Southampton: Fans react to James Ward-Prowse call up

Southampton confirmed on Tuesday that club captain James Ward-Prowse has been called up for England duty.

And, as to be expected, a number of Saints fans have been reacting to the news on social media.

The 26-year-old will fill in for Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips, who withdrew from Gareth Southgate’s squad through injury.

Ward-Prowse missed out on a place in Southgate’s European Championship squad over the summer but will now have the chance to impress the manager and possibly add to his eight caps as England prepare for World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Hungary.

The central midfielder, who scored before being sent off against Chelsea prior to the international break, is now the eighth Southampton player who will head off to represent their country.

Saints fans react

Southampton shared the news regarding Ward-Prowse’s call up on their official Twitter page. This is what these Saints supporters had to say in reply, with one labelling it as ‘great news’.

“FINALLY”

Credit: @AimeeThorpe9

“YESSSSSSS SIUUUUUU”

Credit: @_sfcjay

“Great news”

Credit: @Allanah47670106

“Fair play to him considering his performances…”

Credit: @MattAshley1

“Deserved but I’d be surprised if he gets a kick.”

Credit: @bfgfox

“BOUT DAMN TIME”

Credit: @SaintsFCDallas

In other news: ‘Bring him back’, ‘Come home’ – Many Saints fans react as comments emerge.  

Wolves: Hwang shines for South Korea

Bruno Lage has had an incredibly difficult start to life as manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

He had to turn away bids and interest for his star players and after three matches in the Premier League, Wolves have failed to score or register a point.

That being said, the Old Gold have looked pleasing on the eye and there are certainly plenty of positives from his tenure so far.

In offensive areas, Wolves have a swagger to their play, something backed up by their 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup.

That proves that once one goes in, the goals will start flowing for Lage’s team.

He will, however, need Adama Traore to step up. In possession of the ball, the human roadrunner has been nothing short of exceptional this season. The winger has amassed ten dribbles per match according to WhoScored, a tally that no one in Europe’s top five leagues can eclipse.

Yet, after the Wolves boss challenged him to improve his finishing, a new forward has arrived.

Hwang Hee-chan was introduced as a Wolves player during their defeat to Manchester United and following the international break, he will earn his first taste of English football.

The Molineux outfit have been hot on the collar of Hwang for a number of years now but they finally have their man, albeit on a temporary basis at first.

Fortunately, he looks like a man in form. The £53k-per-week earner was in vibrant touch as his South Korean side defeated Lebanon 1-0 on Tuesday.

Hwang was at the heart of everything good his country did with the attacking dynamo proving to be the supply line for the only goal of the game.

His creativity was first class as he provided three key passes during the course of the match.

Playing on the left-hand side, it gave the South Korean winger freedom to get at the defender and he duly undertook that task in excellent fashion.

Hwang attempted a colossal 11 dribbles of which he succeeded in five. That might not be the extraordinary levels we see from Traore but it proves that their talents can align in certain areas.

Furthermore, the new Wolves signing won ten of his defensive duels, suggesting he doesn’t shy away from a physical battle.

When it comes to facing mean-mannered Premier League defenders, that attribute will be vital if Wolves are to start scoring again.

If Hwang starts scoring on a regular basis for his new club, Traore better watch out.

AND in other news, Wolves must revisit swoop for “remarkable” £104k-p/w beast, he’s a big upgrade…

Leeds move away ‘certainly’ to be agreed

According to a Leeds United source, speaking to Football Insider, Lancaster City are in advanced talks to sign an Elland Road wide player on loan and a deal can be agreed ‘within days’ and ‘certainly’ by the end of September.

The Lowdown: Mass exodus of talent…

The Whites agreed a plethora of loan moves regarding their young talents over the summer.

Ian Poveda, Mateusz Bogusz and Leif Davis all secured temporary exits while Robbie Gotts, Jordan Stevens and Bryce Hosannah all left Yorkshire permanently on deadline day – alongside Niall Huggins who signed for Sunderland just before them (Football Insider).

Now, a Leeds source has shared news on yet another potential move away.

The Latest: Lancaster in advanced talks…

As per the Football Insider informant, Lancaster are now in advanced talks to sign an unnamed wide player from the Leeds ranks and a move away could be agreed ‘within days’ and ‘certainly’ by the end of September.

Indeed, Leeds apparently presented a number of youth players as options for Lancaster during discussions with the non-league side’s boss, Mark Fell, keen on taking a youngster who can play on the flanks both in an advanced and defensive role.

Lancaster are able to sign contracted players from Premier League sides outside of the transfer window.

The Verdict: No rest…

Agreeing another move for an unnamed talent arguably comes as good news given Leeds’ seeming determination to nurture their crop of rising stars.

Victor Orta and co have one eye set on the future and manager Marcelo Bielsa’s long term options and it is arguably imperative that Leeds’ academy receives just attention.

Fans will no doubt love to see Orta working tirelessly to improve the squad’s future even out of the transfer window, and it appears we will know who is the next starlet to leave in the coming weeks.

In other news: Bielsa eyeing ace who is ‘desperate’ to join Leeds, behind-scenes talks ongoing…find out more here.

Aston Villa: Fans react to Caleb Chukwuemeka update

Caleb Chukwuemeka is reportedly on his way to Aston Villa from Northampton Town, according to Daily Mail journalist Adrian Kajumba on Twitter.

Enjoying a breakthrough season at the Cobblers, the 19-year-old striker registered three goal contributions in 28 appearances, two goals and one assist [Transfermarkt].

Now, he looks to be close to making a move to the Midlands following recent claims.

Speaking to his social media audience in response to a story from the Mail, Kajumba stated: “This one progressing again after Villa had previous bid rejected. Spurs were keen too, along with others, but feeling now is that Caleb Chukwuemeka is heading to Villa to join his brother Carney.”

Should a deal be concluded for the Englishman, it is said that the potential link-up with his sibling may be a pivotal factor in him choosing to ply his trade at Villa Park [All Nigeria Soccer].

Villa are said to be well ahead in the race for his services moving into the latter stages of the transfer window.

In light of this news, loads of Aston Villa diehards took to social media to sum up their feelings on the latest news.

Aston Villa fans react:

Replying to popular Aston Villa fan outlet villareport, here is what some fans had to say about the Chukwuemeka situation:

“Underrated”Credit: @keebo00

“Give him the arm band for scoring winner vs bloos”

Credit: @AVFC_Aston”Chuk and Ramsey brothers gonna tear up the prem”Credit: @Aston8210″The future is ours”Credit: @MerseMagic”Love that”Credit: @jackavfc1″Lovely”Credit: @TheWillRossIn other news, Aston Villa fans react to a coaching staff update.

Palace receive Odsonne Edouard boost

Crystal Palace have received a potentially significant boost in their pursuit of Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard.

What’s the story?

The Eagles have been linked with a move for the highly-rated 23-year-old throughout the summer, but fierce rivals Brighton and Hove Albion were believed to be in pole position for his signature in recent weeks.

However, according to The Scottish Sun, the Seagulls and fellow Premier League side Southampton have baulked at Edouard’s £85,000-per-week wage demands, leaving Palace as the only interested party.

Patrick Vieira would love him

Since arriving at Celtic Park back in August 2017, the £15.3m-rated gem has established himself as one of Europe’s most promising young forwards, bagging 85 goals and providing 39 assists in 175 appearances for the Hoops.

The former France under-21 international’s standout displays have earned several plaudits, with former Celtic boss Neil Lennon labelling him “magnificent” after a match-winning performance.

His arrival at Selhurst Park would be seen as a significant coup for the south London outfit, and new manager Patrick Vieira would surely love to be able to call upon the services of a proven goalscorer.

It’s a luxury the French tactician arguably doesn’t have at this moment in time, with Michy Batshuayi’s departure leaving Christian Benteke and Jean Philippe-Mateta as the only out-and-out strikers in the first team squad.

Palace’s opening day fixture against European champions Chelsea highlighted their need for attacking reinforcements before the current window closes after they only managed to produce one shot on target all afternoon.

The exceptional powers of talisman Wilfried Zaha can only carry the capital club so far, and the addition of Edouard could provide the catalyst they need to propel themselves to a 10th consecutive season in the top flight.

Chairman Steve Parish has already secured the signatures of several exciting young acquisitions this summer in the shape of Joachim Andersen, Marc Guehi, Michael Olise and Conor Gallagher, but Edouard would perhaps be the most sensational of them all.

With Palace now having a clear run at the Frenchman, Parish must complete a deal for the Paris Saint-Germain academy graduate, providing Vieira with the quality and strength in depth that he needs to succeed at Selhurst Park.

In other news… Crystal Palace enquire over £14.4m-rated magician, he’d be another Parish masterclass 

Journalist reveals LFC’s interest in Bowen

Liverpool’s recruitment team are admirers of rumoured Reds transfer target Jarrod Bowen, according to journalist Paul Gorst.

The Lowdown: Bowen linked with Liverpool move

The 24-year-old enjoyed an impressive 2020/21 season for West Ham, scoring eight goals and registering five assists in the Premier League.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Bowen this summer, in what is a rumour that hasn’t been met with universal happiness by some Reds supporters.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

The Latest: Journalist provides update

Now, Liverpool Echo journalist Gorst has given a fresh update on the situation during a Q&A on Friday, admitting Bowen is admired by the Reds’ recruitment team:

“He was an ever present in a West Ham side that finished an impressive 6th last season. He might not be flashy or ‘a name’ but if Liverpool’s recruitment team like him, they have earned the right to be trusted haven’t they? “I think he is the right sort of profile for what the club want, age-wise, status within the game, someone who might be ready to take that next big step. A bit like Jota, yes.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-9/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Is he good enough?

There are question marks over whether or not Bowen is of the required standard for Liverpool, at a time when Jurgen Klopp’s men are aiming to win the Premier League title back from Manchester City.

The Englishman has only played top-flight football for one-and-a-half seasons, so there is an argument to say that a higher calibre of wide man is needed.

That being said, someone like Andy Robertson came in as a relatively low-profile name in 2017 and has gone to become a world-class left-back, so the recruitment team may need to be trusted.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been lauding one moment that happened in the friendly with Hertha Berlin. Read more here.

Paul Stewart fears Son could leave Spurs if Kane seals exit

Paul Stewart fears Tottenham Hotspur may face a challenge in keeping Son Heung-Min if Harry Kane forces a move out of the club.

Star striker Kane is looking to leave Spurs before the transfer window closes in a bid to boost his chances of winning more silverware.

The England captain has hit the headlines for failing to return to Hotspur Way for pre-season training this week and Manchester City are keen to persuade Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to sell last season’s Premier League top goalscorer.

While Kane is itching to leave north London, Son committed his future to Spurs by penning a new four-year deal last month.

The South Korea international scored 22 goals and registered 17 assists in 51 appearances last term.

Son’s fine form led to speculation that Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich were looking to make a move and potentially seal his return to Germany having already featured for Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen prior to heading to the Premier League.

Former Spurs ace Stewart fears signing a new contract could count for little if a major force looks to sign Son.

He exclusively told The Transfer Tavern: “When Harry stated his intention to leave, I said Spurs have got to be careful because people will be coming in for Son.

“Son was outstanding last season and he would be disappointed in the departure of Harry.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if one of the big teams in Europe came knocking on the door for Son.”

Danny Ings: Spurs’ next Robbie Keane?

Tottenham Hotspur’s attentions have seemingly turned towards finding a new striker to accompany Harry Kane in attack next season, and Danny Ings reportedly sits atop their shortlist.

According to the Telegraph’s Matt Law, newly-appointed head coach Nuno Santo plans to deploy a two-upfront system and desires a proven Premier League goalscorer to lead the line alongside the England talisman.

The £13.5m-rated Southampton star, who has now entered the final year of his current £75k-per-week contract, has been recommended by both Nuno and sporting director Fabio Paratici, whilst chairman Daniel Levy is no stranger to the 28-year-old, having tried to sign him from Burnley in 2015.

It’s thought that the Saints could be forced into a sale this transfer window, otherwise they risk losing a key player for nothing and the report states that he is valued at around £20m.

Despite his advancing years and injury troubles, the Englishman has a very respectable recent record in the big time – as per Transfermarkt, Ings has found the net 34 times across the past two Premier League campaigns, taking his total to 55 in the competition.

The three-time international will turn 29 this month, so there would be question marks over how viable this potential attacking duo is in the long run. However, Spurs have had success in this regard before.

Robbie Keane joined the Lilywhites for his second stint at the very same age and he’s a player that Ings has even been likened to, which only bolsters the reasoning behind splashing the cash on him this summer.

“I used to play with a striker who played exactly like Ings [and that’s] Robbie Keane,” he said. “I look at the way Ings plays and his movement is first class,” claimed Clinton Morrison to talkSPORT last year.

At just 5 foot 10, the Saints talisman offers a vastly different threat to the imposing presence of Kane, so he’d be the perfect foil in a two-pronged attack.

It’s his impressive work rate that sets him apart from many other strikers too.

Ex-Arsenal turned commentator defender Martin Keown once labelled him “hard-working”, whilst his current manager Ralph Hasenhuttl described his professionalism as “unbelievable” to the BBC.

He’s even been lauded as a “goal machine” and “assist machine” in the past, too.

In the relentless goalscoring workhorse, Paratici and Nuno could well find Spurs’ next Keane and for £20m, that has to be seen as value for money in this current day and age.

AND in other news, Nuno must mercilessly axe £18m-rated “real liability” who has let Spurs down massively…

Everton make Harry Winks enquiry

Rafa Benitez has acted methodically and shrewdly in the transfer market to date, completing deals at a cut price, rather than splashing the cash wildly at Everton.As a consequence, he’s turning himself to another move which could be done relatively cheaply this summer.What’s the word?Everton have already signed Andros Townsend, Asmir Begovic and Demarai Gray but there is still plenty of business left to do.The Toffees are now attempting to bolster their options in the middle of the park with interest in Harry Winks being revealed. Fabrizio Romano revealed on his Twitch stream on Thursday evening that a move is a possibility.That came at a similar time to the Beautiful Game podcast claiming on Twitter that: “Everton have submitted an enquiry for Spurs midfielder Harry Winks. Spurs have told the player that he can leave the club this summer. THFC looking for a fee of around 25mill.”Stay awayEverton already have a number of midfielders at their disposal with Abdoulaye Doucoure, Allan, Andre Gomes and Tom Davies all in their ranks. That’s without reckoning on Jean-Philippe Gbamin, who is finally returning from injury.With that in mind, one has to question whether Winks would actually be worth the price tag.[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-everton-news-benitez-kamara-romero-dumfries” title= “Read the latest Everton transfer news!”]After all, many supporters have already been left angered by the performances of Tom Davies, who was relatively under par last term. He failed to score all season and only provided one assist during an inconsistent campaign for the 23-year-old.His defensive play also failed to set the world alight, registering 1.2 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game. Those numbers aren’t bad by any stretch of the imagination but his force and aggression has nothing on a player like Doucoure, for instance.Winks is a similar player, so spending £25m on him would fail to make much sense.The England international was impressive a few years ago, being described as a player who “dominates the game” by Paul Robinson.However, since becoming a regular in the England setup, he has slipped out of the team and failed to impress at Spurs. Winks didn’t contribute to a single goal last term and, like Davies, was mediocre from a defensive point of view.He completed 1.1 tackles and just 0.7 interceptions per game, while providing 0.3 key passes. On that evidence, it’s difficult to work out what he’d bring to the table at Goodison Park.Consequently, fans would surely be perplexed if Benitez completed this deal. It wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest they may be rather livid, too.The Everton hierarchy surely have better ways of spending that sum of money than on another midfield player.AND in other news, Rafa can set Everton on fire by signing “exciting” 17-goal gem who’s “destroyed” teams…

West Ham: Liverpool enter race to sign Declan Rice

Liverpool are reportedly weighing up a move for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, according to ExWHUemployee. 

The lowdown: Rice’s future left in limbo after significant update

Rice’s future with West Ham United remains somewhat ‘up in the air’ heading into the new Premier League season, whilst under the management of David Moyes.

The 22-year-old still has three years remaining on his contract with the Hammers, with Salary Sport reporting that he’s on wages of £62,000 per-week.

Chelsea are believed to have been long-term admirers of Rice, with The Telegraph’s Matt Law previously claiming that the England international has turned down two contract offers from West Ham.

The latest: Liverpool enter the race to strike an agreement with Rice

Liverpool are the latest club to be credited with interest in striking a deal to sign Rice, with exWHUemployee reporting that Jurgen Klopp’s side are keen on reaching an agreement with the midfielder.

The Reds finished third in the Premier League last season, and are seemingly keen to fill the void left by Georginio Wijnaldum, with the Dutch midfielder leaving the club earlier this summer in favour of a move to French giants PSG when his contract reached a conclusion at Anfield.

The verdict: A nervy wait ahead for West Ham

Hailed by England teammate and former Red Raheem Sterling as an ‘animal’ after the recent win over Germany, Rice is quite simply too good for the Irons to sell.

He has been a key member of the West Ham squad for a number of seasons now, fast becoming one of the first names on David Moyes’ team-sheet when available for selection, starting 32 of 38 top flight matches this season.

He’s gained a considerable amount of praise whilst on international duty for England in the European Championships, and that’ll only heighten interest in his services this summer – Rio Ferdinand called him ‘tremendous’ following Sterling’s comments.

With Rice reportedly turning down two contract offers from West Ham prior to Liverpool’s interest in landing his signature, West Ham will face a nervy few months ahead.

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