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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who made 561 appearances for Wolves during his career, claims he would be worth more than Pedro Neto if he was playing nowadays and questioned if players are paid fairly.

Bull, who scored 306 goals in 13 years for Wolves, is the club’s all-time top scorer having scored 112 goals more than John Richards, who is in second place.

Manchester United are reportedly going to make a £50 million bid this summer for Neto, who only signed a new five-year £50,000 per week contract last October.

Speaking on what he would be worth if he was playing football in this era and if players are paid fairly in today’s game, Bull told FFC:

“I’d be worth more than Neto, but I don’t know. People always ask me, how much do you think you’d be on now and what was it like when I played? I was lucky enough to be earning a fair day’s pay.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/exclusive-andreas-sondergaard-wolves-premier-league” title=”Exclusive! Andreas Sondergaard talks all things Wolves”]

“I do think players these days are getting really overpaid for what they do but it’s not their fault, it is just the way that football has gone.

“They should grab it while they can because your career is only short.”

It shows how highly Bull was rated during his career as he received an England call up despite playing it what is now know as League One.

Bull reached the play-offs twice with Wolves but couldn’t prevent them from suffering defeat on both occasions to Bolton Wanderers and Crystal Palace, respectively.

Leeds United are willing to sell attacking star Helder Costa this summer, according to a report from Football Insider.

Marcelo Bielsa’s men picked up an impressive victory in the Premier League on Friday night, winning 2-1 away to Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Goals from Patrick Bamford and Raphinha sent Leeds to 11th place in the table, as they picked up their first league victory since  the 3-0 victory at home to Southampton on February 23rd.

[freshpress-quiz id=“336849″]

Somebody who didn’t feature in the win over the Cottagers was Costa, who watched on from the substitutes’ bench.

Costa linked with Leeds exit

Costa has struggled to play a starring role for the Whites in 2020/21, chipping in with three goals and assists apiece in the league, and this fresh report claims a Leeds source has told them that the club will listen to offers for the 27-year-old.

It is claimed that Leeds see him as a player who can ‘raise cash’ for new signings to come in instead, as Bielsa looks to ‘reshape’ his squad moving forward.

Orta masterclass

Costa has unquestionably slipped down the attacking pecking order at Elland Road this season, with just 10 starts in the league testament to that.

For that reason, it make sense to move him on to pastures new, receiving a potentially healthy fee for his services and allowing Bielsa to bring in a replacement.

Victor Orta has proven to be very successful as Elland Road’s Director of Football and the plot to offload a player Bielsa doesn’t seem to rate that highly in search of a superior star would be another smart play.

In other news, one popular Leeds player has been seen back in training – read about who it is here.

Sheffield Wednesday have endured a run of seven successive defeats and now face a potentially defining crunch match this evening as they welcome a rival to Hillsborough Stadium.

Darren Moore’s task of keeping the Owls in the division could become nearly impossible should they taste defeat against Huddersfield Town – the Yorkshire giants are already cut seven points adrift, so failure to pick up points here would surely see them put one foot into League One.

It means the 46-year-old boss has plenty to consider in terms of team selection ahead of kickoff, and one of his biggest problems has been finding the net.

Indeed, Wednesday have only scored four goals in their last seven outings, so it is reasonable to foresee a change up top tonight.

On the Chalkboard

The Owls did face table-topping Norwich last time out – a team that has the best defensive record in the division – but Jordan Rhodes did manage to find the net.

Unlike Josh Windass, who was particularly wasteful and greedy on the day. As per SofaScore, the 27-year-old only managed to pul off 42% of his seven dribbling attempts and made the third-lowest number of passes (24) of any starter.

He also came under fire after he wasted a golden opportunity to take the lead at 1-1.

Instead of playing through the wide-open Joey Pelupessy, he blasted an effort into row Z before telling the Dutchman to ‘shut his mouth’ in more colourful language. Hardly a sign of being a team player. We’ll never know if that pass would’ve created a goal, but it was certainly a better option than what conspired.

Lincoln boss Michael Appleton told Sky Sports at half-time, via YorkshireLive: “When these moments happen in games, the big moments especially when you are playing such a difficult side and you’re on the run that you’re on at the minute, it looks like a golden opportunity to slip Pelupessy in. And obviously, the option is the wrong one.”

The £15k-per-week ace, dubbed “quick” and “explosive” by his father Dean, is the Owls’ most prolific shooter, averaging 1.7 attempts per game but in return, he’s found the net only five times, via WhoScored.

On the other hand, Callum Paterson – who was dropped on Sunday – has scored more goals (six) with fewer efforts (1.2 per game). He should be starting instead, perhaps alongside Jordan Rhodes.

Moore could also call upon Derby loanee Jack Marriott too, so he’s got two other options who are far more suited to a forward role than Windass.

If the Owls want better fortunes in front of goal, then it’s time to stop fitting the former Rangers man into the side in any way possible. Moore must be ruthless and drop him his starting XI tonight.

AND in other news, Moore suffers big blow to “unbelievable” Owls star ahead of tonight’s kickoff…

Plenty of Southampton fans have been reacting to the news that 20-year-old Kayne Ramsay has penned a new contract at the club.

Ramsay has so far made just three appearances for the club (Transfermarkt), but that has not stopped the Saints from getting him to commit his future. The defender has signed a two-year deal which will keep him at St Mary’s Stadium until 2023.

The youngster will be hoping to have a big future on the south coast, and the news of his signature has attracted plenty of attention from Southampton fans after the confirmation was shared on the Saints’ official Twitter account. Some fans have now demanded that he plays regularly – with Kyle Walker-Peters out injured, Ramsay would be the natural replacement for him at right-back.

These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Ramsay below

“What’s the point? Centre back picked over him in his own position constantly, about time he’s given a chance!”

Credit: @jaydenatk13

“A right back. A right back that should be playing while KWP is out. Have a word with yourself Ralph.”

Credit: @we_8_pompey

“Play him then”

Credit: @TheTrueFraudie

“Is this a joke?! Why don’t we play him then and give him a chance to prove himself?!”

Credit: @McKeeChristian

“Hang on though… he isn’t good enough to play is he? we play at centre back at right back instead? makes no sense.”

Credit: @HackedOffStuart

“Sounds like Ralph still has faith in this guy then. Get him in the side gaining experience! Can’t be any worse than Bednarek at RB”

Credit: @ewanwhite1999

In other news, many Southampton fans react to a tweet on this former player.

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that Marcelo Bielsa staying at Leeds could the difference between Leeds being relegated and challenging for Europe next season.

The Argentine has done a sensational job in the best part of the previous three years, but his future at Elland Road is still up in the air having only extended his deal by one-year in September.

Having taken the Whites back into the Premier League following a 16-year absence, Bielsa has made Leeds competitive back in the topflight – with a top-half finish a genuine possibility for the Yorkshire outfit despite three defeats in their last four matches.

Leeds have already beaten the likes of Everton, Leicester and Southampton this season, and haven’t been lower than 15th since returning to the Premier League.

But with the possibility of Bielsa leaving this summer, Windass said that relegation could be on the cards if he doesn’t sign a new contract.

He told Football FanCast:

“If Leeds lose Bielsa, Leeds will get relegated next year. If Leeds keep Bielsa and he brings in the players he wants to bring in, no disrespect to Leeds United, he’s got six or seven Championship players in that football team that are absolutely unbelievable because of the manager.

“I think if Leeds keep Bielsa and he brings four or five quality players, Leeds United could be in the top-four next year.”

Defensively, Leeds haven’t been great, but their counter-attacking football makes them one of the most exciting teams to watch in the Premier League.

But with Bielsa’s future still undecided, the Elland Road faithful face an anxious wait in the coming months.

Windass added:

“I wouldn’t like to be the next Leeds manager if Bielsa says he isn’t staying, because the Leeds United fans absolutely love him. I think the key will be him, it’s not about if he’s going to get the sack, it’s if he will walk away.”

Despite Steven Gerrard’s initial protestations, Glasgow Rangers have been by no means quiet in the January transfer window, signing Aberdeen’s Scott Wright and Bournemouth’s Jack Simpson, with Nnamdi Ofoborh expected to follow suit.

Rangers seem hellbent on stopping Celtic from an unprecedented ten in a row, having won almost all of their 26 games in the Scottish Premiership this season thus far, barring three draws.

However, they have missed out on the chance to sign a player who could have provided a real cutting edge – Jesse Lingard.

Rangers were linked with signing the Manchester United midfielder last month by TEAMTalk, but a move failed to materialise and he ultimately joined West Ham on loan instead.

Lingard, who earns around £75,000-per-week at Old Trafford, may have endured quite a dramatic fall from grace since the 2018 World Cup but there’s no doubting the fact that he would have been guaranteed a starting berth under Gerrard.

Last season, the former England international bagged two goals and an assist in the Europa League, including a goal in a 2-1 defeat against Astana in 2019, whilst he averaged more shots (1.8) per match than James Tavernier (1.2) and Cedric Itten (1.5) have managed this season so far, as per WhoScored.

For context, that would put him joint-fourth in the Rangers squad alongside Scott Arfield, just below Ianis Hagi (2), but above Ryan Kent (1.2), per WhoScored.

It led to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer dubbing him “top class” whilst he’s even received praise from Paul Pogba and was once tipped for greatness by none other than Sir Alex Ferguson himself.

You can’t help but feel like sporting director Ross Wilson missed a real opportunity here as he could’ve landed a player who has proven that he is able to score goals at a high level of the game, and that could have lit up Ibrox across the remainder of the campaign.

Rangers could live to regret the day they decided against making a move for Lingard.

AND in other news, Rangers can sign their Steven Davis successor in Bournemouth’s Nnamdi Ofoborh…

David Sullivan should seal a West Ham United swoop for RB Leipzig striker Hwang Hee-chan amid claims the Irons are very hot on the South Korean’s situation.

What’s the word?

According to ExWHUemployee, while speaking on The West Ham Way podcast, David Moyes is working on up to three transfers approaching the February 1st deadline.

The Hammers are keen to finalise a deal for Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard to move to the London Stadium on loan, plus Hwang and the capture of his Leipzig teammate Mathew Bondswell despite a late rival bid from Leeds United.

Hwang’s arrival would offer Moyes a replacement for Sebastien Haller following the Ivory Coast international’s move to AFC Ajax, having decided to continue monitoring Stade de Reims forward Boulaye Dia after refusing to pay €15m (£13.5m) for the Frenchman this month.

Reports by Kicker, cited by Sky Sport Austria, add that West Ham are ‘very hot’ on Hwang’s situation but it is unclear where the striker will end the January transfer window, as 1.FSV Mainz are favourites for his signature after identifying the attacker as their top target to replace Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Hwang is noted to be unsettled in Leipzig having struggled to establish himself under Julian Nagelsmann following his move from RB Salzburg last summer, with the 25-year-old yet to start a Bundesliga game after struggling with slight adductor problems and a two-month spell out after contracting coronavirus.

The £13.5m-rated striker is now expected to be granted a loan exit in the closing stages of the winter market, hoping to build on his sole goal scored across all competitions this term in a DFB Pokal tie with second-tier 1.FC Nuremberg in September.

Should West Ham sign Hwang?

Hwang may have endured a troublesome debut campaign with Leipzig, but the 34-cap international’s talent should ensure he is able to provide the depth behind Michail Antonio that Moyes felt he lacked with Haller at West Ham.

Hwang arrived at Leipzig last summer fresh off a 16-goal, 22-assist campaign with Salzburg with the expectation of filling the void left by Timo Werner, after the German joined Chelsea for £47.5m on the back of scoring 34 times across all competitions in 2019/20.

His efforts in Austria further ensured Hwang arrived at the Red Bull Arena with a reputation for leading the line and imposing himself on defenders, but for also being comfortable with the ball at his feet and with the pace needed to break free to exploit gaps in the opponent’s backline.

Former Liefering and Salzburg head coach Peter Zeidler even lauds Hwang as a rare breed for the brutality shown in his skill, claiming: “He’s exceptional, has a brutal dynamism. I’ve rarely seen anything like it.”

Being able to skilfully deceive defenders also sparked comparisons with Liverpool striker Firmino, who hit nine goals and provided eight assists as Jurgen Klopp’s side dominated the Premier League last season and already has five goals and three assists this term.

If Hwang is set to be available for a loan move in the final days of the January transfer window, West Ham co-owner and Chairman Sullivan could do a lot worse than to back Moyes by pushing through a deal for the South Korean to move to east London.

AND in other news – Exclusive: Pundit drops verdict on West Ham’s links to £7m-rated striker…

David Moyes will be fuming with Sebastien Haller after the striker again failed to lead the line as West Ham United beat Leeds 2-1 on Friday night.

Haller was given the starting reigns as the sole centre-forward in Moyes’ plans after the Scottish coach confirmed Michail Antonio was yet to overcome the hamstring injury which prevented his involvement against Manchester United last week.

Moyes has now been without Antonio for five of West Ham’s last six top-flight fixtures, and will be eager to see the 30-year-old make progress in training ahead of hosting London rivals Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.

Moyes had hinted at a potential change to his plans ahead of travelling to Leeds, with Haller’s slack form of late forcing the former Manchester United boss into considering alternative attacking options.

Haller has scored twice all season in the Premier League but allowed chances to go begging in recent weeks, opening the potential for Said Benrahma to earn his maiden Irons start at striker.

“I need to look for alternatives for when we need them,” Moyes said when asked over a potential role at Elland Road for the Brentford loanee, via quotes by football.london’s Sam Inkersole.

Ultimately, Moyes opted to keep Haller in the side with Benrahma slotting into midfield following a late knee injury to Arthur Masuaku.

Haller was far too weak against Leeds, with the ball bouncing away time and time again. He ended a frustrating night having lost possession a mammoth 23 times, while losing 22 of his 32 duels, per SofaScore.

The £27million-rated attacker won just five of his 18 ground duels, five of 14 aerial contests and committed four fouls. He never looked like scoring, either, despite striking four of his five efforts on target with one blocked, as Haller racked up 55 touches and one successful dribble from three attempts.

Haller was already playing on borrowed time with Antonio absent and reports surfacing that West Ham could listen to offers for the former Eintracht Frankfurt star, who now faces an anxious few days before the Irons host Crystal Palace as Moyes likely weighs up his alternative options again.

AND in other news, a £3.6m-rated flop not seen since September may have played his final game for West Ham already.

The transfer window is now finally open and with it, we need to prepare ourselves for the barrage of rumours and reports coming our way.

For Wolves, they will predominantly be linked with improving one area – their attack.

What’s the word?

Nuno Santo’s men were dealt a huge blow before the turn of the year when Raul Jimenez suffered a fractured skull.

As a result, the Old Gold are searching for cover in the January transfer market. The likes of Divock Origi and Diego Costa have both been linked but a fresh name has come to the centre of attention.

Coincidentally, it’s someone that Wolves reportedly wanted to sign in 2019 – Stephane Bahoken.

The new report comes courtesy of Football Insider who suggests that Premier League clubs are lining up a move for the 12-cap Cameroon striker.

Bahoken currently plays for Angers in Ligue 1 and is rated at just £5.4m according to Transfermarkt. Thus, it’s unlikely he’ll cost Jeff Shi and co too much money.

Must sign him

On the surface, Bahoken doesn’t look like a particularly eye-catching striker. The 28-year-old has scored just five goals so far this season, and found the net on seven occasions last term.

He’s not exactly going to fire Wolves to glory but that’s not what they need.

Jimenez won’t be out for too much longer and as we’ve already stated, they only need basic cover in January – not someone capable of scoring 20+.

Despite not finding the net on a regular basis, Nuno should be comfortable of landing a gem – that’s when you consider the previous business they’ve done with Angers.

The French club have supplied Wolves with both Romain Saiss and Rayan Ait-Nouri in years gone by and they’ve clearly learnt a promising football education in that part of the world.

Of course, they play in different positions, but the French club must be doing something right in preparing their players for bigger moves. Saiss has become a pivotal part of the way Wolves play, possessing the ability to play in a host of positions. Furthermore, he comes up with big moments.

The defender scored against Tottenham and then rattled the woodwork against Manchester United last time out. He has proven to be a consistent outlet for Nuno, one they hope will serve as an example for Bahoken.

Wolves have certainly had no trouble buying from them before. This would be a shrewd acquisition, one that solves their problem of a lack of depth in attack.

AND in other news, Shi must land Wolves upgrade in £25m “coach’s dream”, he destroyed Coady this year…

Glasgow Rangers winger Jordan Jones is arguably at a crossroads in his career.

The 26-year-old has hardly featured at all for Steven Gerrard’s side so far this season as he finds himself on the fringes of the first-team squad.

This is a player who was expected to have a big impact at Ibrox, a fully-fledged Northern Irish international who has won nine caps for his country, but he was recently dropped by Northern Ireland boss Ian Baraclough after breaching Covid-19 rules.

Given his age, he still has plenty of time left to grow and improve as a player, yet he is almost certainly going to be sold by Ross Wilson when the winter transfer window opens in January.

Jones has made just three appearances in the Scottish Premiership this season as he was suspended by Rangers along with George Edmundson during an internal investigation into the incident, before they were hit with a seven-match ban by the SFA on top of the initial suspension, which has ruled him out of action for an extended period of time.

Gerrard has made his feelings about the matter pretty clear, having said he was “really disappointed” by their actions in an interview with Rangers TV (as quoted by The Daily Record), although he has also insisted that they can rescue their careers at the club.

But his latest comments have done very little to hide from the fact that Jones has often found himself on the outside looking in, as he has been left on the bench as an unused substitute for a large part of the season so far, whilst he has only played 184 minutes of first-team football in total.

Valued at a mere £540k via Transfermarkt, Wilson should be looking to cash in on the outcast whilst he still can, as his market value is only going to decrease the longer that he is left on the bench.

Former Aberdeen striker Noel Whelan seems to agree, as he told Football Insider: “He won’t play for Rangers again. I just don’t see it.

“He wasn’t in the team much anyway, so he wasn’t doing enough in training and behind the scenes to convince Steven Gerrard.

“Now, he’s broken the rules and broken the trust of his manager, there’s surely no way back for him at Rangers.”

Despite his obvious struggles, with just one goal and two assists in 19 games for the Gers in all competitions, Jones has attracted interest from clubs south of the border, as English Championship clubs Middlesbrough, QPR and Preston North End were all credited with an interest in signing him in the summer after he was deemed surplus to requirements by Gerrard.

Rangers were keen to sign Preston versatile midfielder Daniel Johnson in the summer, so it’s within the realm of possibility that the Lilywhites might be interested in some sort of swap deal involving the Northern Irishman as a paperweight.

If he continues to be benched by the Ibrox boss, then Wilson will surely have no other option than to sanction a transfer for the £9,100-per-week winger, as he could use the funds generated by his potential departure to invest in further additions to Gerrard’s squad.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson can’t afford to sell resurgent Rangers captain James Tavernier in January…