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Ex-Glasgow Rangers defender Bruno Alves has urged Porto to spend £20m on Alfredo Morelos, saying such a fee would be a bargain.

The Lowdown: Porto want Morelos

Morelos has been heavily linked with a move to the Portuguese outfit in recent weeks, with him even said to have already agreed personal terms (Antena 1).

So far, it has been suggested Porto are willing to offer €17m (£14.5m), with that deal also including add-ons (A Bola).

The Latest: Alves suggests higher sum

Speaking to The Daily Record, Alves believes £20m would still be a bargain for the two-time European champions. He said:

“Given his quality and what he’s been doing in the last few years then I would say the reported fee of £20m isn’t a lot for Alfredo Morelos.

“It’s still a lot of money for Porto to pay but if you want that kind of quality then that’s what you have to pay so it’s the right price for him right now.

“If Porto want to buy him then they have to pay good money because he’s a player with a lot of value and is a Colombian international.”

The Verdict: Huge money

Morelos has been a fantastic player for Rangers, scoring 94 goals in 182 games for the club (Transfermarkt) – the Gers will be disappointed to lose him when he does depart. However, they will know he will be on the move at some point, and £20m would be a huge reward – that would more than double the previous highest fee they have received, when they sold Alan Hutton for £9m (The Scotsman).

That would also represent a record for Porto – they have never spent more than £18m on a single player. As such, it is likely the two clubs would come to compromise in regards to a fee, but as long as the Gers do not get bullied into a low price, there is a very healthy sum to be made.

In other news, Rangers ace reveals Ibrox desperation.

West Bromwich Albion have been had a number of concerns to attend to over the last week with a virus outbreak in the camp, and now an unexpected guest has made an appearance at The Hawthorns.

What’s the word?

West Brom journalist, Joseph Masi, dropped a bombshell yesterday afternoon on Twitter after revealing that the club’s controlling shareholder, Lai Guochuan, has made his first visit to the club for three years.

Masi put out a string of tweets, letting fans know what was happening;

“It is understood this is the first step towards Lai reintegrating himself back into the club. He had positive talks today with Ismael about the future and the upcoming January transfer window… #wba”

He then added;

“It’s believed Lai still wants to sell Albion. But he accepts a sale is unlikely in the foreseeable future. Therefore he wants to give his investment some TLC to help them back to the Premier League… #wba”

The 47-year-old businessman, who bought the club in 2016 for £200m, has gone to extreme lengths to make this visit, spending ten days in quarantine after flying to England, and when he does make the flight home to Guangzhou he will undergo a strict 28-day quarantine process, so the visit was clearly monumental for Lai.

Fans elated

Fans of West Bromwich Albion have always been vocal about their disappointment and anger towards Lai and his handling of the club, with many of them responding to Masi’s tweets about the visit to express their opinion;

One fan tweeted in response to Masi; “C’mon Joe this is absolute garbage… he’s doing all these fake meet & greets to smoke screen fans into believing he cares about our club. Attendances & interest is down currently. He’s a desperate man.”

Another fumed; “We want him gone too, to be honest. To sell we need to be in Premier League but he’s hoping we can go up without spending anything. Not happening. Cough up.”

Evidently, Baggies fans will be elated if Lai does eventually sell up so this update from Masi should provide them with some encouragement.

Supporters will definitely be expecting Lai to put his hands in his wallet this January as a lack of proper investment has, as a result, seen the club yo-yo-ing between the Championship and Premier League, with the side finding themselves unable to establish themselves in the top flight, facing constant relegation battles.

As a result, it’s clear to see that his time in the Midlands has not really been a success.

It will be intriguing to see what Lai’s next moves are for the club and whether he has a genuine interest in fixing the issues that West Brom currently face in a tight battle for automatic promotion.

The shareholder can make a real positive impact by signing players in January to help with goal-scoring, where the side is lacking compared to their two title rivals, Fulham and Bournemouth, and managing this problem could substantially increase the chances of promotion for the Baggies.

If he doesn’t do that, the discontent towards Lai will only grow deeper while the thought of him finally taking his leave will leave fans beaming with excitement.

In other news: Joseph Masi drops exciting behind the scenes claim

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Glasgow Rangers side head into Sunday’s Premiership clash knowing that they simply must secure all three points if they are to give themselves any chance of retaining their domestic crown this season.

Indeed, with their Glasgow arch-rivals currently leading by nine points in the league, the Light Blues cannot afford any slip-ups if they are to push the table-toppers as far as possible over the remaining five games of the 2021/22 campaign after today’s clash.

As such, while a trip to Stephen Robinson’s 10th-placed St Mirren should not cause the Europa League quarter-finalists too many problems, Van Bronckhorst must nevertheless ensure that he gets his team selection spot-on against the Buddies in order to secure victory.

While it is true Leon Balogun had something of a shocker in the 1-0 defeat to Sporting Braga last time out, it would appear as if Fashion Sakala is the most likely candidate for the chop on Sunday afternoon, as the 25-year-old well and truly fluffed his big chance leading the line for Rangers on Thursday.

Van Bronckhorst must axe Sakala

Indeed, over his 62 minutes on the pitch in Portugal, the centre-forward cost his side dearly through his wastefulness in front of goal and extremely poor hold-up play. The £3.6m-rated striker missed the target with both of his shots at goal – one of which was deemed a big chance – completed just three of his seven attempted passes and enjoyed just 20 touches of the ball.

The £10k-per-week forward also lost all 10 of his duels, committed two fouls, was flagged offside once and lost possession 11 times, meaning he gave the ball away with every 1.8 touches. These returns saw the 25-year-old earn a hugely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.1.

Furthermore, the Daily Record’s Andrew Newport also awarded the Zambia international a five in his own player ratings, stating of the centre-forward’s display: “Given the unenviable task of filling Alfredo Morelos’ boots but missed two huge chances to give Rangers the lead. Hold-up play was hopeless.”

As such, with Rangers needing to ensure that they take their chances on Sunday afternoon, Van Bronckhorst simply must axe Sakala from his starting XI, as the player who Tom Stoltman claimed “doesn’t cut it” could very well end up costing his side their Premiership crown against St Mirren.

AND in other news: Van Bronckhorst can axe £10k-p/w liability as Rangers eye “frightening” £8.4k-p/w “bag of tricks”

While things have started to look on the up for Wolverhampton Wanderers in recent weeks, having picked up 13 points from a possible 18 over their last six fixtures, Bruno Lage will nevertheless be hoping that his side turn in a much better performance than their last outing against West Ham United this weekend.

Indeed, prior to the international break, Wolves were comfortably brushed aside by Crystal Palace, with the 45-year-old’s men managing a mere two shots on target, as well as failing to create a single big chance, in the 2-0 defeat at Selhurst Park.

As such, considering their lack of cutting edge in the final third, it would seem highly advisable for the Portuguese boss to shake things up in his attacking lineup this weekend, with one player in particular looking to be an excellent candidate to step into the starting XI against the Hammers – in the shape of Daniel Podence.

Lage must unleash Podence

Despite having been handed only one Premier League start by Lage so far this season, Podence has nevertheless proven on a number of occasions that he would be more than deserving of a starting spot this weekend.

Indeed, over his 84 minutes on the pitch against a very strong Tottenham Hotspur side in the League Cup, the £22.5m-rated man was arguably Wolves’ star performer, scoring his side’s only goal of the game and earning a SofaScore match rating of 7.3 – the second-highest score of any Wolves player.

Furthermore, the 26-year-old’s introduction in the comeback victory against Aston Villa last month proved crucial to Wolves sealing all three points against their Midland rivals, with the £60k-per-week forward registering one assist, making one key pass and receiving a SofaScore match rating of 7.3 – despite only featuring for 16 minutes of the match.

As such, with Lage’s side having lacked any real attacking impetus against Palace, the 45-year-old simply must unleash the man Conor Coady dubbed “absolutely fantastic” this weekend, as Podence has already shown he is something of a game-changer.

In other news: Wolves dealt big setback on £51k-p/w gem who “players bounce off”, Shi surely fuming

Leeds United have been dealt a huge blow in their bid to keep Kalvin Phillips at Elland Road amid Manchester United’s reported interest this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Florian Plettenberg, with the Sky Sports Deutschland journalist revealing in a recent post on Twitter that United are currently “dealing” with the transfer of the defensive midfielder – with Ralf Rangnick’s side having been heavily linked with a £60m move for the England international this summer.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-marsch-raphinha-dest-philhay” title=”Read the latest Leeds news!”]

Concerning Manchester United’s interest in the 26-year-old, Plettenberg said: “Been told that the club “is dealing” with Kalvin Phillips.”

Supporters will be fuming

Considering how important a part of the Leeds United side Phillips has become in recent years, in addition to the historic rivalry between Manchester United and the Whites, the news that the Red Devils look as if they are in discussions regarding a deal to sign the Leeds academy graduate this summer is sure to have left supporters fuming.

Indeed, while Phillips’ 2021/22 campaign has been severely hampered by a hamstring injury, the £45m-rated maestro undoubtedly proved over his 29 Premier League appearances last term that he is one of the leading defensive midfielders in the game, making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 2.6 tackles, 1.7 clearances and winning 5.3 duels – at a success rate of 52% – per game.

The £38k-per-week regista also impressed in a creative capacity, scoring one goal, registering two assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, in addition to completing an average of 1.2 key passes, 4.7 long balls, 41 passes, four chipped through balls, 0.7 dribbles and one cross per fixture.

These returns saw the player who journalist Ali Martin dubbed “unreal” average an extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.21, not only ranking him as Leeds’ best performer in the league but also as the joint 17th-best player in the division as a whole.

As such, it is clear for all to see that losing the services of Phillips this summer would be something of a disaster for Jesse Marsch and his side, while the thought of the 26-year-old turning out for Manchester United next season is sure to be every Leeds supporter’s worst nightmare.

AND in other news: Victor Orta plotting Leeds bid for £20k-p/w “phenomenon”, it could be bye-bye Raphinha

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle’s interest in Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho.

What’s the talk?

According to Spanish outlet Sport, Newcastle’s new owners PIF are in talks with Barcelona over a potential January deal for the Brazil international.

The report claims that the Magpies are keen on a swoop for the attacking midfielder and are able to afford Barcelona’s €50m (£42m) valuation.

Fans would be ecstatic

Newcastle fans would surely be ecstatic if PIF are able to secure a deal to sign Coutinho in January. If this report is accurate, the Saudi Arabian consortium are showing immediate ambition in the transfer market, as he would represent a significant boost to the current playing squad.

Coutinho has played in the Premier League, La Liga and the Bundesliga throughout his career for Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich respectively and would give a lift to the players at St James’ Park. The 29-year-old is a Champions League winner and has won league titles in both Spain and Germany, which means that he would arrive with pedigree and could be respected by the other players at the club.

In his last 18 months at Liverpool, Coutinho produced 20 goals and 13 assists in 41 Premier League starts for the Reds. He averaged a WhoScored rating of 8.03 in his final half-season at Anfield, with seven goals and six assists in 14 appearances.

His former Reds teammate Roberto Firmino claimed that the 29-year-old has ‘magical powers’ on the ball, saying (via Goal): “He’s phenomenal. You simply can’t say that he’s not a magician. He has magical powers. He produces plays that don’t exist, that you couldn’t make up.”

These quotes and Coutinho’s phenomenal statistics in England for Liverpool highlight why Newcastle fans would likely be over the moon if he is signed for £42m in January. He is a proven Premier League attacking midfielder and could come in and score the goals and provide the assists to lift Newcastle up the table, whilst also possibly being the first marquee addition of the new regime on Tyneside.

Therefore, PIF must ensure that they can get a deal over the line for Coutinho. Fans would be delighted with this piece of business due to his experience and quality, and it would be a shrewd first swoop by the owners to show the supporters that they are serious about competing at the top end of the table.

AND in other news, Football finance expert drops Newcastle budget claim which will surely leave fans buzzing…

Having been without Diego Llorente for the past couple of games in the Premier League, Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa must surely call upon him when his side take on Watford this afternoon.

The Whites have seen the Spaniard only briefly in action this season, playing more than an hour in the 1-1 draw against Burnley, before being forced off with injury early on in the game against Liverpool three weeks ago.

However, having confirmed that he is now fit and available for selection, Bielsa must throw him straight into the deep end when they take on the promoted Hornets at Elland Road.

The “imperious” Spaniard, as hailed by Adam Pope, became a regular Leeds’ defence in the final few weeks of 2020/21, starting 13 of the last 14 games in that top-flight season and coming up with some impressive performances, not least netting a late equaliser against Liverpool.

He earned a WhoScored match rating of 6.90, which marked him out as the Whites’ second-best centre-back after Cooper, who was also the only player at the club to win more headers per game than Llorente’s 2.2.

Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan raved: “He looked every bit that leader and that quality centre-half that we were all expecting when he signed for the football club. There was great excitement about him it took a long time to get to see him consistently.

“But when we did, we saw him grow and grow and grow. We saw him get stronger and better as the games went on. If you ask any Leeds United fan who watched him in that second part of the season and ask them who would be the first centre-half on the team sheet, they would say Llorente.”

Given the poor start Leeds have made to the new Premier League campaign, a bit of quality at the back and bringing in someone as composed Llorente could ease some of the concerns regarding the team’s defending.

The £18m-rated ace could well be the game-changing return at the back which swings things back in Leeds’ favour heading into today’s clash with Watford.

Meanwhile, a journalist has dropped a Leeds United transfer update…

Valerien Ismael has dropped an update on the future of Sam Johnstone at West Bromwich Albion.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Express & Star, the Frenchman revealed that progress is being made in talks between the club and the goalkeeper regarding a new contract at The Hawthorns.

The 45-year-old went onto claim that, while he does not expect a resolution quickly, he has a good feeling about the England international remaining an Albion player beyond the end of his current deal – which is set to expire at the end of the season.

Speaking about the contract situation of Johnstone, Ismael said: “Progress is a big word but we keep talking. I don’t think we can get a result quickly, but at least all the parties are talking. We have a good feeling, but we need to be patient on that.”

Huge boost

Considering just how important a part of the West Brom side Johnstone has been in recent seasons, the fact that the goalkeeper appears to be edging closer to putting pen to paper on a new deal with the club is undoubtedly a massive boost for Albion.

Indeed, over his 37 Premier League appearances last term, the £7.2m-rated man kept six clean sheets, made an average of 4.5 saves per game and stopped a total of 166 shots over the course of the season.

These returns saw the man Sam Allardyce dubbed a “magnificent” player earn a highly impressive average SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as the club’s second-best player in the top flight.

And, aside from a disappointing performance against Blackburn Rovers, the £28k-per-week shot-stopper has continued his fine form in the Championship so far this season, earning a 6.9 match rating against Luton Town and a 7.4 match rating against Sheffield United.

As such, should the 28-year-old indeed go on to extend his stay at The Hawthorns, it will not only be a boost to the club’s promotion hopes this season, but also to their chances of potentially remaining in the top flight next term.

In other news: Valerien Ismael drops fresh West Brom transfer claim that is sure to get fans excited

After failing to secure a win away at Shrewsbury Town in midweek, Sunderland are back in League One action this weekend with a clash against Cambridge Town as they aim to win promotion back to the Championship.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Lee Johnson could select to be in his starting XI to take on Cambridge at the weekend, one figure that did not feature in the 1-1 draw at Shrewsbury that we think should definitely be in the team on this occasion is Elliot Embleton.

After managing to score two goals and provide three assists in the first seven league games of the season, Embleton, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £5.3k-per-week according to Salary Sport, has found regular minutes in the team hard to come by in recent weeks.

The 22-year-old has not managed to score a goal or provide an assist in the league since their 2-2 draw against Fleetwood back in September where he assisted Ross Stewart’s opening goal, which suggests why he’s been in and out of the team since then.

However, if the midfielder, who has been labelled as “terrific” by former Black Cats manager Jack Ross, gets a consistent run of games under his belt, this could be exactly what he needs to add more goals and assists to his game.

Looking at the match against Cambridge, with Alex Pritchard managing to get on the scoresheet and put in an impressive performance against Shrewsbury at the weekend, this could make it hard for Embleton to get back in the team and make the attacking-midfield role his own again.

With that in mind, it would be in Johnson’s best interest if he were to tinker with his team or formation slightly to incorporate both players if he thinks that could be the best way forward for the team to get some positive results.

If Johnson were to take a chance on Embleton and he was then able to get back to the impressive form that he was in at the start of the season, this could be exactly what the Wearside club need to push them towards promotion by the end of the campaign.

In other news: KLD can solve Johnson’s latest SAFC crisis by signing “phenomenal” £450k-rated beast – opinion

Manchester United are reportedly open to offers for Dan James in the current window as the club look to boost their transfer budget.

What’s the story?

The Red Devils’ hierarchy are willing to sell the 23-year-old over the coming months if they receive an acceptable offer to sign him, according to ESPN.

It’s claimed that the Glazer family have given manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a £100m transfer kitty this summer, but that figure could be topped up by funds raised by the departures of any unwanted first team players.

He’s not good enough

James made a strong start to his United career, scoring three goals in his first four Premier League games for the Old Trafford outfit, but he has failed to build upon his early showings. The Wales international has only bagged six more goals since netting against Southampton in August 2019, often coming in for criticism for his poor final ball.

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent cast doubt over the speedster’s ability earlier in the summer after he was linked with a move to fellow Premier League outfit Everton, telling Football Insider: “The only thing about Dan James at times, for me, he’s a little bit headless.

“He’s shown great potential when he first went to United; he played really well, scored a few goals, but at times he for me he’s fouled, or he shoots sometimes when he should pass it, he’ll pass when he should shoot.

“He’s got great pace, and I think he’d be a great addition in anyone’s squad, but when we talk about someone coming in and making a real difference and adding a lot of quality to whatever they’ve already got, I’m not quite sure.”

With the ongoing pandemic continuing to have a serious impact upon football clubs’ finances, selling lucrative fringe players is the easiest way to boost transfer budgets.

Therefore, Solskjaer must brutally axe the £16.2m-rated James, who hasn’t been all that productive at Old Trafford, in order to finance moves for his top transfer targets ahead of the upcoming campaign.

The addition of Jadon Sancho and the imminent arrival of Raphael Varane will wipe out the Norwegian’s reported £100m budget, so securing the sales of players like Phil Jones, Andreas Pereira and indeed James may be the only way to sign a new defensive midfielder or right-back this summer. In the greater scheme of things, the Welsh winger seems dispensable.

In other news… Woodward must avoid Man Utd disaster over £40.5m-rated ace, Ole will be fuming