’.

However, the reliable reporter did add that the Denmark international is ‘expected’ to be back for the visit of Nottingham Forest to Elland Road on Monday week.

The Verdict: Bad to worse

Leeds are slowly starting to pick up injuries as a regular occurrence this season, with Kristensen the latest man to miss out.

Patrick Bamford and Joe Gelhardt have already had their issues this term and Rodrigo is set to be out for three to four weeks with a dislocated shoulder.

Therefore, Leeds and Marsch could have done without this update on Kristensen, but at least he will have just over a week to overcome the problem, due to the scheduling of the Nottingham Forest clash.

West Ham United defender Ben Johnson has held talks with the club over a new contract but there is no progress with his representatives yet, according to insider Claret and Hugh.

The Lowdown: Johnson’s instant impact

The 22-year-old has made his name in the Premier League after clocking up 64 first-team appearances, but is currently on the sidelines due to sustaining an injury against Aston Villa last month.

The right-back still has two years remaining on his current deal at the London Stadium but won’t be short of potential suitors given his age and versatility, so it comes as no surprise to learn that the Irons are looking to tie him down for the long-term.

The Latest: West Ham locked in talks

According to Claret and Hugh, West Ham have been ‘talking’ to Johnson’s representatives over fresh terms for ‘several months’, but they are ‘no closer’ to reaching an agreement as it stands.

It’s reported that GSBK ‘may re-open negotiations’ approaching Christmas, but it will take a ‘big improvement’ in the club’s league position to help discussions progress further.

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The Verdict: Get it done

Johnson earning a new contract in the capital would be nothing less than he deserves after making a real positive impression since his breakthrough under David Moyes.

The London-born gem, dubbed ‘phenomenal’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, averaged 2.5 clearances and 1.7 tackles per top-flight game last season (WhoScored), and has the ability to operate at centre-back as well as on the flank.

Johnson is an England U21 international and has a promising future ahead of him, which West Ham will be hoping is continued with their guidance in years to come.