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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.

When Wolves shipped on Helder Costa in the summer, there is likely to have been mixed feelings.

On one hand, the decision to relinquish a man who had produced just three goal involvements in 2018/19 seemed like smart business.

However, with a small squad, shipping on someone with attacking quality may have looked incredibly questionable, especially given the added demands of the Europa League when they’d only used 21 players in the Premier League last term.

Fortunately for Wolves, they’ve come out the other side and agreeing a £15m deal for a struggling performer now appears to be daylight robbery.

Wolves were able to get a man off their books that simply wasn’t up to the task of England’s top-flight. On the evidence of 2019/20, he doesn’t look like he’s got what it takes to deliver in the second tier either. Their decision to loan and sell has already been vindicated.

The Portuguese has gone from one of Wolves’ most threatening players to struggling on a weekly basis for Marcelo Bielsa’s high-flying Leeds.

As the international break disrupted domestic action, the 25-year-old brought up a run of not contributing to a single goal for 12 league outings.

Initially having to withstand a lack of game time, he was brought in when their mercurial Spaniard Pablo Hernandez was injured. Yet, since that very incident back in mid-September, he’s not assisted a goal and has failed to find the back of the net.

He’s made his manager visibly angry and he’s also refusing to listen to pleas for him to cut inside on a regular basis, something Hernandez does.

But that isn’t what Costa is, he’s a nippy winger with the ability to beat his man and finish chances with regularity. Or so we thought, anyway.

His solitary goal involvement in the Championship happened back in August and he looks a shadow of the man that contributed to 29 strikes in two seasons in the division with Wolves.

On the face of it, Nuno’s men have done some remarkable business in commanding £15m for a player who was deemed surplus.

Their own campaign started in dismal fashion, failing to win their opening seven Premier League matches amid the added stress of the Europa League. A lack of depth was evident but their own fortunes have changed for the better.

Wolves have now lost just once in their last 12. They don’t miss Costa and they’re showing signs of what earned them seventh place last term.

Meanwhile, that extra financial gain they’ll bring in next summer when his move to Yorkshire becomes permanent could just be telling.

Winston Reid made his return to senior football on Thursday, playing 45 minutes of New Zealand’s friendly against Republic of Ireland.

The 31-year-old has not played a competitive game for West Ham United since coming off in the 27th minute of a 4-1 loss against Swansea City in March 2018 – an injury that saw him miss 53 games for the Hammers.

He played the first half of the game, keeping the Irish out until the very end of the period of play as Derrick Williams’ header saw the sides go in at half-time with the score tied at 1-1.

Ireland ended up winning 3-1, with former Hammer Sean Maguire scoring their second, but many West Ham fans won’t have been bothered about the scoreline, with the focus being on the fact that Reid managed to get on the pitch and came through unscathed.

This is another positive step in Reid’s recovery, after he played an hour for West Ham U23s against Wolfsburg B, indicating that he could be getting closer to a first-team appearance.

A selection of Twitter reaction to Reid’s game time, including posts from pleased West Ham fans, can be seen below:

West Bromwich Albion losing yet another one of their young academy prospects. We’ve heard it plenty of times before.

The next player they seem destined to let slip through the grasp is defender Nathan Ferguson.

He is yet to sign a new contract despite being offered a long-term deal and amidst interest from some elite-level teams – Tottenham Hotspur, Juventus, and Atletico Madrid – the west Midlands club could well be forced to sell him in January before they lose him for peanuts at the end of the season.

Just this summer, Albion were powerless as Louie Barry joined Barcelona and Morgan Rogers departed for the Premier League champions, Manchester City.

The Baggies support has heard it all before, but they do not seem too angry about the 19-year-old following the trend in the winter transfer window.

One member of the Hawthorns faithful simply told the club to ‘get rid’ as he clearly doesn’t want to stay while another believed it was about time West Brom did something like this as it will allow them to maximise value.

Ferguson has started 13 matches this season, playing on both sides of the back four, and has only been absent in recent weeks due to a three-game suspension.

A further fan claimed the youngster’s last two performances proved that he still has a long way to go with one more claiming he isn’t yet deserving of a big contract.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

Tim Cahill covered a wide range of topics in his recent Twitter Q&A, from the best opponents he played with to which player he’d most want to self-isolate with, while there was also a touch of typical cheekiness.The forward spent eight years at Goodison Park and created some great memories, such as finishing fourth and reaching an FA Cup final, and he likely holds his former teammates in high esteem.That doesn’t mean he isn’t afraid to make jokes at their expense, however, and picked out Phil Neville for mockery in response to one fan’s question.It is an interesting insight into the dynamics that must have existed under David Moyes during that period, when the Toffees were often challenging for a top four spot.

The former Australia international may be feeling brave because he knows his former teammate isn’t on Twitter, or perhaps he is just speaking the truth.

Either way, it is a funny remark and suggests the squad got along well and still share a good relationship to this day, which may be why they were relatively successful during Cahill’s spell at the club.

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If Carlo Ancelotti can recreate a similar environment now it may give Everton that extra edge needed to improve in order to become a club that challenges at the top of the division once again.

Elsewhere, here’s how Everton fans responded to a key player departure in 2018…

According to Record, Tottenham are unwilling to meet Benfica’s asking price for Alejandro Grimaldo.

What’s the word?

With Danny Rose currently out on loan at fellow Premier League side Newcastle and his long-term future at Spurs up in the air, it is unsurprising to hear the north London side seemingly being in the market for a new left-back.

But whilst Portuguese publication Record confirm Spurs’ interest in Grimaldo, they claim that both Jose Mourinho’s team and Italian giants Napoli are unwilling to meet Benfica’s demands.

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The report suggests Benfica are asking for around £35m (£30m) to let the Spanish defender go, and that with him still having three years left on his existing deal, they are under no pressure to cash in on him on the cheap.

Biting the bullet

Spending big-money on a full-back doesn’t naturally come across as the best use of resources, but for Spurs, getting Grimaldo in this summer could be absolutely pivotal to ensuring Mourinho has a defence that he can rely on both going forward and back.

The Spaniard has been in imperious form in domestic football with Benfica, registering an impressive six assists in just 24 games in Liga NOS. And when you look at his underlying numbers, it’s easy to see why he’s been so influential for the Portuguese side in an attacking sense.

As per Whoscored, he averages 1.2 shots, 2.2 key passes, 1.5 dribbles and 1.8 crosses per game in the league – startling numbers for someone who is just a left-back. In fact, his arrival could elevate Harry Kane’s game to another level.

The Spurs talisman can become more of a penalty box predator rather than feeling compelled to come deeper to collect the ball and help out his team with the build-up phase. Grimaldo can provide the north Londoners with another attacking outlet, and having someone like Kane on the end of his crosses and surging runs forward could result in the England international plundering even more goals than he already does.

So not only would Spurs improve their back-line, but they could also simultaneously sharpen their offensive game too. It’s exactly why Daniel Levy must reconsider his side’s stance of not being willing to meet Benfica’s asking price for Grimaldo.

Amidst all the recent links to a player like Philippe Coutinho – a play-maker in a position Spurs have plenty of options for – Grimaldo should be the man Spurs focus on this summer.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans reminisce about this former star’s time in north London.

Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser has told friends that he is keen to join Tottenham Hotspur this summer, according to Football Insider.

What does the report say?

Fraser has impressed on the South coast since arriving in 2013, managing 24 goals and 33 assists in 208 appearances for the Cherries.

The 26-year-old is out of contract this summer and is said to have attracted interest from a number of Premier League clubs.

According to Football Insider, the winger has told friends that he is keen on a move to Spurs, with the Scot hoping to test himself in the Champions League.

The North London club currently have a number of talented wingers including Lucas Moura, Heung-Min Son and Steven Bergwijn, but it is understood that Erik Lamela could be sold.

Wrong move

Fraser is a talented player that has impressed at Bournemouth in recent seasons and could provide value this summer on a free transfer.

However, Spurs are already well-stocked on the wings and should be focusing their attention elsewhere.

The Scot has only registered one goal and four assists this season and would likely find himself behind Moura, Son and Bergwijn if he made the switch.

So not only do Manchester United look set to lose Angel Gomes on a free transfer, but it appears he could be heading for a fellow Premier League rival too.

Reports in recent days had suggested that United had not yet given up hope of losing the academy starlet this summer, but according to The Daily Mirror, it seems Chelsea have made a huge step forward in the race to secure his future.

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The report claims that the Blues believe they are close to landing the England youth international, and that he has “recruited super-agent Pini Zahavi who is understood to have held talks with Blues transfer chief Marina Granovskaia”.

After hearing about the major update on Gomes’ future, United fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.

One United fan admitted that Gomes will “surely shine wherever he goes” and that the club are to blame if he does end up leaving.

Losing Gomes on a free would be one thing, but seeing him join rivals Chelsea would be another.

If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side see him develop into a star at Stamford Bride and help them in the future, then United will only look back at this moment with a bit of ‘what if?’.

Everton fans have been drooling over the prospect of landing one of their former players this week after fresh reports emerged about his future at his current club.

According to French football journalist @JordanM_Choco, Paris Saint-Germain are willing to sell defensive midfielder Idrissa Gueye should a ‘great’ offer come in for him this summer.

The 30-year-old swapped Goodison Park for the Ligue 1 champions in the summer for £30m and has made 28 starts for them in all competitions, via WhoScored.

Gueye is averaging 3.2 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and one key pass per game across France’s top tier and the Champions League, which only highlights the bite that Carlo Ancelotti has lacked in midfield this campaign.

Morgan Schneiderlin, who many in Merseyside want rid of, ranks best for tackles per match with 2.1 and he’s only started 12 times all season.

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It remains to be seen what sort of fee PSG would command for the industrious lynchpin with Transfermarkt currently valuing him at £21.6m. He still has three years to run on his current contract.

Going by the following reaction, you’d struggle to find a member of the Toffees faithful that wouldn’t want Gueye back in the blue colours of Merseyside.

Here’s what has been said…

AND in other news, Everton fans torn by interest in coveted COLOSSUS…

Newcastle United’s prospective £300m takeover is still yet to be announced as we enter June.

It’s fast-approaching two months since the news first broke that a Saudi-backed consortium led by Amanda Staveley were to try and purchase the club from current chief Mike Ashley.

There have been many emerging doubts on the matter in the past few weeks with the latest being the World Trade Organisation’s report into pirate streaming service beoutQ. They believe the Saudi state is behind the illegal streaming of worldwide sports events, which has thrown a potential curveball at the Premier League (as per the Guardian).

However, Jordan Cronin at the Shields Gazette has given a majorly positive update into what he’s heard about the deal, he said:

“I’d be lying if I said certain reports in the national media over the last few weeks hadn’t made me doubt it but I’ve also heard plenty of positive noises to feel reassured that it will be given the green light.

“While I am fully in favour of this takeover being approved, I am not pig-ignorant to the issues being raised and as much as it is a draining process, they have to be respected.”

If the PL do give approval, then the Magpies will be under new ownership for the first time in 13 years – very wealthy ownership at that, too.

The Saudi public investment fund are set to claim 80% of the northeast outfit with the remaining 20% going to Staveley and the Reuben brothers.

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For now, though, this one continues to rumble on into June.

AND in other news, Newcastle fans leap to Joelinton’s defence after comments…

Tottenham didn’t have much to cheer about after Arsenal beat Southampton on Thursday night.

To make matters even worse, Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City handed Liverpool the Premier League title.

While their rivals were celebrating for obvious reasons, some Spurs fans were glumly scrolling through social media as their hopes of reaching the top four went seemingly further out of reach.

Although he was on the losing side, Kyle Walker-Peters gave the Lilywhites a glimpse of what he has to offer.

The 23-year-old originally joined Southampton on loan from Spurs to cover for Cedric after he moved to Arsenal on loan.

After arriving at the St Mary’s Stadium, Walker-Peters initially struggled with his fitness levels, as he only made one appearance for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side prior to the nationwide lockdown, playing 73 minutes against Burnley, until he was replaced by Michael Obafemi.

The Saints recently reached an agreement with Spurs to extend his stay on the South Coast for the rest of the season, via The Daily Echo.

Jose Mourinho has made it abundantly clear he will not be privy to his future plans, after the Englishman took aim at the Portuguese in an interview with the club’s website, and he only played one game for Mourinho before being shipped out on loan.

Nevertheless, Walker-Peters impressed against the Gunners as a second-half substitute, as he made one key pass, completed two dribbles, and provided two crosses according to WhoScored.

However, it is unlikely this will be enough to convince Mourinho to allow him to return, as his criticism was never going to go down well.

Hasenhuttl is a known admirer of Walker-Peters and Southampton may be willing to take a gamble on the youngster if he can prove himself in the short amount of time left in the season.

If the former England U-21 international can convince the Saints that he is worth the risk, this may make it easier for Daniel Levy to agree terms with Matt Crocker. Football Insider recently revealed Spurs plan to use him in a swap deal with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer.

Tottenham fans, do you believe the board should sort out an exchangce for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg? Let us know down below!