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Wolverhampton Wanderers are among the clubs ‘interested’ in West Ham United centre-back Issa Diop. 

That’s according to journalist Ekrem Konur, who also names Crystal Palace and Southampton as interested parties.

In fact, he claims that Crystal Palace have already gone as far as tabling an ‘official offer’ for the Frenchman, only to see it rejected by the Hammers.

The lowdown on Wolves target Diop

Back in January, Diop was the subject of an enquiry from Champions League outfit Liverpool before they instead brought in Ozan Kabak on loan (via The Athletic).

Diop started 15 Premier League matches for West Ham last season, averaging 1.3 successful aerial duels, 1.1 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 1.2 blocks and 3.2 clearances (via WhoScored).

The 24-year-old has two years remaining on his contract at the London Stadium and is valued at £16.2million by Transfermarkt.

He’d be competing with the likes of Conor Coady, Willy Boly, Max Kilman and Romain Saiss for a starting spot under Bruno Lage.

Fan feed Talking Wolves relayed the news, and here’s what supporters made of it.

These Wolves fans give Diop move seal of approval

“Not bad. Could do with some genuine competition at the back.”

Credit: @JasGreswal242

“Let’s be fair he’s better than what we have maybe minus Boly”

Credit: @DodgyWolf

“Imagine Diop and Boly!”

Credit: @Life0fsam

“Oh yes please. I think he would do really well at wolves. He’s tall solid and got potential still!!”

Credit: @bo88om

“I mean he’s definitely an improvement on Coady”

Credit: @aepearson02

“I’d have him, don’t care”

Credit: @YasWWFC

In other news, fans gushed over this news.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has made a claim on Leeds United and possible move for Barcelona right-back Sergino Dest.

The Lowdown: Dest links

Victor Orta and Jesse Marsch met earlier this month to discuss the profile of player they want to target this summer ahead of the latter’s first full season in charge.

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Dest was linked with a move to Yorkshire prior to those talks, with sources revealing that the USA international is on Orta’s radar alongside RB Salzburg’s Brenden Aaronson.

Dest is currently under contract at the Nou Camp until 2025 and has made 69 appearances for the Catalan giants, turning out at full-back and on the wing on both sides.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Talking to This is Futbol, O’Rourke said that Leeds will be on the hunt for a right-back and name-checked Dest, suggesting it could be a ‘big deal’.

“They’ll be looking at a right-back, I think, as well. Sergino Dest has been mentioned possibly as that one which will be a big deal for Leeds.”

The Verdict: Ayling replacement?

By the looks of it, the Whites will be ‘looking’ to bring in a right-back over the summer, which could result in Luke Ayling becoming second-choice at Elland Road.

Ayling has grown with the club since joining in 2016 and has made 217 appearances for the Whites. However, he will be entering the final 12 months of his contract in the summer, where he will turn 31.

He reportedly wants to stay at Leeds for the rest of his career, however, he may have to accept dropping down to the bench going forward, should the Whites land someone like Dest over the coming months.

In other news: Leeds and Orta want ‘extraordinary’ ace in Bosman move; same agent as Bamford. 

A Tottenham Hotspur insider has shed some light on rumours of Gareth Bale potentially returning to Spurs in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Conte wants Bale

According to journalist Eduardo Inda, Antonio Conte has asked for the North London club to sign Bale once more in the winter.

Of course, he was with the Lilywhites on loan last season, and managed to score 16 goals and make a further three assists in 34 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

Bale ended up as their third-highest scorer behind only Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min, and so it is not a surprise that Conte would like him to return once more, given that THFC are currently the Premier League’s second-lowest scorers with just nine goals in 11 games so far.

The Latest: Insider sheds light

Speaking to Football Insider, Tottenham insider John Wenham, who regularly breaks news about Spurs on his Lilywhite Rose social media channels, has shed some light on the rumours of Bale’s potential return, and thinks that he would be a ‘brilliant’ signing in January:

“The stats speak for themselves.

“I have seen some ridiculous statements that joked Bale was using Tottenham as a gym ahead of the Euros.

“Actually, he scored 11 league goals in very minimal playing time. He scored the same amount of league goals as Aubameyang and Mane.

“He scored more than Antonio and Firmino and he barely played.

“People were asking what he did in the cups, he didn’t play. Mourinho, for whatever reason, did not play him.

“He then had a real purple patch under Mason and scored a brace on the last day of the season, a result that earned us European football over Arsenal.

“I had hopes we were going to extend his loan after last season because I think we have missed his goals.

“Would I welcome him back? Absolutely, he’s a Tottenham legend. He ticks a lot of boxes. It would be brilliant.

“I hope we look at that. However, Alasdair Gold said there was basically nothing in it, so at the moment I think it’s just a rumour.”

The Verdict: Bring him back

Bale’s impact in North London during his loan spell last term is nothing to be sniffed at, and there is no doubt that he can make the same impact again.

Of course, he is 32 years of age now, but is still playing at the highest level with Real Madrid.

Nonetheless, as Wenham puts it, he is simply a legend at the Lilywhites, being part of the team that won the League Cup in 2008 and winning Player of the Year in the 2012/13 campaign (Transfermarkt), and would thus be a signing that would help get the fans onside during what could be a potentially tricky next few months.

In other news, find out what transfer boost Conte has been gifted here!

Celtic supporters should ‘love’ the fact that shareholder Dermot Desmond is a lifelong Hoops fan, according to finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley.

The Lowdown: Desmond a lifelong fan

The 71-year-old has been hugely involved at Parkhead since 1995, having also owned part of Manchester United before the Glazer family’s takeover in the 2000s.

Desmond recently stressed that he wouldn’t sell his stake in the club even if he offered ‘three or four times the share price’, such is his love for Celtic.

While billionaires aren’t always universally loved by supporters, Plumley believes the situation is different with Desmond.

The Latest: Expert provides thoughts on billionaire

Speaking to Football Insider, the ‘finance guru’ stressed that the Irishman’s Celtic roots should be something that supporters admire in their shareholders:

“There are good and bad aspects to this. Most fans would argue that it is a good thing to have a genuine supporter of the club in charge.

“Business investment probably takes on a slightly different form as a fan. But the flip side is that if somebody did offer three or four times the share price, they might have the potential to grow the club even further.

“That is a very hypothetical situation, but you can see the good and bad here. However, in general, most fans would love to keep an owner who is passionate and personally invested in the club.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-2/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Makes a fair point

While Plumley’s comments could be divisive due to Desmond not necessarily always pleasing Celtic supporters, he does make a fair point.

If you know you have a fellow fan in charge high up, it instantly suggests that big decisions made will be in the best interests of the club, rather than by billionaires who care more about their wealth.

The Hoops could certainly have worse majority shareholders than Desmond and it could be a case of only fully appreciating him when he eventually moves on.

In other news, Celtic have been backed to seal the signing of one player. Find out who it is here.

Wolves could still sign a replacement for outgoing winger Adama Traore in the next two days, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Traore off to Barcelona

The Spaniard is on the verge of completing a return to Barcelona, having initially spent time in the club’s academy before making four first-team appearances.

Traore will join the Catalan giants on loan initially but the deal could become permanent at the end of the season (Sky Sports).

With the winger leaving Molineux and no replacement lined up yet, it could be argued that Wolves are looking light in attacking areas between now and the end of the season.

The Latest: Journalist talks up new signing

Speaking to Give Me Sport, however, Taylor claimed a new face could still arrive before deadline day ends on Monday:

“If Traore completes his move, he’ll (Bruno Lage) probably push for another signing within the final days of the window.”

The Verdict: Is it needed?

In an ideal world, a ready-made replacement for Traore would arrive in the coming days, ensuring Lage isn’t left with a lack of attacking depth.

That being said, Traore wasn’t a key starter for Wanderers – he has started 10 out of 21 Premier League matches this season – and the returning Pedro Neto could feel like a new signing after a long injury absence.

Should Traore leave permanently in the summer, they should receive big money for him, at which point it is vital that Wolves use the funds effectively on new signings. Perhaps that would be better than rushing into a January deal.

In other news, Wolves have suffered a transfer blow regarding one player. Find out who it is here.

Understandably, Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah is the talk of the town at the moment after scoring 15 goals in 12 appearances across all competitions for the Reds.

However, one winger at the Merseyside club that we feel is and has flown under the radar in recent times is Sadio Mane.

Liverpool signed the attacker back in the 2016 summer transfer window from fellow Premier League side Southampton in a deal worth a reported fee of £34m.

Since then, the 29-year-old, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £100k-per-week according to Spotrac, has made a total of 230 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side in which he has managed to rack up an impressive total of 103 goals and 43 assists in the process.

So far this season, Mane has managed to score six times in 12 appearances across all competitions. In addition to this, the winger has managed to rack up an average of 3.4 shots at goal per game, showing just how much of an attacking threat he is in the team alongside Salah.

All of this has seen his market value rise considerably. In August 2016, shortly after joining the Reds, Transfermarkt had Mane’s value listed at £27m, whereas it now stands at a massive £76.5m, highlighting a massive increase and how much he has progressed and thrived at Liverpool under Klopp.

His rather mesmeric performances saw him star against Barcelona last term which led to him being described as “unbelievable” for his exploits in Merseyside by Liverpool coach Peter Krawietz.

Also, this says to us just how much of a great buy he has been from Liverpool’s owners FSG who have certainly delivered an absolute star to the club.

With the Senegal international’s current contract at Anfield set to expire in 2023, we feel that the club should definitely try and get him signed to a new one to keep him at the club for the foreseeable future to see if he can continue scoring goals and providing assists on a regular basis.

If he does put pen to paper on a new deal, even though he’s reaching the age of 30, we feel that Mane’s overall market value could go up even further if he keeps performing well for the team.

Either way, there’s no denying that he’s been a brilliant signing for the Reds.

In other news: Never mind Salah: “Intense” £90k-p/w LFC gem who made 2 key passes was vital yesterday – opinion

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that he cannot believe Arsenal let Joe Willock leave.

Since breaking into the Arsenal first-team more than three years ago, the midfielder unable to establish himself as a regular under Unai Emery or current manager Mikel Arteta.

The bulk of his 78 appearances came in the Europa League and the domestic cups, with the Gunners academy graduate failing to get a proper opportunity in the Premier League.

However, last January Willock moved out on loan to Newcastle and was given his first genuine chance to prove himself at Premier League level.

And Willock more than exceeded expectations, scoring an incredible eight goals in under 1000 minutes of league football for Steve Bruce’s side – becoming the youngest player to score in seven consecutive Premier League games in the process.

In contrast, none of Arsenal’s central midfielders managed to score more than once in the league last season, but that didn’t stop them from cashing in on Willock when Newcastle came calling once again for a permanent deal this summer.

Windass exclusively told Football FanCast:

“I just don’t get it; he’s done so well for Bruce. There’s not many teams that have midfield players that can get you goals – and Arsenal need as much help as they can get at the minute.”

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a timely boost ahead of their Premier League clash with Leicester City this week…

What’s the latest?

Spurs have seen their last two fixtures against Rennes and Brighton postponed due to a virus outbreak at the club’s Hotspur Way training base, leaving Thursday’s top-flight match at the King Power Stadium in serious doubt.

The north Londoners were dealt a further blow on Monday when they suffered a new positive case, as well as the epidemic reaching the club’s academy set-up.

Head coach Antonio Conte was able to resume training on Sunday after several days away with a small group of 13 players, including just two goalkeepers, so that latest update raises fresh question marks ahead of the midweek encounter.

However, according to the ever-reliable Alasdair Gold at football.london, the game is “looking good” to go ahead. He told supporters on Twitter:

“Hopefully looking good for Tottenham’s match at Leicester. Antonio Conte’s press conference is set for tomorrow afternoon at 1.30pm and I understand some players have started to return to training following their isolation periods.”

Timely boost?

This is a step in the right direction and certainly suggests that Conte may well have more than the 13 players he had on Sunday available by Thursday night.

How match fit some of the players will be remains to be seen, having had two games last week cancelled, as well as a lack of full-time training for at least two-to-three days ahead of what is supposed to be a hectic festive period.

The Foxes, meanwhile, thrashed a struggling Newcastle United side 4-0 on Sunday, so they will be buoyed by the prospect of facing a weak and out of touch Spurs side.

Although, the fact that Conte will have more of his first-team stars involved is certainly a major source of encouragement and it will only bolster their chances of pulling off a result.

Despite an inconsistent season and a managerial change, the Lilywhites sit in seventh place – just three points off West Ham in fourth place – and they now have two games in hand, too.

This latest update should give Conte, the players and the fans a timely boost ahead of kick-off later this week. They will surely be buzzing by the news.

AND in other news, Spurs handed majoe transfer boost amid Fabrizio Romano update…

Following Newcastle United’s first league win of the season last weekend against Burnley, Magpies boss Eddie Howe will be keen to have a fresh bill of health as they travel to face a Leicester City side who may be short on confidence on Sunday afternoon.

Newcastle defender Fabian Schär set up Callum Wilson’s winner against the Clarets as well as keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory. However, the 29-year-old required treatment during the game and missed training earlier in the week.

What’s the latest?

When speaking ahead of the trip to the King Power Stadium, Howe stated that there were a “couple of knocks and niggles” in the squad and that Schär “had a rib problem earlier in the week and missed a bit of training” but “hopefully he’ll be ok.”

The Swiss international has started all four of Howe’s games in charge of the Toon Army thus far, having previously not featured since late August, and has already proved to be a key asset for the new manager.

Granted, the defender had a quiet game against Burnley, making three clearances and blocking one shot according to SofaScore. Schär may have had an assist but also posted a passing accuracy of just 42% and lost possession 20 times in what was a mixed performance.

However, having played just six times this season, Schär is still bound to be rusty and could well be a key player for Howe once he reaches his peak form.

United are also set to welcome back Ciaran Clark from suspension after the Irishman was sent off early in the 1-1 draw with Norwich City, further boosting Howe’s defensive arsenal this weekend.

With Jamaal Lascelles also fit after his recent return from suspension, Howe suddenly has the welcome luxury of deciding which centre-back out of the three now available will be dropped, with the formation of a strong defensive partnership key to United’s survival hopes this season.

Either way, the Toon Army will be surely buzzing to hear that Schär could be good to go this weekend, especially given his recent resurgence under the new manager.

In other news – Forget Fraser: Howe must unleash £74k-p/w Newcastle beast whose energy is “infectious”

Crystal Palace have confirmed that American businessman John Textor has purchased a substantial stake in the Premier League outfit.

What’s the story?

The Eagles revealed on their official website that Textor, the founder and chief executive of Facebank, a virtual entertainment company, has joined chairman Steve Parish and fellow American co-owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer as part of the board at the capital club.

Textor was close to purchasing shares in Portuguese giants Benfica last month and is thought to have paid £87.5m for a significant percentage of Palace, believed to be close to Parish’s 18% controlling stake.

Crystal Palace fans will be buzzing

Parish welcomed the fresh investment and a new board member, outlining how his arrival will help to breathe new life into Palace, both on and off the pitch.

“I’m delighted that search led us to John, who has invested significant sums, helping to facilitate the rejuvenation of the squad, bolster the balance sheet and enable the club to finalise the Academy,” he said.

“We all look forward to working with John, who has a strong passion for football and a growing knowledge and affinity to Crystal Palace.”

After joining the south London outfit’s hierarchy, Textor disclosed his delight at getting the deal over the line, highlighting his passion for football and Palace.

“I have looked at many opportunities across European football in which to invest so I could follow my passion for football and have a meaningful stake in a club.

“Over the past six months of discussions, I have also developed a real affinity to Crystal Palace F.C, its history, the staff and, of course, most importantly the supporters who create an incredible atmosphere at every game – one I cannot wait to witness again when supporters return to fill Selhurst Park this season.

“I very much look forward to working with the Chairman and the other partners,” he concluded.

Palace fans will surely be delighted at this newfound wealth, especially as it has arrived while the current transfer window still has plenty of time to run.

The Eagles have already bolstered new manager Patrick Vieira’s ranks, but the French tactician is likely to need extra reinforcement to ensure the club’s safety from relegation, something he is now expected to receive given this investment.

And, in other news…Get it done: Palace must swoop for “dangerous” 21 y/o prodigy, Vieira will love him