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Nigel Adkins has provided a Charlton transfer update ahead of the deadline next week.

What’s the talk?

The 56-year-old has confirmed that work is going on behind the scenes to bring new signings to the club before the end of the transfer window. He has promised that the Addicks are trying to bolster their squad whilst working within their budget.

He told London News Online: “There have been things going on behind the scenes. We’ve got to make sure the budget that is being worked to, we can utilise it as best we can to help the group.”

Exciting times

This update from Adkins could provide some much-needed excitement for Charlton fans. The start to the season has been unquestionably poor from the Addicks, and fans may be desperate for some good news before the window slams shut next week to lift the mood by adding some fresh legs to the group.

Charlton have one point after four League One matches and have only scored twice, with their solitary point coming on the opening day of the season against Sheffield Wednesday in a 0-0 draw. They followed that up with losses against Oxford United, MK Dons and Wigan, with Crewe at home this weekend their last match before the transfer window closes.

Seven players have joined the club so far this summer – Akin Famewo, Craig MacGillivray, George Dobson, Corey Blackett-Taylor, Sean Clare, Jayden Stockley and Charlie Kirk. Three arrived on free transfers, three for undisclosed fees and Famewo is on loan from Premier League side Norwich, with an option to sign on a permanent basis next summer.

However, Stockley is the only player who has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.00 or higher in League One so far this season. This suggests that Charlton are still in need of new additions to bolster their squad to put them in a position to be able to challenge for promotion.

Therefore, Addicks fans could be excited to hear that work is going on behind the scenes to bring in reinforcements. Adkins seems confident enough that deals will be done, given that he has spoken publicly about their need for signings, and that should give supporters hope that things will happen.

It’s now it’s time for the club to get negotiating and ensure that new signings are over the line ahead of the deadline next Tuesday.

Many Wolves fans have been left buzzing as a transfer update emerged on Sven Botman.

As per Fabrizio Romano, the Midlands club have now made an official bid to try and sign the Lille central defender on a permanent deal.

However, the reigning Ligue 1 champions turned down their proposal, meaning that they are going to have to go in with a second bid if they want to land his signature.

Botman was a key player for his team on their way to winning the title in the 2020/21 term, playing in all but one match and helping his team keep 20 clean sheets in the process, while he himself won an impressive 4.9 of his duels per game and also averaged 3.2 clearances and 1.5 interceptions per appearance (Sofascore).

Nonetheless, being just 21 years of age, the Dutchman would no doubt be a smart investment by the Molineux faithful, and he could be a mainstay in Bruno Lage’s side for years to come.

Wolves transfer update on Botman

These WWFC supporters buzzed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter:

“A second bid is all I ask I beg”

Credit: @haydenbd_

“Jeff/Fosun come on Wolves need this please get him”

Credit: @TooRiskyIam

“PAY THE MONEYYYYYY PLEASEEE”

Credit: @wwfcnaasif

“Oh hello!”

Credit: @nawaafkoodaruth

“You are finally making moves!”

Credit: @Beeowolf79

“Whattt?”

Credit: @wwfcsam1

In other news, find out what club announcement has Wanderers buzzing here!

A source from Newcastle United has now revealed some details of a bust-up at the training ground involving Graeme Jones and Dwight Gayle.

The Lowdown: All is not rosy

All is certainly not rosy in the garden at St. James’ Park at the moment, as The Athletic reported that some people within the North East club ‘weren’t impressed’ by Steve Bruce taking part of the international break off to go on holiday.

As cited by The Daily Mail, Bruce snapped after he was asked by the media if he heard the away fans calling for his head after his team’s 4-1 away defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

The Latest: Bust-up

As per The Daily Mail, a source has now shared details of a training ground bust-up between Jones and Gayle, during which Jamaal Lascelles had to get in between them to break it up:

“There was a head-to-head after a disagreement. Jones said, “It’s always about you, Gayley”. Dwight wasn’t having it and said, “It’s been all about you since you’ve been with England.”

The Verdict: Worrying

It certainly is a worrying sign that a senior member of staff and a player would be involved in a heated exchange like this one at any football club, let alone on Tyneside, where the mood is already so fragile.

The Magpies have not gotten off to a good start at all so far this season, sitting in 19th spot in the top-flight table with just one point and no wins from their first four league matches (Premier League).

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Nonetheless, everything has to be put behind them now as they need to focus on getting a result at home against Leeds United.

In other news, find out which three Magpies have been ruled out of the game here!

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes Mateusz Klich will find his best form this season, following an impressive summer.

The Lowdown: Klich enjoys good pre-season

The Whites are preparing for the start of the new Premier League season, with a mouthwatering trip to Manchester United awaiting on Saturday lunchtime.

Someone who has featured prominently throughout the summer is Klich, with the Poland ace scoring in the 2-2 draw with Villarreal last weekend.

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The Latest: Pundit tips Klich to shine

The 31-year-old wasn’t always a key starter last season, starting 28 of Leeds’ 38 league games, but someone who believes he could thrive in 2021/22 is Whelan.

Speaking to Football Insider, the ex-Whites man believes Klich looks primed to enjoy a strong campaign for Marcelo Bielsa’s side:

“Klich’s had a brilliant pre-season. He already had a goal in the bag away at Loughborough and last night’s finish tells me he is sprightly, sharp and ready to make a big impact this season.

“I think they are all itching for the new season to get started. Everyone one of those players will have wanted to play themselves into the starting XI for that first game. It doesn’t get much bigger than an opening day game against Man United.

“Klich is one that has definitely stood out in pre-season and I expect we will see him back to his best now.

“He had a great start to last season and then had a little dip so he’ll be looking for consistency this year.”

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The Verdict: More of a squad player

Klich’s form wasn’t always good last season – he openly admitted that it dropped off in the second half of the campaign – and he will have to up his level if he wants to start every week this time around.

Kalvin Phillips is an undisputed key man in the middle of the park, and with a new central midfielder potentially coming in, too, there will be pressure on Klich to perform.

At worst, however, he remains a strong squad option and he will hopefully take his pre-season form with him into the opening game this weekend.

In other news, Phil Hay has provided a key Marcelo Bielsa update. Read more here.

With Celtic set to face their first competitive fixture next week in the Champions League, securing as many new faces as possible in the previous seven days was huge.

Fortunately, that’s exactly what Ange Postecoglou was able to achieve.

What’s the word?

The Hoops have welcomed a host of new faces to Paradise with Liel Abada and Kyogo Furuhashi joining Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide as fresh signings.

Next on Postecoglou’s agenda appears to be strengthening the defence.

Carl Starfelt is believed to be Kristoffer Ajer’s successor as he heads to Brentford but they’re also targeting a right back.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday evening, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano had the following to say about Celtic’s transfer plans:

“Celtic are looking for a new right back after agreement completed to sign Carl Starfelt as centre back from Rubin Kazan. Brandon Soppy is one of the options – talks ongoing also with Royal Antwerp for Portuguese right back Aurélio Buta.”

Brilliant Buta

Although Soppy has bags of potential, Buta would be a great alternative if Celtic found that deal easier to conclude.

The 24-year-old has been on the scene for a while now and has already been linked with a move to British shores.

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After being touted with a switch to Wolves back in 2019, Buta was given the an eye-catching review by journalist, Aster Nzeyimana:

“He’s one of the best full-backs in the Belgium league – that’s a widespread opinion.

“In the last two years he’s grown defensively, he has admitted that himself. He’s quite a small player but he’s technically very gifted. We have a history in Belgium of good attacking full-backs and he really fits right in. He’s instrumental to Antwerp.”

Standing at just 5 foot 8, the £3.1m-rated defender is a similar statute and plays in a comparable way to Jeremie Frimpong.

The Dutchman departed in January as he left for Bayer Leverkusen and they’ve not been able to replace him permanently since.

Buta, however, would be a wonderful capture. Last season he completed 1.2 successful challenges per game which was identical to the tally Frimpong achieved in green and white.

Hugging the right-hand side, the Antwerp defender was extremely creative for a player in his position, providing 0.8 key passes a match.

For context, only Frimpong, Greg Taylor and Jonjoe Kenny managed more from a defensive persuasion at Celtic last season.

However, it’s important to bear in mind that Postecoglou’s team will be a side that enjoy lots of possession.

Consequently, Buta’s statistics from an attacking point of view should rise if he switches Belgium for Scotland this summer.

AND in other news, Celtic already have their Ajer successor in rarely-seen 17 y/o with a “massive future”…

Crystal Palace could secure a natural heir to talismanic forward Wilfried Zaha this summer after being linked with a move for PSV Eindhoven’s Noni Madueke.

What’s the story?

According to The Sun, the highly-rated 19-year-old has caught the eye of the Eagles’ hierarchy as they plan a major overhaul of the first-team squad.

The report claims that PSV are set to demand £20 million for their prized asset in an attempt to put off any potential suitors, while fellow Premier League outfit Leicester City have also been credited with an interest in Madueke.

New Wilfried Zaha

After leaving Tottenham Hotspur back in 2018 in search of regular first-team minutes, the London-born attacker has established himself as one of the Eredivisie’s most exciting prospects.

Madueke contributed nine goals and eight assists in 32 appearances for the Dutch giants last term, catching the eye of several big clubs across the continent.

Palace are in need of several fresh faces ahead of the upcoming campaign after seeing the likes of James McCarthy, Gary Cahill and Andros Townsend depart on free transfers, and chairman Steve Parish has already made a solid start to the capital club’s summer business.

New arrivals Michael Olise and Marc Guehi are set to be joined by Joachim Andersen as Patrick Vieira’s revolution gathers pace, although there’s still plenty of work to be done by the club’s hierarchy.

A striker and central midfielder are thought to be priorities alongside a right-winger, and in Madueke, Palace may have identified an ideal heir to Zaha.

The 28-year-old winger has been the Selhurst Park outfit’s standout performer for many years now but has once again been linked with a move away from his boyhood club in recent weeks.

A concrete offer for the Ivory Coast international has yet to materialise, but with just two years remaining on his contract, a departure is likely to occur next summer if he doesn’t receive any offers in the current window.

Although the prospect of Zaha leaving south London will worry large sections of the Palace support, having Madueke to call upon as his successor would certainly ease those fears.

The two attackers share various similarities in their style of play, with both men famed for their dribbling skills, ability to keep hold of the ball and eye for goal.

Madueke’s impressive performances have earned several plaudits, including former PSV ace Tommie van de Leegte, who raved about the youngster’s style of play, saying (via Goal): “He’s fast and has the capability to trick his opponent. He brings creativity and is very explosive in his actions.”

Another assist in the first leg of PSV’s Champions League qualifier with Galatasaray the other week helped Roger Schmidt’s side to a convincing 5-1 victory, although it may be one of the last appearances the England Under-21 international makes at the Philips Stadion.

And, in other news…Parish must complete Palace swoop for £5.4m-rated gem, he’s an “interesting prospect” 

Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge has revealed that Mauricio Pochettino wanted to sign Anthony Martial from Manchester United during his time in charge at Tottenham Hotspur.

The France international has been linked with a move to Spurs in recent weeks.

Martial endured a mixed season last term, making just 22 Premier League appearances and scoring four goals, while also laying on six assists, and he is yet to really make his mark in a red shirt.

It seems an unlikely deal for Spurs to do as he has a contract until 2024 and is valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt.

And Bridge has now confirmed that Pochettino wanted to bring him in when he was at Spurs, although he was unable to strike an agreement with United to bring him to north London.

Bridge said: “It’s funny about him because I know Pochettino wanted him for a long, long, long, long time.”

In total, Martial has made 258 appearances for United, scoring 78 goals and registering 50 assists, while he has also won 27 caps for France, scoring once.

Pochettino, of course, is now at PSG in Ligue 1.

Watford have added another signing to Xisco Munoz’s squad ahead of next season, as Josh King joins the club following his release from Everton.

Will King be a good signing for Munoz’s side?

After a disappointing spell with Everton, where he was given very few opportunities under Carlo Ancelotti, King will be looking to get back to his best as a regular under Munoz at Watford last season.

The £7.2m-rated forward enjoyed the best spell of his career with Bournemouth, contributing 53 goals and 19 assists in 184 appearances for the Cherries, which emphasises that he can be a threat in front of goal.

The 29-year-old enjoyed two particularly successful seasons in the Premier League in the 2016/17 and 2018/19 campaigns, hitting 16 and 12 top-flight goals respectively, so if he can rediscover that sort of form with the Hornets, then he will be well worth the low risk of bringing him in on a free transfer.

It was always likely that Munoz would look to add a goalscorer to his squad ahead of next season after winger Ismaila Sarr finished as top scorer in the Championship for Watford last season with just 13 goals, whilst the likes of Troy Deeney and Andre Gray are perhaps unlikely to be regulars in the Premier League.

Back in 2018, Howe was full of praise for King after he scored a brace against Newcastle United, saying:

“Josh is outstanding physically, technically and mentally – he has the complete package, a little bit of everything.

“He wants goals to show that potential is so high with him. He took the penalty well and the second goal was a great finish.”

Therefore, the versatile forward could definitely add a new dimension to Munoz’s attack next season, and should he rediscover his goalscoring touch at Vicarage Road, then he could well prove to be the difference between relegation back to the Championship and staying in the Premier League for another season.

It’s exactly why fans will be buzzing with the signing of King ahead of the new top-flight campaign.

And, in other news… Huge Watford news emerges on “energetic” beast, Munoz will be delighted

A number of Manchester City fans are delighted after it emerged the Citizens are in fact looking to hold on to Aymeric Laporte this summer.

The centre-back, who signed for the club in 2018, had a fantastic impact early on his City career, making 35 appearances in the Premier League during his first full season (Transfermarkt) as the Citizens won the title and achieving an impressive 7.05 average match rating from WhoScored in 2018/19.

However, his playing time has reduced since then, both due to injury and team selection decisions from Pep Guardiola. As such, it had been reported that he could make the move to Barcelona (ESPN).

However, for those who want Laporte to stay at the Etihad Stadium, there has been a positive update. As per AS, City are now looking to keep the £40.5m-valued Spain international (Transfermarkt) at the club this summer, while the Premier League champions do not intend to sign another centre-back this summer.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. These took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the reports that Laporte looks set to remain at the Etihad.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Laporte news

“Yessss”

Credit: @SilvaSpecial27

“Nicee”

Credit: @McfcNathan2nd

“Please be true”

Credit: @godswill_ukpong

“Yes please”

Credit: @BluuMoonRising

“That’s what I like to see on a Sunday morning”

Credit: @Emmekia_Green16

“good”

Credit: @Ethan4707

In other news, lots of Man City fans want the club to sign this Euro 2020 star.

Another fresh twist has emerged in Tottenham Hotspur’s managerial search this weekend…

What’s the word?

According to Sportitalia journalist Rudy Galetti, a “surprise” name could become new sporting director Fabio Paratici’s latest target, that being Rangers’ title-winning head coach Steven Gerrard.

It’s thought that the 41-year-old’s qualities are becoming more attractive for the north London club’s hierarchy, as talks with former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo continue on.

This would back up recent claims from the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who suggested that the Liverpool legend is certainly “on their radar.”

Another twist

With Spurs’ hunt for their next manager running into a third month, this latest claim represents another twist in the tale.

Jose Mourinho was sacked in mid-April and it seems like the north London outfit are no closer to finding out who will be in the dugout, a worrying prospect with the squad set to return to pre-season training on July 5.

Several names have been linked and either been ruled out or joined another club, including Julian Nagelsmann, who was widely thought to be Daniel Levy’s first top target before he opted for Bayern Munich.

Spurs were then close to sealing a Premier League title winner in Antonio Conte before talks between the two parties collapsed.

Paulo Fonseca also seemed to be on the verge of being appointed before an 11th-hour blow, while fan backlash stopped the controversial Gennaro Gattuso from being hired.

It seems only a matter of time before Gerrard returns to the English top flight, particularly if he continues to impress at Ibrox, where he has just won Rangers their first Scottish Premiership crown in a decade, ending Celtic’s spell of dominance.

Paratici is said to be ‘pushing hard’ to secure Nuno, according to Football Insider, in a move which would upset much of the fanbase once again as many have voiced their concerns over the Portuguese’s brand of football and the club’s lack of ambition, having been linked with the likes of Conte and Mauricio Pochettino.

If Gerrard is genuinely a contender as these reports suggest, the hunt for Spurs’ next boss may not be done yet in what is an intriguing twist which will likely please the supporters more than Nuno.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Spurs transfer claim which will surely leave fans excited…