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Wolves are in a strong position to sign Hwang Hee-chan on a permanent deal ahead of Champions League duo Liverpool and Manchester City, according to journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Hwang impressing on loan

The 25-year-old made the move to Molineux on loan from from RB Leipzig during the summer and he has made an impressive start to life in the Black Country.

Hwang has scored four goals in seven Premier League starts and his performances have helped Wolves climb to sixth place in the table, with Bruno Lage describing him as a ‘top player’.

The South Korean has shone so much that a permanent move would be wise from the Molineux club, but Liverpool and City have both been linked with snapping him up.

The Latest: Hatfield confident of permanent move

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Hatfield claimed that Hwang still looks most likely to extend his stay at Wolves, which would come as a big boost to the Midlands club

He said: “I think they can still pull the deal off. The fact that he’s there now is obviously massively beneficial to Wolves’ chances.

“Given that he’s getting game time and enjoys the style of play, his team-mates, the training ground and management, it puts them in prime position to sign him on a permanent basis.”

The Verdict: Get it done, Wolves

Hwang has shown enough in a few months to prove that Wolves should sign him permanently, with the South Korea striker excelling alongside Raul Jimenez.

Not only is he shining in an attacking sense with his goalscoring explots, he has also averaged one tackle and 1.4 fouls per game this season, showing that he can get stuck into his defensive duties as well. In comparison, Jimenez averages 0.8 tackles and the same number of fouls.

Making Hwang’s temporary move permanent should be a no-brainer for Wolves and the hope is that a deal is agreed sooner rather than later, allowing the club to take a sigh of relief as other suitors reportedly lurk for the 25-year-old.

In other news, some Wolves fans hailed one player’s performance against West Ham. Find out who it is here.

Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst is just over a month away from his first transfer window at Ibrox with the Glasgow giants.

The Dutchman replaced Steven Gerrard at the helm over the last fortnight and could look to put his own stamp on the club by bringing in a couple of additions to bolster his squad in the winter market.

Dream signing

One player who could become a target is Dutch midfielder Joey Veerman. He was linked with a switch to Ibrox from Eredivisie side Heerenveen over the summer, but a move ultimately fell through.

Scottish journalist Stuart Hodge has now refused to rule out the Gers going back in for him. When asked about Veerman as a potential target for Van Bronckhorst, he said: “That one, yeah, potentially. But I think more so, that’s a market that van Bronckhorst will know well, that’s a market that’s affordable for Scottish clubs.”

The £3.1k-per-week gem could be a dream signing for Van Bronckhorst, who may know the midfielder due to his prominence in the Netherlands. Veerman has been a regular for Heerenveen in the Eredivisie, a league in which the 46-year-old Gers coach has played and managed, so he could be well-known to the ex-Barcelona defender.

Former Rangers forward Michael Mols previously described the midfield dynamo as “perfect” in possession, although he did have some concerns over Veerman’s ability to compete in duels. 

Mols told the Daily Record: “He is perfect with the ball and in possession, he’s a really great player. His passing and movement with the ball is really relaxed in a good way.

“But in Scottish football, there is a lot of emphasis on duels and fighting for the ball. I’m just not sure that would suit his style. He would maybe find it a little bit difficult to adapt.”

His potential weakness in individual duels may not be as much of an issue under Van Bronckhorst as it would have been under Gerrard. The latter deployed a 4-3-3 system which could have seen Veerman exposed physically in midfield, whereas the Dutchman’s 4-2-3-1 could see him slot in as a number 10, thus allowing the two holding players to shoulder the bulk of the defensive duties in the middle of the park.

Veerman has shown his quality on the ball in the Netherlands in recent years. In 67 Eredivisie games, he has managed 13 goals and 21 assists, whilst averaging an excellent WhoScored rating of 7.33. Along with Mols’ comments on his ability in possession, this shows that the 23-year-old could arrive at Ibrox and become an attacking force to be reckoned with in the Premiership.

Therefore, he could be a dream first signing for Van Bronckhorst, as he is a fellow Dutchman who could have the quality to make a big impact, and Rangers chief Ross Wilson must duly reignite his interest in the midfielder in the January transfer window.

AND in other news, “Priority will be..”: Ibrox expert makes Rangers claim which must have fans delighted…

Giovanni van Bronckhorst could not have dreamt up a better start to life in Glasgow after two wins from two as Rangers manager.

The Gers beat Sparta Prague 2-0 to ensure qualification from the group stage of the Europa League in his first game, before beating Livingston 3-1 in his first league match in charge.

In the short-term, the Dutchman’s focus may solely be on working with the current first-team squad and picking up results and momentum in all competitions. However, a long-term goal may be to make use of the academy and bring quality players through the youth set-up.

New Roofe

One academy player who could be unearthed during Gio’s reign is young forward Tony Weston. The attacker could end up being the new Kemar Roofe at Ibrox, if he is given an opportunity to show what he is capable of.

Weston joined the club from English side Blackpool in the summer of 2020 and has been thriving for the reserve team this season. In six cup matches, he has produced an impressive four goals – averaging a strike every 98 minutes on the pitch

He has also scored 15 goals in the Lowland League, with Rangers B having won 14 of their 19 matches in the competition. This shows that he is a lethal goalscorer for the club’s youth/reserve sides, with 19 goals in a maximum of 25 games to date.

In terms of the forward’s attitude, his former Blackpool manager Simon Grayson previously hailed his ‘pure enthusiasm’ for the game, saying:

“He’s got so much enthusiasm. The lads were watching what he was doing, where his pure enthusiasm and love of being a professional footballer is at the front of his mind.

“He’s got 30-year-old lads behind him in the warm-up and I’ve never known a 16- year-old lead with stuff like that.

“He’s got confidence in his ability and it’s great for him.”

This suggests that he has the mentality to go along with his apparent talent as a footballer. Therefore, he could have a great chance to make the step up to the first-team level at Ibrox, as he has the ability and desire to continue progressing through the ranks.

By offering him a chance in the senior squad, Gio could potentially unearth the new Roofe – who is a current English goalscorer in the team. The ex-Leeds man has registered an excellent 27 strikes in 54 competitive outings for the Gers and his fellow countryman’s record at youth level suggests he has the potential to hit those heights in the future.

AND in other news, Big boost: Gio hands Rangers massive injury lift pre-Hibs, fans will surely love it…

Leeds United have suffered another injury blow ahead of their Premier League game against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon.

What’s the story?

Having been sidelined previously, Patrick Bamford admitted that his recovery from injury was dragging out longer than he initially expected, revealing: “It’s okay. It’s a little bit slow. It is (getting better), day by day. It’s just taking a little bit longer than I first thought.

“I think the thing that has got under my skin a little bit this time is that I anticipated I would be back in four weeks and the fact that it has taken longer than that is a little bit hard to get my head around. But now I am seeing improvements.”
However, following his comeback and last-gasp equaliser against Brentford last week, it appears that his return has been very much short-lived, with a statement on the club’s website calling into doubt his status for the match at Stamford Bridge today.
It read: “Patrick Bamford suffered a hamstring injury during last Sunday’s Premier League game against Brentford at Elland Road. The evolution of the injury is subject to daily assessment.”

Huge blow

Given that Bamford was Leeds’ top scorer last season with 17 goals, it’s no surprise that the Whites have really struggled in the final third to start this Premier League campaign – they’ve managed just 15 goals from their opening 15 top-flight games in 2021/22.
Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan recently voiced his concern about the kind of impact that Bamford’s absence from this side would have. He said: “It was one of my biggest fears. How can we live life without Patrick playing from when he’s the one player that really strings everything together up front?
“He runs in behind, he runs the channels, takes centre-halves out of positions. His energy, his work right across the backline in the opposition’s defence. There’s not a player like him at the club. That was my worry, if anything did happen, which it has done now. We have seen that difficult side of the game going forward.”
The £35k-a-week earner’s absence is a massive blow just a week after marking his return with a priceless goal. not least with Leeds travelling to face one of the Premier League title contenders in Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa must finally give this starlet a chance…

Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier could potentially join La Liga giants Barcelona next summer, according to a fresh rumour which has emerged.

The Lowdown: Meslier shines for Leeds

The 21-year-old has emerged as one of the standout figures of the Marcelo Bielsa era at Elland Road, excelling between the sticks. He has now made 65 appearances for Leeds, proving to be a model of consistency and becoming the youngest goalkeeper in Premier League history to play 50 times in the division.

He has kept 23 clean sheets during his time in Yorkshire, which works out at approximately one every three matches, a very respectable return.

The Frenchman looks set to have a huge future in the game, and although his current Whites deal doesn’t expire until 2026, there appears to be some interest in him ahead of forthcoming transfer windows.

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The Latest: Barca linked with Meslier

According to pundit Gerard Moreno [via Planeta Barca and Sport Witness], who specialises in Barcelona news, Meslier is wanted by the La Liga giants due to the poor form of Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

A summer move is mentioned rather than a January switch, although no official approach appears to have been made. Andre Onana, Koen Casteels and Bartlomiej Dragowski were also identified by Moreno as potential replacements for the £49.5m-rated Germany goalkeeper, who boasts 14 trophies to his name during his time at Camp Nou.

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The Verdict: Potentially huge loss

Much like a number of Leeds players who are highly sought-after, it is perhaps wishful thinking to expect Meslier to remain at Elland Road for many years to come.

That would be an ideal scenario, of course, but considering that he is arguably one of Europe’s best young goalkeepers – he has been hailed as ‘excellent’ by BBC pundit Micah Richards – it is easy to envisage him joining a top European club.

If Meslier does choose to move on, it is vital that Leeds receive a decent fee for his services in order to replace him with a similarly talented player and bring in other reinforcements. He is valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, so prospective suitors should not expect to get away with paying anything less.

In other news, David Ornstein has provided a key update on one Leeds player. Find out who it is here.

An update has emerged on Lyon attacker Moussa Dembele, regarding interest from Newcastle United…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies are ‘weighing’ up a swoop for the centre-forward as they plot their targets for the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Ligue 1 side are open to cashing in on the beast next month, although it remains unclear how much they want in return for him.

Get it done

Nick Hammond must ensure that he is able to work with Eddie Howe to secure a deal for the ex-Celtic hitman as he could be an excellent addition to the squad heading into the second half of the campaign.

Howe’s favoured 4-4-2 formation could be more effective with two out-and-out strikers at the top end of the pitch, with Callum Wilson currently the only recognised striker in the rotation as it stands. He is the only player in the squad with more than three Premier League goals and the signing of Dembele could hand him a capable partner to share the load with.

The beast, who was once dubbed “powerful” by Brendan Rodgers, has scored 49 goals in 120 matches for Lyon, having scored 51 times in 94 games for the Hoops in Scotland. He also has experience in England, scoring 15 Championship goals in his final season at Fulham.

His former Celtic teammate Leigh Griffiths previously hailed the £15.3m-rated beast as “unplayable” and also said:

“With that display, Moussa showed he is one of the top young talents in Europe.

“It doesn’t matter how big the occasion is, he is always calm. I thought he was exceptional. He never gave the Rangers defence a minute’s peace. He has that in the locker and when he is in the mood like that he is a joy to watch.”

His goalscoring statistics throughout his career and Griffiths’ quotes on him suggest that he could be, as the Scot put it himself, unplayable for the Magpies. He has shown that he can score goals in a variety of leagues, scoring in the top division of Scottish and French football, whilst also finding the back of the net in the second division of English football.

Therefore, Hammond must complete a swoop for the Frenchman in January to bolster Howe’s squad and give him the best possible chance of avoiding relegation.

AND in other news, Hammond could seal instant NUFC masterclass by signing “outstanding” £15m “animal”…

After a rumoured fall out with left-back Lucas Digne, Rafa Benitez could be in a position to kill two birds with one stone, as fresh claims emerge on a speculated transfer target.

 What’s the word?

According to Italian news outlet, Gazzetta, Inter Milan are keen to make a single transaction transfer for a swap deal involving Matias Vecino and Digne, with Everton.

Vecino has recently been linked with the Merseyside club, with Calciomercato reporting that Everton were ‘in pole position’ to sign the Uruguayan midfielder last week.

Now if reports from Gazzetta are to be believed, the Toffees could secure a deal with Inter that would be beneficial for Benitez in both offloading a player he has seemingly irreparable differences with and gaining an individual that the club is speculated to have interested in.

Everton are believed to be only interested in selling their frozen out defender, as opposed to a loan deal, so the Italian giants will need to co-operate with the demands the Toffees have outlined, with ESPN reporting that they want £25m for their defender.

Time to move on

The 56-cap gem, Vecino, “always delivers” according to former Inter boss Cristian Stellini, and thus, would surely be a good signing if a deal can be arranged to swap Digne.

The £110k-per-week Frenchman has fallen out of favour in the side ever since reports surfaced that he had challenged his manager on the tactics, which turned into a training ground conflict that has, as a result, lead to him not making a single appearance in the squad on matchdays ever since the Merseyside Derby.

The Spanish manager has a risky decision to make on the defender after signing another left-back on the first day of the transfer window, with Vitaliy Mykolenko arriving.

Benitez clearly has no interest in integrating the 28-year-old back into the team, especially after going to the length of playing Seamus Coleman completely out of position to cover Digne, in a decision that didn’t pay off as the Toffees lost to Brighton on Sunday.

Everton are currently struggling to pick up points in the league and have fallen as far as 15th in the Premier League table, they have now made their second signing of the window, confirming Nathan Patterson earlier today, but will need to continue to strengthen the side to be in a position to climb the table.

They will surely do that be integrating their new signings quickly, while also welcoming Vecino through the doors and getting rid of one of their bad eggs in the process.

In other news: Alan Myers hints at more January transfer business

An exciting Newcastle United transfer claim has emerged regarding Lille defender Sven Botman…

What’s the talk?

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Magpies’ pursuit of the centre-back is not dead in the water despite failing with an initial offer of €35m (£29.2m).

He tweeted: “Lille turned down €35m permanent move bid for Sven Botman from Newcastle. French club plan still to try to keep Botman even if they’re in difficult financial situation. No way for loan deal. #transfers Newcastle will try again – AC Milan are interested but no official bid.”

Fans will be delighted

Newcastle fans will surely be delighted with this news as it suggests that there is still a chance that Botman could end up at St James’ Park this month. They will also be buzzing as it shows that the club are serious about a deal for the Dutchman, given that they have been willing to submit a £29.2m bid for his services.

The Toon Army will be happy to see big-money offers going in for players, instead of lowballing clubs and waiting until the last few days of the window to make any moves. PIF are clearly working hard to try and make things happen, and irrespective of the end result, fans will surely be reassured to know that the powerbrokers are doing their best to supplement Eddie Howe’s squad.

Supporters will also be delighted with the prospect of another offer being made to sign Botman before the end of the transfer window. He could be an excellent addition to the squad who would bolster Howe’s defensive options, and that is why they must persist – as they appear to be doing – with a swoop for his services.

This season in Ligue 1, the Dutchman has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.02. This shows that he has what it takes to perform to a high level on a consistent basis whilst playing in a top European league, which suggests that he could be a success for Newcastle if he is able to adapt to English football.

Meanwhile, no Magpies centre-back has averaged a rating higher than 6.77 from Sofascore this term. Therefore, if he can translate his form over to the Premier League, Botman could be a significant upgrade on Howe’s current options and improve the side considerably. In turn, Newcastle fans will be quite pleased with the club’s concerted efforts to bring him in from Lille.

AND in other news, “Conversations on the phone” – Luke Edwards transfer update will have NUFC fans elated…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, reporter Pete O’Rourke has made a promising Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Wolverhampton Wanderers star Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye move…

Links to the Spain international have accelerated in recent days as multiple reliable outlets claimed that Tottenham are seriously in the hunt for his signature this month.

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Indeed, Sky Sports backed that the Lilywhites are eyeing a January move alongside The Athletic, The Telegraph and The Times, who all claimed that Spurs are actively pursuing Traore.

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte is believed to be mapping out a special role for the Wolves winger as he aims to transform him into a makeshift right wing-back to solve the problem position, akin to how he utilised Victor Moses at Chelsea (The Athletic).

Sharing what he knows on the situation, O’Rourke has now made a promising claim regarding this hot transfer rumour.

The Latest: O’Rourke says Spurs can meet valuation…

In an interview with GiveMeSport, the journalist stated that Spurs could ‘come with an offer’ which meets Wolves’ asking price.

He explained: “Spurs could come in with an offer that meets their valuation. There’s a real possibility this deal could happen.”

The Verdict: Priority signing?

It is believed that Conte and transfer chief Fabio Paratici are eyeing four ‘priority’ additions in a new striker, a left-footed central defender, a central midfielder and a right wing-back (Alasdair Gold).

For the latter position, we believe Tottenham could be chasing a tremendous candidate for the role in Traore, going by his impressive statistics. According to WhoScored, the Wolves beast has completed 4.5 dribbles per 90 on average this Premier League campaign – more than any Spurs player in that time.

This highlights his strong threat going forward, with Molineux legend Steve Bull also calling the 25-year-old a ‘world-beater’ in an interview with Football FanCast.

For a rumoured £22m, he could be a golden first signing of the Conte era.

In other news: Bid made: TV broadcaster shares news as Spurs table offer to sign ‘extraordinary’ £66.8m man, find out more here.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s efforts to sign Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas in the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to RMC Sport, the Magpies have made an enquiry over a deal to sign the Paris Saint-Germain and former Real Madrid shot-stopper.

The report claims that PSG have turned down the Tynesiders’ initial move for the veteran, but it remains to be seen whether or not they will come back with another approach.

Get it done

Eddie Howe must ensure that Newcastle go back in with another swoop for Navas in an attempt to change PSG’s mind this month. Whilst the Ligue 1 leaders may have turned down an opening enquiry, there are still two weeks left in the transfer window and time for the Magpies to turn PSG’s heads.

The 35-year-old has been forced to share goalkeeping duties with Italy international Gianluigi Donnarumma this season, and the prospect of regular first-team football could be tempting for him. Newcastle could offer him the chance to come in and play every single match in the Premier League, whereas that may not be the case in Ligue 1 for PSG as he splits game-time with the 22-year-old.

Navas could be an excellent addition to the Magpies’ squad and improve the quality between the sticks for Howe’s side, as he has proven himself at the very top level over a number of years.

PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino previously lauded the shot-stopper saying: “Navas once again showed all his qualities. He’s a top-level goalkeeper. He’s one of the best keepers in the world.”

Last year, the Argentine said of him: “We can say his actions show his quality. He just proves that he’s at the highest level in the world.

“I think we all saw him tonight. There are good and bad times in football. In a match, you have to know how to hold on. We were able to do that, with the help of our great goalkeeper, who made the difference.”

He has a career average WhoScored rating of 6.96, showing that he has remained consistently brilliant throughout his time with Levante, Real Madrid and PSG. Navas kept 56 clean sheets in 162 matches at the Bernabeu and has racked up 44 clean sheets in 97 games in France to date.

This shows that the 35-year-old is well able to perform for some of the biggest clubs in Europe, which suggests that he will easily adapt to playing in the Premier League. That is why Newcastle must change PSG’s stance on the goalkeeper and work hard to try and bring him in this month.

AND in other news, Terms agreed: NUFC closing in on third January signing who will leave Howe elated…