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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Wolverhampton Wanderers chairman Jeff Shi has hinted at a positive January transfer window for the club in a recent interview.

And supporters at Molineux should be anticipating some new signings in a few months.

What’s he said?

Nuno Santo’s side currently sit 12th in the Premier League table while in the Europa League they look primed to progress past the group stage as they occupy second place with a two-point cushion over third.

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But in recent times, the Portuguese boss has suffered from a bit of an injury crisis, epitomised by Willy Boly’s sudden leg break during training last week, which may have scuppered his entire season.

The squad was already thin on numbers as BirminghamLive reported that they wanted to sign a centre-back during January, and that was even before the Frenchman’s injury.

But the west Midlands club have now received a boost from Shi, who said:

“If we need to strengthen the squad, we have the capacity to do it – immediately, in January.

“We want to do the right deal. We understand our squad is still growing, but if we want to compete at a higher level, we need to give Nuno and the team more support.

“We know where we are maybe a little bit weak.

“I keep talking with Nuno about it, so I think we will have a good window in January.”

Vital squad depth needed

This news obviously comes as a significant boost to everyone involved at the club, especially after talk that Fosun would decrease their investment.

Last season, Nuno only used a squad primarily built around 19 players with eight of those playing 34 or more matches in the Premier League, so it was rather lucky that they didn’t pick up any major injury woes on their way to that historic seventh place finish.

While this campaign is a similar story as 18 players have been used with eight of those playing eight of the ten top-flight games.

Even though that is the way the Portuguese native likes to operate – by having a tight-knit squad – the added involvement across both domestic and European fronts has meant that he needs to call upon his squad depth at times.

And that’s something he just doesn’t have right now as evident above, so this will allow him to do exactly that in January.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Ben Davies has struggled to get into the Tottenham team so far this campaign with only three starts to his name, but his performance against Croatia for Wales will certainly give Mauricio Pochettino something to think about.

Danny Rose has been the preferred choice at left-back for much of the season but with no end in sight of Spurs’ defensive woes – with 13 goals conceded in their last five games – a change may be in order.

Added to that, Rose didn’t exactly impress for England on Friday night with a SofaScore rating of 6.1 in defeat against the Czech Republic, and therefore Davies is deserving of a recall.

As well as providing a defensive improvement, the Welshman could also provide more energy and impetus going forward, as he showed bravery and ambition against the World Cup runners-up, and that could help to end Tottenham’s bad run of form.

The 26-year-old’s commitment was on show in everything he did on Sunday, and if the level of desired he showed was replicated throughout the team then Spurs would get the lift they need.

He put in a strong defensive performance, helping the young Ethan Ampadu and leading by example, as well as making one tackle, as per SofaScore.

However, it was going forward where he really excelled, linking up with Gareth Bale frequently, including a great run which set up a chance that the Real Madrid man couldn’t miss to level things up.

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Wales could have had more thanks to his efforts, too, and if he is able to repeat the two key passes he made this weekend against Watford, then a top striker like Harry Kane is likely to put them away.

Davies sometimes lacks the skill and physicality to attack effectively, as his rate of 0.1 successful dribbles per league game last season suggests, so the fact he managed two against Croatia suggests he did so because of a determination to help his team.

Spurs need that kind of team player currently, someone who isn’t afraid to put their body on the line – as his four out of seven duels won indicates – and therefore Pochettino should show some faith in Davies by giving him a run in the team.

Social media has become a huge part of basically every big team’s day to day routines.

Nowadays, clubs will tend to be more active and communicate with their fans through various social media outlets, especially Twitter, as a way of getting closer with their fandom and in order to encourage interaction.

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Of course, there are many benefits to that as there’s a profit to be made out all of those interactions, clicks, views and shares.

Barcelona have also become one of those clubs that are extremely active on their Twitter account, posting updates, news and interviews but also their own form of banter.

But so far, that kind of approach has had mixed results among their own fans.

And one of their latest tweets, involving Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, has been met with a lot of negative comments.

They labelled it as cringe and nonsense and some even slammed the admin for not doing his job properly.

You can see some of their replies and comments down in the collection of tweets below:

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The games keep on coming thick and fast for Rangers at the moment with Scottish League Cup action on the agenda against Livingston on Wednesday night.

The Gers will rightly feel as though this is the season where they can finally get back to winning trophies but with Celtic starting in even more scintillating fashion than they have, they also know it’s still not going to be easy.

Even so, the Gers are looking a very strong outfit and demonstrated that in the second half of their league game with St Johnstone at the weekend as four goals sealed the three points.

A pleasing display all-round for fans of the Bears, then, but it was also a display of defensive work that caught the eye towards the very end of the game, courtesy of Steven Davis’ last-ditch, goal-line clearance:

Of course, the game was won by this stage but seeing such desire from the midfielder certainly caused a bit of a stir on social media.

With that in mind, then, let’s take a look at some of what was said among the Gers’ fan-base in response to the clip…

Some Liverpool fans are fuming at the performance of captain Jordan Henderson, who was hooked after 61 minutes in the clash against Red Bull Salzburg.

The Austrian Bundesliga outfit tried to replicate the miracle of Istanbul at Anfield on Wednesday evening, coming back from three goals down in remarkable fashion.

Although Mohamed Salah eventually crushed the visitors’ hopes and dreams with a cool finish to make the final score 4-3, Reds fans are not best pleased with some of their players.

Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum in particular struggled, amassing WhoScored ratings of just 6.14 and 6.62 respectively.

Both players were withdrawn around the hour mark, and this is now the second time in as many games Jurgen Klopp has dragged his skipper off with the Reds not looking their best.

The 29 year-old managed no shots, key passes, dribbles, tackles, interceptions or clearances in the match, per WhoScored, and some fans are crucifying his display.

Check out some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to react after Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac revealed that his players feigned injury in order to waste time in the Champions League last 16 tie at Anfield.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt manager led his side to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of the tie at Anfield, but decided against pursuing a potentially crucial away goal in favour of running the clock down with some crafty game management.

As quoted by This Is Anfield, Kovac said to Sky Sports: “We all know the drill: it’s close to the final whistle and you try to waste a bit of time.

“Javi (Martinez) has good performance data, meaning he couldn’t have even had a cramp. That’s all a bit of acting.”

Whilst his comments could quite rightly infuriate Liverpool fans, they must realise that the Croatian was obviously fearful of the Reds’ attacking threat, and subsequently decided to stick with what he had and take it back to Bavaria.

Kovac clearly respects Liverpool as being a serious threat to his side. He also admitted that Kingsley Coman pretended to have cramp in the recent 3-2 win over Hertha Berlin, so this tactic is one that Kovac clearly uses quite often and that Jurgen Klopp may even need to develop into his management style if his side are to become ruthless winners.

Let’s see how Liverpool fans on Twitter reacted to the news…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Real Madrid enjoyed a successful weekend, as they beat Sevilla 1-0 away from home.

And after the clash, Zinedine Zidane perfectly summarised their weekend with a bang-on quote.

What did he say?

There were two main aspects that negatively affected Real Madrid’s ongoing 2019/20 campaign across all competitions: defensive fragility and inability to play well consistently throughout the 90 minutes of a game.

The former has been present all too regularly, and their win over Sevilla was actually their first clean sheet of the 2019/20 season.

Even before that, Los Blancos had a horrible pre-season, conceding 16 goals in a total of just five games.

The latter aspect, meanwhile, was most notably observed against Levante on matchday four.

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The Galacticos had a 3-0 lead at half-time at the Santiago Bernabeu, only to concede two goals in the latter stages of the game and almost throw the three points away.

Zidane rightfully identified both of those aspects in the post-match interview and it perfectly summarised their victory.

“We’re happy because we played the full 90 minutes at a high level at a difficult place. This is a group win and I’m happy for all the players. Sevilla have done well since the beginning of the season and we have to congratulate the players.

“We defended well and read the game well tactically. That is crucial when you take on such a big team. We knew we could score and thanks to Karim, we did so.”

A step forward

The Sevilla clash was definitely a step forward in every sense of the word for Real Madrid.

Sure, the match was far from perfect and Los Blancos only managed to record a narrow 1-0 victory over their hosts. But just by winning in Andalusia, something they hadn’t done in four years, is an achievement in itself.

And winning with a clean sheet and a persistent and consistent performance, as Zidane pointed out, makes this triumph that much bigger than it already appeared to be.

Of course, this doesn’t mean all of their problems are magically fixed after a single game but it does mean the team is working on it one step at a time.

If they can continue improving and addressing their issues like this in the future fixtures, maybe they can find something at the end of the rainbow after all.

Celtic have been linked with a summer move for Nimes Olympique ace Zinedine Ferhat, who is available for pre-contract agreements immediately.

The Lowdown: Ferhat profiled

Ferhat, an Algerian international, is primarily a right-midfielder but has already played as a centre-forward and a left winger this season in the French second tier.

The 28-year-old has made 311 club appearances during his career, contributing to a hugely impressive 111 goals.

He is out of contract at the end of June, meaning CEO Michael Nicholson can tie up a pre-contract agreement right now ahead of a summer move.

The Hoops were linked with Ferhat at the beginning of the year, and it seems as if they could still be keen despite making five January signings.

The Latest: Foot Mercato claim

Foot Mercato shared multiple transfer updates in a story on Wednesday evening, one of which was on Ferhat.

They claimed that Ligue 1 side Brest tried and failed to sign the Algerian last month. The report added that Ferhat decided to stay with Nimes until the end of the season when he will be able to negotiate with other clubs for a free move, with Celtic and Trabzonspor name-checked as possible destinations.

The Verdict: Needed?

Ange Postecoglou has reaped the rewards of bringing a versatile player to Parkhead in Reo Hatate, and who knows, Ferhat could be the next.

Ferhat has played in nine different positions during his career in defence, midfield and attack and is valued at £4.05m.

The Hoops wouldn’t have to pay a penny to Nimes either in a pre-contract agreement, so it could be wise to test the water with a contract offer.

He’s been described as a ‘very graceful’ player by journalist Adam White and could be handy under Postecoglou, who had limited attacking options from the bench last weekend against Dundee United.

In other news: Kieran Devlin drops scary Reo Hatate claim from sources close to Celtic dressing room. 

Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has broken an ‘update’ on Leeds United’s quest to sign RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson this summer.

The Lowdown: Aaronson a primary target

Few players have been more regularly linked with a move to Elland Road in recent months than Aaronson, who was tipped to head there during the January transfer window.

Instead, the 21-year-old ended up remaining at Salzburg for the time being, where he has started all eight of his side’s Champions League games this season.

It seems almost inevitable that Leeds will return for Aaronson this summer after making two bids and considering a third under Marcelo Bielsa, and a fresh update has emerged in that respect.

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The Latest: Leeds ‘favourites’ to sign midfielder

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Sky Sports Germany’s Plettenberg claimed that the Whites are the front-runners to snap up the American:

“Update Aaronson: He still wants to leave Salzburg in summer. Negotiations with Leeds are still ongoing. RB rejected offers from LUFC in winter. But they still want him! It is said that Leeds is the favourite. Price tag: €25-30m. No release clause. Big talent!”

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The Verdict: Everything makes sense

There really are only positives when it comes to Leeds signing Aaronson this summer, with so many things working in his favour.

He has played under Jesse Marsch in the past, taking out the risk element of a manager signing someone he doesn’t know, while his style of play fits perfectly into what the Whites’ boss is looking for.

Fully of energy and quality, Aaronson has averaged 1.8 tackles per game in the Champions League this season, showing that he is a hard-working player, and 1.6 key passes per match also prove that he can be a creative force in an attacking midfield role. Only Raphinha (2.1) has averaged more for Leeds in the Premier League in 2021/22.

In other news, Adam Pope has dropped a key Leeds injury claim ahead of the weekend. Read more here.

Speaking live on Sky Sports, reporter Kaveh Solhekol has made a West Ham United transfer claim involving Man United attacker Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye move…

The Red Devils ace is a top target for manager David Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman as the January transfer window nears it’s half way point.

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As reliably reported, the Irons boss is personally eyeing a move to bring Lingard back to West Ham on a permanent deal following his impressive 2020/2021 loan spell.

This comes amid his precarious contract situation with the 29-year-old set to leave as a free agent later this year as things stand, but in a live TV update, Solhekol may have just shared a blow as he makes a West Ham transfer claim.

The Latest: Solhekol makes Lingard claim…

According to the Sky journalist, sharing what he’s been ‘told’ after being asked about Lingard to West Ham, he explains it could be off the table as things stand but refuses to rule out a ‘change’ near the end of the window.

“As things stand, I was told that’s not happening, there’s nothing happening as far as Lingard and West Ham are concerned,” he explained.

“Of course, that could change as we get closer to the end of the window, but at the moment the information we have is nothing is going on there.”

The Verdict: A must move…

Given how impressive Lingard was for West Ham and how he could bolster Moyes’ options in the final third, some Irons supporters may be hoping that they could indeed still sign him nearer the end of January.

Called ‘amazing’ by pundit Rio Ferdinand, the attacking midfielder’s brilliant haul of nine goals and four assists in 16 Premier League starts is testament to just how well he can perform under Moyes.

As West Ham continue their push for historic Champions League qualification, they will need proven reinforcements and reports have suggested that United could accept a cut price £15 million for Lingard this month.

This arguably comes as a bargain and we believe the Irons should certainly maintain a push for the player.

In other news: Bid made: Newman tables offer to sign ‘outstanding’ in-demand new striker target for West Ham, find out more here.