Tag Futebol

Wolverhampton Wanderers well and truly hit the jackpot with their signing of Max Kilman in 2018, as his transfer value has shot up during his time at Molineux.

How much is Max Kilman worth now?

Wolves signed the Englishman from Maidenhead in 2018, with the versatile defender joining for an undisclosed fee after impressing with the non-league side.

Given the relative status of the two teams, and the fact that Kilman had made just 34 appearances in total for The Magpies, it is hard to imagine that the undisclosed fee was a large one, and he has certainly proved his worth in his five years at Molineux.

Initially viewed as a left-back, the youngster made his first-team debut in the 2018/19 campaign, featuring in both the Premier League and Europa League qualifying under Nuno Espirito Santo.

Kilman was perhaps always likely to adapt well to the Premier League, given his physical experience in non-league, and the technical ability he collated with his performances for the England Futsal side.

The 2020/21 season was arguably Kilman's biggest breakthrough campaign at Wolves as he made 18 appearances in the Premier League, and the centre-back has not looked back since then, as he is now a mainstay in the Old Gold's back line.

Tim Spiers, who covered Wolves for The Athletic, was full of praise for the young defender after a performance against Manchester City in 2021.

He said: "The guy has been exceptional this season to the extent he's heading towards the Neves/Jimenez/Neto bracket of players you'd fear Wolves could lose."

In total, the 25-year-old has made 98 appearances for Wolves, contributing one goal and two assists, while his performances this season see him ranked by WhoScored as the third-best performer in Julen Lopetegui's squad, behind only Ruben Neves and new centre-back partner Craig Dawson.

It is perhaps no surprise therefore that the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool have both been linked with the England hopeful in recent months, and the Old Gold may face a battle to keep hold of Kilman this summer, regardless of the division that they find themselves in.

However, Fosun will be delighted if they can get a big fee for the 6 foot 4 colossus, as it naturally will be a huge profit on the fee paid by Wolves just five years ago.

According to Football Transfers, the Wolves fan favourite is now valued at €23.6m (£21m), which represents a meteoric rise given he was playing in the fifth tier of English football back in 2018.

Therefore, Wolves deserve a lot of credit for unearthing a top talent in Kilman, and they will be hoping that he can continue to go from strength to strength at Molineux, thus potentially make them a lot of money in the future.

Manchester United will be holding further discussions this week with the interested parties over the potential takeover with the next step looking to finalise the possible deal.

Will Man United be taken over soon?

The Glazer family made it apparent they would be open to the idea of selling the club late last year and since they have seen bids arrive at the table.

However, there are still reports suggesting a sale is not necessarily the only outcome with investment also believed to be in place to support the current owner if they choose to remain at the helm.

United currently have offers to potentially take over from the Glazers, but further talks are expected this week to see whether these bids meet the expectation of the current owners.

Speaking to NBC Sports, reliable journalist David Ornstein has claimed presentations are expected to take place this week with the next step looking to complete a deal if they meet the requirements of the Glazer family:

(4:15) "Now we're going on to meetings and presentations. Some happened last week with Elliott [Management], the hedge fund who have offered their services to help finance any potential deal for the club or if the Glazers are going to stay.

"And then we will go [this] week into presentations with representations of the interested parties here in Manchester, where I speak to you, and also from London as well.

"The next stage after that would be a favoured bidder going on to a period of exclusivity and potentially trying to finalise the deal which they would want to do as soon as possible to get in in time for the transfer window."

Could a takeover happen before the summer?

As Ornstein mentioned, the parties who have put forward bids to potentially take over the club would be keen to get a potential deal over the line in time for the summer.

This would obviously be the case so they could be involved over the summer transfer window and provide Erik ten Hag with the tools he feels he needs to take the club forward.

However, it is also important to note that Ornstein suggested the bids which have landed on the Glazer's table to do not actually meet their valuation of the club.

And this is certainly something which could prove a huge issue for the possibility of a takeover let alone getting one done by the summer.

The Glazers reportedly value the club in the region of £6 billion but the offers which have landed are believed to be well short of that asking price.

With this in mind, there could certainly be a situation where the current owners refuse to sell the club when their valuation is so much higher than what is being offered.

And with reports of funding being in place to potentially see them continue at the helm of the club, that may be a worry for some fans.

Everton have been gifted a potential injury boost as Sean Dyche has not ruled out the return of Dominic Calvert-Lewin against Nottingham Forest.

The Lowdown: Hamstring injury

Calvert-Lewin has been ruled out of Everton’s last Premier League with a hamstring injury, with reports that he could even be facing up to six weeks on the sidelines.

However, Dyche gave an update on the striker’s fitness in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match against Forest, and it was certainly more positive news…

The Latest: Could feature

Dyche confirmed to the media that Calvert-Lewin is ‘recovering’ and ‘getting stronger’ ahead of the match, claiming ‘we’ll see’ when asked if he could feature:

“Dyche on Dominic Calvert-Lewin “He’s recovering, getting stronger”. Asked whether he could feature on Sunday: “We’ll see”.”

The Verdict: Big boost

It would certainly be a big boost for the Goodison Park outfit if Calvert-Lewin returns to the squad, having missed the last few fixtures.

He has only scored one league goal so far this season, but offers the team so much more, with no other Toffees player winning more aerial duels per game than him, while he also ranks highly for average shots and dribbles per match (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, Dyche will want to have Calvert-Lewin as another option in what is a crucial fixture near the bottom of the table, and so fingers crossed that he is deemed fit enough to feature.

Everton have been handed a fresh setback following their victory at the weekend with the injury to Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

What’s the latest?

The Toffees were able to finally get some points on the board over the weekend in what was a dream debut for Sean Dyche against the league leaders.

However, it seems as if the win against Arsenal may have come at a cost with Everton’s first-choice striker, Calvert-Lewin, has picked up a hamstring issue.

Dyche has already suggested he does not believe the issue is a serious one, however, given their position in the table, any injury issue to a starter could prove problematic.

Speaking to Football FanCast, insider Dean Jones has claimed the Toffees will have everything crossed the results of the scan come back with some good news:

“Yeah, it’s a big setback because Calvert-Lewin himself just doesn’t seem to have much luck these days. So they definitely won’t want any bad news on this. There’s not much depth there. There’s not much backup.”

A negative trend

Injuries to the Englishman are now becoming a far too familiar issue at Goodison Park with the striker having already missed a big chunk of football this season.

And this comes after his struggles last season where he missed 125 days of action as a result of a fractured toe amid the struggles the Toffees endured against the relegation battle.

Adding to his injury struggles, the 27-year-old has struggled to find his feet in the Premier League since making his return from injury earlier in the season.

Across his 11 appearances in the top flight, Calvert-Lewin has only been able to return Everton with just one goal – a far cry from the return in his 2020/21 campaign.

These struggles with both finding the back of the net and staying fit only highlight Everton’s need to have signed a striker in the January window.

And following the first game after its closure, it seems as if the Everton board are facing the effects of not bringing in some competition for Calvert-Lewin.

Yes, Dyche has Neal Maupay to select, however, he has hardly proven to be a reliable option in front of goal so far since making the move from Brighton & Hove Albion.

Although the early signs were largely positive under Dyche, losing players to injury is the last thing he needs after a winter market of not signing any players.

Newcastle United are looking at the Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge as a potential late option in this January transfer window.

What’s the latest?

Eddie Howe’s side seems set to part ways with their midfielder of seven years, Jonjo Shelvey, with the Englishman expected to join Nottingham Forest before Tuesday’s deadline.

There is the belief that the Norwegian midfielder is not the only player Dan Ashworth has on his shortlist with Craig Hope suggesting there are multiple players being considered.

Berge has been linked with a potential return to the Premier League since United’s relegation with Liverpool believed to have shown an interest back in 2021.

But speaking on the BBC Transfer Gossip Daily podcast, journalist Luke Edwards has suggested bringing in the Championship midfielder would be a strange addition to the squad although they are struggling to find a replacement for Shelvey:

(7:10) “Newcastle will try and bring in a replacement. I think Sander Berge at Sheffield United has been talked about. A bit of a strange one.

“Yeah, bit of a strange one coming from the Championship. My sort of information is that they are struggling to find someone to come in. So Newcastle are also taking a risk.”

Need to replace Shelvey

Howe’s options in midfield already feel stretched with Shelvey yet to return from an injury which has seen him miss a large chunk of the season so far.

The likes of Sean Longstaff have been given a lot of game time so far this season as Howe’s men continue to impress in their quest for a spot in the Champions League.

However, there have been some scares along the way with the most recent being to Bruno Guimaraes who has somehow managed to recover almost instantaneously from what appeared to be a horrific roll of the ankle.

And had the Brazilian been sidelined for a number of weeks or even months through that issue, who knows how big of an impact that could have had on the Toon?

But in Berge, Newcastle could be bringing in a player who (this season) has provided more shot-creating actions and an almost identical number of passes per 90 minutes as Shelvey did when fit last season (via Fbref).

The 24-year-old has enjoyed an impressive campaign in the Championship so far this season with four goals and three assists also to his name.

But as Edwards suggested, seeing Newcastle look to the Championship at this stage in their development does feel slightly strange when they have been linked to the likes of Edson Alvarez already this month.

Money will obviously be a big factor, but with the Blades flying high in second-spot, we do wonder whether this may be a player who Paul Heckingbottom will be looking to keep ahold of this month.

Newcastle United enjoyed a 1-0 win in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final clash with Southampton at St. Mary’s stadium on Tuesday night.

The Magpies will now take a lead back to St. James’ Park for the second leg with the chance to seal their place at Wembley in the final of the competition, where they would face either Manchester United or Nottingham Forest.

Joe Willock blazed high and wide from two presentable opportunities in the first half before Joelinton thought he had given the away side the lead as he blasted the ball into the back of the net, only for the goal to be ruled out for an alleged handball.

The Brazilian midfielder then denied himself the opening goal of the match at the start of the second half as the enforcer somehow managed to miss the target from almost point-blank range with the net at his mercy.

However, it was third time lucky for the ex-Hoffenheim gem in the 73rd minute as substitute Alexander Isak brilliantly burst down the right channel and played a perfect ball across the box for Joelinton to tap the ball into an empty net from five yards.

Southampton found the back of the net almost immediately after conceding the opener as Adam Armstrong bundled the ball into the net, only for VAR to rule the goal out for handball.

Duje Caleta-Car was shown a red card with in the final five minutes of the match as he clattered Allan Saint-Maximin, which resulted in his second yellow card, and Newcastle were able to hold on to their lead.

Whilst Joelinton scored the winning goal for the Magpies on the night, Eddie Howe’s real hero on the south coast was central defender Sven Botman.

The Netherlands under-21 international was a rock at the back for Newcastle throughout the 90 minutes to help the team to secure yet another clean sheet.

He was able to keep the hosts at bay for large periods of the game and prevented Nick Pope from needing to make any saves of note, by stopping the likes of Che Adams and Sekou Mara from getting clear sights of goal.

As per Sofascore, Botman won four of his five individual duels (80%) – including 100% of his aerial battles – and this shows that the 23-year-old enforcer dominated Southampton from start to finish as he won the majority of his 50/50’s on the night.

Along with his impressive success in his battles, the machine also made four clearances and one block to preserve the clean sheet, whilst also completing 84% of his attempted passes and six of his nine long passes as he displayed his composure and quality in possession.

Therefore, the Dutchman was the real hero of the night for Newcastle as his stoic defending at the back provided the platform for the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, and Isak to go and win the match in the final third.

Chelsea are intensifying their efforts to wrap up a January deal for PSV Eindhoven’s Noni Madueke, who has emerged as a lightning-hot prospect since his arrival in Netherlands in 2018.

A product of Tottenham Hotspur’s academy, the 20-year-old is indeed attracting mounting attention after captivating onlookers with his dynamic forward performances.

What’s the news?

According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea have already tabled a £26m bid for the starlet. However, with Madueke’s club, led by manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, demanding at least £35m for his signature, Todd Boehly might have to break the bank once again.

The Chelsea owner has spent roughly £315m since assuming the ownership role less than a year ago, with the £52.4m release clause for RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku also being met.

Previously, The Times stated that Blues boss Graham Potter is enamoured with the player’s skill-set, holding a deep admiration and consequently actively pursuing a move.

Following Liverpool’s recent £35m signing of the prolific Cody Gakpo, there is uncertainty surrounding the likelihood of PSV granting the departure of another enthralling wide option in the same transfer window, especially with the club firmly within Eredivisie title contention.

Potter could get fans back onside

Despite only taking the job four months ago, Potter’s position at Chelsea already looks precarious, with some supporters singing the name of his predecessor Thomas Tuchel at recent games amid a ten-match sequence which has seen the Blues defeated seven times.

However, the 47-year-old could get his dissenters back onside if he can bring Madueke back to London, except this time to SW6 rather than N17.

Having scored nine goals and supplied six assists last term from 35 appearances, becoming a regular presence for PSV despite his inexperience, the youngster announced himself in resounding fashion.

This season, despite seeing large proportions of the campaign hampered by injury, the 20-year-old has found the net on two occasions despite only starting three times, a testament to his innate clinical prowess.

As per Sofascore, his average match rating of 7.15 in the league has been complemented by his peppering output – match averages of 2.3 shots, 1.5 key passes and three tackles are all indicators of the robust aura that he holds on the pitch.

Judging by such intensity levels, Chelsea could very well flourish with his inclusion, especially amid the club’s current woes, languishing in tenth place in the Premier League and out of both domestic cups already.

Journalist Josh Bunting waxed lyrical last year about the blossoming star, praising his dynamism and blend of attributes which would indeed be a sterling addition to the Stamford Bridge ranks.

Bunting tweeted: “Noni Madueke is a terrific player he’s put PSV ahead against NAC Breda, love his game awareness, yes he’s quick and direct and on the ball terrific but for such a young player he’s got a lot of football intelligence, just knows what to do when he picks up the ball, entertaining.”

As per FBref, the “explosive” talent – as heralded by former PSV midfielder Tommie van de Leegte – ranks within the top 1% for total shots and dribbles completed, the top 4% for rate of assists and the top 15% for pass completion when compared to positional peers across Men’s Next 8 leagues, highlighting the energy that he would bring to Stamford Bridge.

Interestingly, he is also among the top 1% for xG (expected goals), despite only ranking in the top 19% for successful strikes.

While this indicates an element of wayward finishing, his positional play and gliding movement in dangerous areas is evidently an innate part of his game, and something which can be nurtured under the guidance of Potter, hopefully blossoming into one of the most devastating attackers in England.

Scottish champions Celtic have already moved swiftly to strengthen ahead of the January transfer window, with manager Ange Postecoglou having overseen the additions of both Alistair Johnston and Yuki Kobayashi thus far.

That defensive duo could well be joined at Parkhead by Japanese international Tomoki Iwata, with reports in his homeland – via Football Scotland – suggesting that the Yokohama F. Marinos midfielder is in line for a medical with the Old Firm outfit ahead of a loan switch next month.

That deal – which could well be made permanent for a fee of around £800k at the end of the season – would see the 25-year-old reunited with the current Hoops boss, with Postecoglou having previously signed the versatile ace – who can also feature at right-back – during his time in charge of the J-League outfit.

Speaking at the time of that capture in 2021, the experienced coach explained his reasoning behind the move, notably lauding the player’s flexibility to be deployed in a variety of roles, stating:

“Tomoki has been a player I have been watching for some time. I saw a player who was excellent in many positions – that’s why I signed him.

“He can play at the bottom of the midfield as an anchor or as a central defender. He is very comfortable as a right back or a right midfielder too. What I like about him is the strength and aggression that he will bring to the team.”

The 5-foot-10 ace has since gone on to flourish for his current side, having proven particularly impressive in 2022 under Kevin Muscat’s tutelage, only recently winning the J-League’s Most Valuable Player award as a result of his “standout” displays, as lauded by journalist Sacha Pisani.

The four-cap ace – who scored twice and laid on two assists in 40 games in the most recent campaign from his defensive-minded berth – was an “absolute beast” for his side, as per Pisani, helping the club to secure the league title as a result.

A player who is “highly rated” at Yokohama – according to Pisani – Iwata would surely be a truly astute capture for the Glasgow giants were the move to occur, with Postecoglou able to fashion a truly mouthwatering midfield duo involving his former asset alongside current Celtic Park hero, Reo Hatate.

The latter man – who arrived from Japan in January earlier this year – has sparkled during his time in Scotland to date, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists in 44 games across all fronts.

That impressive tally is an indication of the diminutive gem’s playmaking and creative quality, with the 25-year-old having arguably been the club’s “best signing” during Postecoglou’s tenure, according to pundit Frank McAvennie.

Like Iwata, the £12k-per-week ace also offers remarkable adaptability having only recently thrived as a makeshift right-back in the win over St Johnstone, producing something of a “masterclass” in that role, according to journalist John McGinley, after scoring twice.

The “intense” maestro – as lauded by McAvennie – offers a truly relentless presence in the centre of the park, with it only seemingly set to be a further boost to have another aggressive asset such as Iwata brought into the side – with that trait praised by Postecoglou, as mentioned above.

With January additions – such as Hatate – having more than paid off for the Bhoys earlier this year, the Scottish Premiership side could well pull off another masterstroke with the addition of the Yokohama machine.

CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that there is ‘nothing significant’ between Arsenal and a reported move for Dusan Vlahovic ‘just yet’.

The Lowdown: Return for Vlahovic?

The Gunners did try to sign Vlahovic in the January transfer window, but he moved to Juventus instead, and a recent report has claimed that they are still interested in a move.

This comes after Gabriel Jesus has reportedly been ruled out for up to three months after picking up an injury while with Brazil at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, meaning that the Emirates Stadium outfit could now dip into the market for another striker in the January transfer window.

The Latest: ‘Nothing significant’

Taking to Twitter, Jacobs has revealed that there is ‘nothing significant’ in the North London club’s links to Vlahovic ‘just yet’, and it ‘remains to be seen’ whether they will try to sign him again, having failed in January:

“It remains to be seen whether Arsenal try again having pushed hard in January to try and sign him from Fiorentina. Gabriel Jesus’ injury will naturally prompt links with strikers (and some concrete enquiries, too). But told nothing significant between Vlahovic and #AFC just yet.”

The Verdict: Short-term fix

If Arsenal do sign Vlahovic, then it would only be a short-term fix until Jesus is back from injury.

Lauded as having ‘unbelievable’ quality and being a ‘bit like Haaland’ by journalist Dean Jones, the Serbia international boasts 16 goals and four assists in 36 matches for Juve (Transfermarkt), and at just 22 years of age, is one of the most promising strikers in Europe.

There is no doubt that he would add another dimension to the Gunners’ attack, as they push for the Premier League title in the second part of the season after finding themselves five points clear at the top.

However, once Jesus returns from injury, Mikel Arteta would have a real dilemma on his hands in terms of who to play, and he may find it difficult to keep both players happy, which could have long-term implications.

Pundit Kevin Campbell has been reacting to rumours linking Rangers with a swoop for former Ibrox assistant Michael Beale.

The Lowdown: Beale at QPR

Having witnessed his side fail to muster a solitary win across their last five Championship games, Beale has seen his QPR side drop seven points off the automatic promotion places.

The downfall began when Beale was linked with a move to Wolves, with doubts around his future at Loftus Road continuing to circulate ever since. 

He has also been heavily linked with the vacant post at Ibrox to replace Giovanni van Bronckhorst, with Beale thought to be Ross Wilson’s top target, although speculation seems to have resulted in concern from Rangers chiefs over a potential backlash from supporters.

The Latest: A “different animal”

Pundit Campbell doesn’t believe that Beale will end up taking the job in Glasgow, due to his ongoing project at QPR and possible pressure in Scotland. Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell labelled the job in Glasgow as a “different animal”.

“It’s difficult to know if Beale is the best man for the job.

“He’s had success at Rangers before, yes – but only as a coach.

“I think he’s learning on the job right now, doing well at QPR – but Rangers is a completely different animal. It’s a massive club.

“He had overtures from the Premier League, from Wolves, and he turned it down.

“I can’t see him taking this job. He’s got a good project going at QPR and the pressure is slightly less than it would be at Ibrox.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/rangers-news-5/” title=”Rangers news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Similar amounts of pressure?

Many may argue it is harder to turn things around in London in comparison to taking over at the helm of a club with fresh faces and where Beale has enjoyed success before.

In many ways, with context applied, there are similar amounts of pressure, with QPR now in a goalscoring predicament besides their inability to register a win of recent, scoring just once in their last five.

Add in the fact that he will be back in familiar surroundings and you could argue there is less pressure in what would feel like a clean slate for the boss. Whatever his decision, there will be pressure either way.