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Wolverhampton Wanderers are about to make their first move in the January transfer window.

Although it is an outgoing rather than an incoming as Patrick Cutrone is set to return to his native land Italy after a tumultuous five months or so in the west Midlands.

The 22-year-old has averaged just 35 minutes per game since joining from AC Milan in the summer having been restricted to just nine starts in 24 matches, via Transfermarkt.

According to the Guardian, Serie A side Fiorentina will sign him for €18m (£15.3m) with a loan fee of €2m coming upfront while the remaining €16m will be paid in the summer of 2021.

This comes before images of the forward then emerged on the club’s official Twitter account of the Italian arriving in Florence.

Therefore, his departure would seemingly leave manager Nuno Santo light of options in the striking department. In fact, Raul Jimenez would be the only senior option at the club with Benny Ashley-Seal likely to also go out on loan this month.

Is the decision to let him go a wise move to make given Wolves’ prospects domestically and on the European stage?

Here’s what the writers at Football FanCast have to say…

Matt Dawson

“It is truly baffling to see Wolves cash in on Cutrone so soon after he arrived. The acquisition in the summer felt like somewhat of a landmark moment for the Midlands outfit. Fresh from qualifying for the Europa League, they brought in a renowned player from one Europe’s former heavyweights. It may only have taken a fee of £16m to prise him away from Milan but to sell him so soon after barely giving him a chance is an ill-judged move.

“Cutrone has a proven reputation in one of the major leagues in Europe, scoring 13 times in Serie A at the tender age of 22 and with the potential he has, it is truly strange to see him depart on a permanent basis. Wolves should have given him a consistent run in the side before getting him off the payroll.”

Viji Jeevathayalan

“People make mistakes all the time, but the real key is learning to accept them, learn about it and then move on. And in Wolves’ case, there needs to be a recognition that the signing of Patrick Cutrone in the summer has turned out to be a major howler for them. Whilst £16m may not seem like a lot in the modern market, it’s still a vital sum of money that could have been spent elsewhere in the squad. In cutting their losses on the Italian marksman, Wolves have been undeniably ruthless in their decision. But it’s something that Nuno Espirito Santo has had to do.

“There’s simply no point in keeping a player who just doesn’t seem to be featuring in Wolves’ first-team plans at all, with the striker playing just 13 minutes of football in his side’s last 12 Premier League games. Nuno has been ruthless and has made the correct decision.”

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Billy Meyers

“I don’t think Wolves are making a good decision by selling Cutrone. He’s one of two senior strikers at Nuno’s disposal behind Raul Jimenez, and as should be the case with a Premier League outfit, the Midlands-based side really should have waited until they signed another forward before even thinking about moving the Italian on. Even then, to have just two strikers within a Premier League squad is leaving yourself pretty thin, while additionally, Cutrone has proven that he knows how to finish with three goals this term despite the limited game time.

“It can take time for foreign players to adapt to English football, and having only signed him six months ago, Nuno should be holding onto the 22-year-old. He could have attempted to coach him in the way that he has with Adama Traore, who has come on leaps and bounds this season. Wolves look seriously short on options now.”

Lewis Blain

“Nuno’s treatment of Cutrone has been nothing short of bizarre this season. Wolves are a club competing on all fronts so their squad depth is really going to be tested, yet the Italian just hasn’t been able to buy a game, so no wonder he’s unhappy and probably wants to head back to his homeland. Despite averaging just 35 minutes per match this term, he has still bagged three goals which is just as many as the beloved Diogo Jota has in the Premier League. Nuno may live to regret this later down the line, especially if Raul Jimenez picks up an injury as his thin squad really will be tested. The one saving grace is the potential of a buyback clause within the deal.”

Can you remember how much each of these transfer icons cost? Only experts will get 100% on our quiz…

And in other news, you can read what the fans have been saying about the situation here…

Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to react after Alan Nixon reported that Connor Wickham is emerging as the ‘striker target’ at the top of Sheffield Wednesday’s list and is ‘most likely’ to join the Owls on loan, with the Eagles prepared to ‘play ball’.

The Englishman has endured a turbulent time with injuries over the last three years, never really recovering properly from anterior cruciate ligament damage suffered in the first-half of a chaotic 5-4 defeat to Swansea back in November 2016.

Wickham managed to make just six Premier League appearances last season – all from the bench – while he has only managed four substitute outings in the top-flight this term, scoring one goal.

The 26-year-old spent time on loan at Sheffield Wednesday in the past while owned by Sunderland, and managed to score eight goals in 11 Championship appearances as a 20-year-old.

However, allowing Wickham to depart Selhurst Park right now would leave Roy Hodgson with just two senior strikers in Jordan Ayew and Christian Benteke, although a loan deal for Cenk Tosun is reportedly ‘close’.

Let’s see how the Palace fans on Twitter reacted to Nixon’s news on the former Ipswich forward…

These two fans echoed our aforementioned point that a departure for Wickham would leave Hodgson short in attack, with Ben saying that Palace “must sign” two strikers if the Englishman goes.

Another supporter named Peter said that he “can’t see it” as it would “leave us far too short”.

Furthermore, one supporter with the username ‘Selhurst Exile’ sarcastically said that the south Londoners have a surplus of strikers before using the ‘eye-roll’ emoji to reinforce their apparent point that it would be foolish to let him leave right now.

Another argued against that point by saying that it would be the right move for everybody if Benteke is back from injury soon and Tosun arrives – they also stated that Wickham “needs to drop a level & get game time”.

This fan named ‘Jonsta’ said that he’d prefer to keep Wickham, as the striker has a better record than Benteke this season with a goal and an assist to his name, whereas the Belgian hasn’t been involved in a single goal.

Lastly, this supporter also argued in favour of keeping Wickham at the club, saying “give the lad a chance”.

It’s the dawn of a new decade in the Premier League, but how much do you know about the last 10 years?

In other news, these Crystal Palace fans have been discussing the Eagles’ transfer interest in a player also being targeted by Champions League side Atletico Madrid…

Wolves have been urged to sign Danny Ings this month by 2009 promotion winner Michael Kightly as he believes the Southampton striker would be a great fit for the club.

What’s he said?

The former winger played more times for Wolves than any other club in his injury-blighted career, where he scored 24 times and provided 36 assists in 127 appearances, per Transfermarkt.

He was part of Mick McCarthy’s title-winning side over ten years ago after the west Midlanders secured a return to the top-flight.

Speaking on Andy Hodgson’s kicking off, Kightly talked up the prospect of Ings lining up in the old gold shirt, he said:

“I’ve played with Danny Ings and I think he’s a really good player in great form. 

“If Wolves could get in a player of his ability that would be great and I think he’d do really well at Wolves.

“Problem is though, can you see Southampton selling him and what kind of money is he gonna go for?

“They need someone alongside Jimenez or someone to come in and play a few games when he’s tired cause I think if he gets injured then that’ll be a real big problem for Wolves.

“He’s the only one in that team that they can’t replace with the players that they’ve got at the minute.”

Cutrone’s replacement?

Wolves are in desperate need of making additions to bolster their squad this month, but time is of the essence as only two weeks are remaining before the winter transfer window slams shut until the summer.

Nuno Santo’s side were defeated in the FA Cup on Wednesday evening, and their bench highlighted just how badly they need strength in depth.

Call yourself a Wolves expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

Patrick Cutrone left the club last week to return to Italy, signing on loan at Fiorentina with the move becoming permanent in 18 months time.

His departure has left a void in attack with Raul Jimenez the only senior option. He’s already played 34 times this campaign, and that’s excluding his Gold Cup campaign with Mexico in the summer and Wolves’ pre-season tour of China.

It’s clear to see that he’s been suffering from burnout in recent weeks given the lack of rest he’s received since the start of the season.

The Southampton frontman would be an interesting prospect in Nuno’s system and considering he’s bagged 16 goals this season, he would need no time to settle in – a possible problem with Cutrone coming to England.

Whether Wolves can clinch Ings as a potential target to help lessen the burden remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure, there has to be a new striker in place soon or their season is at serious risk.

And in other news, Wolves’ reasons for letting Patrick Cutrone leave the club have been revealed…

Tottenham Hotspur fans have been left split over Jose Mourinho’s tactics during the club’s 1-1 FA Cup fourth round draw with Southampton.

A goal from Son Heung-Min gave Spurs a 1-0 lead but Sofiane Boufal netted late on to earn Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men a replay.

Spurs seemed to struggle as the second-half wore on, however, with Saints beginning to dominate proceedings before Boufal’s goal.

Indeed, per WhoScored, Saints had 10 shots to Spurs’ eight and had 59.1% possession, too.

Mourinho’s produced some incredible footballing stars – how much do you know about them?

And a number of supporters have criticised Mourinho’s tactical set-up.

Spurs were attempting to send Eric Dier on prior to Boufal’s goal, suggesting that Mourinho was ready to settle for a narrow victory on the south coast.

But some fans believe that the manager was just lacking one ingredient against Southampton: an out-and-out striker. He was forced to start Lucas Moura up top against Saints.

The two teams will go again at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as they attempt to qualify for the last-16.

This is, however, an improvement for Spurs after their defeat at St Mary’s in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Spurs’ target would be an excellent striker addition.

Manchester United have failed with a late bid to sign Joshua King from AFC Bournemouth, per The Daily Telegraph.

What’s the word?

King previously rose through United’s academy ranks but played for the club just twice at senior level and was regularly sent out on loan, playing for the likes of Preston North End, Borussia Monchengladbach, and Blackburn Rovers.

He eventually joined the latter club permanently aged 22, and would go on to join Bournemouth two-and-a-half years later.

With the transfer deadline approaching, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reportedly attempted to bring him back to Old Trafford but a move has failed to get off the ground with just over 24 hours of the window remaining.

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Indeed, the report states that Cherries boss Eddie Howe is keen to retain King’s services as he attempts to guide Bournemouth to safety this season; the Norway international has scored three goals in the top-flight in 16 games.

United had thought they could get a deal for King over the line, a source is quoted as saying, but the Cherries are standing firm.

A desperate move

United are running out of time.

With Marcus Rashford injured, one has to think that they need a forward and their desperation is beginning to show.

They have been linked with a number of strikers, including former West Bromwich Albion forward Salomon Rondon and ex-Watford man Odion Ighalo.

What could’ve been… Can you name the clubs these football legends almost joined?

A bid for King, a player with a mere trio of goals to his name this season, is just the latest sign that they are running out of options and that the clock is against them.

It remains to be seen if a striker is signed.

Meanwhile, one Man United man has been hailed as “absolutely wonderful”. 

Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Sadio Mane is unavailable to play against West Ham on Wednesday.

The match against the Hammers is Liverpool’s game in hand – it has been ever since the match was postponed in December due to the Reds’ Club World Cup commitments – and the 52-year-old will have been hoping to have all of his star players fit as his team looks to go 19 points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Call yourself a Liverpool expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

Whilst the Senegal international will be missed, Klopp must now decide on who replaces him in the starting line-up. He has several options – both Divock Origi and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have lined up there – but it seems that the Reds supporters want to see Curtis Jones selected.

The 18-year-old has played at central midfield in both of the Reds’ last two FA Cup matches – he scored on both occasions – but he has 12 goals in 14 matches on the left so far this term for the club’s youth teams.

Some supporters believe it will be the perfect opportunity to play him with the club’s first-choice options.

Whilst it is all well and good playing in the cup competitions with other fringe players, the Premier League provides a whole different test. It is a competition in which Jones remains unproven.

One fan, meanwhile, believes it is his superior form that should earn him a place.

Takumi Minamino is yet to score since joining from RB Salzburg, whilst Divock Origi last netted on December 4th. With two goals in his last two starts, perhaps Jones does deserve to be given the nod.

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Either way, Klopp has a big call to make.

Meanwhile, John Aldridge believes this Liverpool duo could be soon tempted away by Real Madrid or Barcelona.

Marcelo Bielsa isn’t one to chop and change his starting XI all that much.

Indeed, there are eight players in the squad that have started more than 27 league games, so that’s quite a clear indicator of how little he’s changed things up this term.

However, one player that has been in and out of the team due to injury is Liam Cooper.

The club captain has started just 21 of 30 league games for the Whites, and when he’s not been there it’s often been Gaetano Berardi filling in for him, with the Swiss defender starting nine times in the Championship.

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Cooper has been the clear first choice when he’s been fit, but perhaps he shouldn’t be starting over Berardi, as the team appear to play much better when his 31-year-old teammate is on the pitch.

As the above infographic shows, Leeds pick up 0.52 more points per game when Berardi is playing compared to when Cooper appears.

Berardi has played eight fewer games than the 28-year-old, but the team do pick up better results when he’s on the pitch, so perhaps that’s a trend that Bielsa needs to consider.

Ok, you could argue that a fair few of his appearances have been off the bench, but in the nine games he’s started, Leeds have conceded just seven goals.

Quite simply, the team let in fewer goals when Berardi is on the pitch, with his goal difference per 90 over twice as high as Cooper’s, and that is a stat that shouldn’t be ignored.

Bielsa may want to think about starting the 31-year-old over his captain more often in the near future.

In other news, one man proved that he should be dropped on Saturday.

In a Q&A with Italian media outlet Corriere della Sera, via Calciomercato, Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has spoken about his relationship with rival Premier League managers, and admitted that he exchanges messages with Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho.

What did he say?

Well, the 60-year-old was actually asked by Corriere della Sera what his relationship with Jurgen Klopp, who is at the helm of the Toffees’ arch-rivals Liverpool, is like, and he replied saying it is “excellent” as they already knew each other before he was appointed at Goodison Park in December as Marco Silva’s successor.

However, the former Napoli chief went on to add that he has a similar friendship with Mourinho, saying “we send messages”.

Did he really play for us?! No Everton fan has managed to name all of these obscure Toffees players….

No harm in that

Ancelotti is an experienced manager and there is absolutely no harm in him exchanging messages with someone like the Portuguese, especially now he is living in England again.

The communication between the duo may have to relent a little in the coming weeks and months though given the good form Everton are currently showing, which has left them in seventh and just one place and one point adrift of Spurs in the Premier League standings – not bad considering they were in the relegation zone when Silva was sacked in December.

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Both sides are certainly in contention for even a top-four finish if they can continue their respective runs of form given Tottenham and the Toffees lie four and five points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea respectively, and so they could be in direct competition for the foreseeable future.

It’s best to give nothing away to each other in that sense then, meaning any messages between the two from now on should perhaps be strictly professional.

In other Everton news, one “unbelievable” 27-year-old’s comments bode well if the Toffees want to seal a bargain summer move…

Leeds United have a man at the helm who has previously been hailed as one of the best coaches in the world.

Marcelo Bielsa is undoubtedly one of the best managers Leeds have had in recent history, and he’s already guided them to their best league finish since 2004.

You probably wouldn’t find many United fans who would swap Bielsa for anyone, but one man Leeds were looking at before appointing the Argentine was arguably the better option.

What’s been said then?

Phil Hay was talking on the latest edition of The Phil Hay Show after a fan asked him about an article he wrote for FourFourTwo last year.

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In his piece, Hay detailed how one coach made the wrong impression by failing to name a single player in the squad, and now we finally know who that man was.

“The coach I’m told was Claudio Ranieri,” he said (The Phil Hay Show 20/2/20 51:30).

“You shouldn’t mistake that answer by thinking that Ranieri was about to take charge at Leeds or was seriously considering it.

“He was on the list when Leeds were looking at replacing Heckingbottom, but it was one of those names that was highly unlikely, but you could have said the same about Bielsa really, and in the end Bielsa did and Ranieri was a no-go.”

Interesting prospect

It’s interesting to think of an alternative reality where Ranieri is the boss at Elland Road.

The Italian’s CV is arguably better than Bielsa’s, and while Pep Guardiola has claimed that the Argentine is the greatest coach, Ranieri was officially recognised as the best as he picked up the FIFA award for the Best Men’s Coach for 2016.

Ranieri masterminded one of the greatest seasons in Premier League history when winning the title with Leicester, and he also has experience managing some of the world’s biggest clubs in the shape of Chelsea, Juventus and Inter Milan.

While nobody can complain about the job Bielsa has done at Elland Road so far, you can’t help but wonder whether or not United would have already been in the Premier League had they appointed Ranieri.

In other news, Leeds’ January U-turn could prove decisive in the coming weeks.

West Ham United will be furious that they left Anfield without adding any vital points to their total.

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Very little will have been expected of the Hammers before the game kicked off, but having gone 2-1 up, there will have been hope that they could cling on to at least get a draw.

However, that was not to be and one man receiving blame for that is Sebastien Haller.

The Frenchman came off the bench to replace Felipe Anderson in the 65th minute, with his team 2-1 up thanks to goals from Issa Diop and Pablo Fornals.

Despite winning three aerial duels, Haller was largely ineffective during his time on the pitch, and looked very lacklustre in his play.

Is life under Gold and Sullivan really that bad? Maybe this quiz will change your minds, West Ham fans…

This led to one fan claiming that “he’s just so lazy”, while another said that he was “knocked off the ball way too easily”.

There is one moment in particular that has got West Ham fans’ collective blood boiling: Haller’s involvement in the final goal of the game.

Declan Rice had cleared the ball from the edge of the box, setting up a 50/50 between the 25-year-old and Joe Gomez.

The Frenchman put up pretty much no fight at all though, allowing the Liverpool defender to have a free strike, which deflected into Trent Alexander-Arnold’s path for him to set up Sadio Mane.

One fan suggested he “needs a serious digging out” after that moment, while another said that his attempt at getting the ball was “pathetic”.

Meanwhile, Collison gave Moyes some advice before the game, which he seemingly took.