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Sunderland will be looking to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat to Charlton on Saturday as they travel away to face QPR in the League Cup on Tuesday.

The Black Cats succumbed to a loss at the weekend as Jayden Stockley scored the only goal for the Addicks, sending Sunderland down to fourth in the table.

They now have a chance to regain momentum and gain some confidence as they face a Championship side in QPR, with the chance of progressing through to the fifth round of the competition.

Lee Johnson could make some changes to his team to freshen the team up and give other players a chance to show that they deserve to start in the league. As part of this, one player he must ruthlessly axe from the team is attacking midfielder Alex Pritchard.

The former Huddersfield and Norwich playmaker recorded the joint-lowest SofaScore rating (6.4) for Sunderland against Charlton as turned in a worrying display in midfield. Per the same source, he lost 85.7% (6/7) of his duels on the pitch, whilst failing to make a single tackle, interception, block or clearance.

This shows that he was a lightweight in his 50/50 battles and did not put the hard work in defensively to win possession back and get his side back on the front foot.

On the ball, he was inconsistent. Via SofaScore, he created three chances for his teammates as he showed off his quality to open up defences in the final third. However, he also had a dribble success rate of 0% and gave possession away 20 times from 52 touches, whilst also completing three of his eight attempted crosses and long balls.

Therefore, he was not able to prove that he can be reliable off the ball or on the ball. Despite showing flashes of quality, the overall standard of his performance was not good enough and that was reflected in the final score as Charlton won the match.

Johnson must axe Pritchard from the XI for the encounter with QPR after proving himself to be a liability to the team, giving him the chance to get his head down in training and focus on next weekend’s League One game against Rotherham. Hopefully, it will fuel the fire inside the midfielder and encourage him to up his levels ahead of playing a starring role against the Millers.

AND in other news, Possession lost 18x: Sunderland dud with 25% dribble success had a ‘mare vs Charlton…

Fulham have made the first move in their bid to bring Michael Obafemi to Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claimed that Tony Khan has made an approach to Southampton regarding the availability of the 21-year-old striker ahead of a potential move for the Republic of Ireland under-21 international in what remains of the summer transfer window.

Indeed, talkSPORT’s Alex Crook recently claimed in a post on Twitter that Blackburn Rovers, Bournemouth and Fulham, as well as a host of other Championship clubs, are interested in the striker, with whom Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are believed to be willing to part ways this summer.

However, following Football League World’s latest update, it would seem as if the Cottagers could be leading the race for Obafemi.

Fans will be buzzing

With Khan having already landed two impressive signings in the shape of Harry Wilson and Paulo Gazzaniga in the summer transfer window, reports that Fulham’s director of football appears intent on continuing the Cottagers’ business in the transfer market – particularly for a player as exciting as Obafemi – are sure to have the Craven Cottage faithful buzzing.

Indeed, despite starting just eight of his 21 Premier League appearances back in 2019/20, the £2.7m-rated centre-forward still bagged three goals, provided two assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 0.6 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

As such, taking into account that the £12k-per-week Obafemi is still just 21 years of age, the man who Hasenhuttl dubbed a “quality” player would very much seem to be an incredibly exciting prospect.

If Khan can follow up on his initial contact with an acceptable offer for the striker, the prospective signing of the Southampton starlet certainly appears to have the potential to go down as something of a transfer masterclass by the Cottagers co-owner.

In other news: Bye-bye Seri: Khan must seal Fulham deal for £518k-rated gem, he won’t cost a penny

Celtic centre-back Christopher Jullien is no closer to making a return to first team action.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a claim made by Kieran Devlin, with The Athletic journalist revealing in a recent Q&A that, after pushing back the 28-year-old’s predicted return date a number of times already, the club are no longer putting a timeframe on exactly when they believe the former France under-20 international will be back in action.

Devlin added that Jullien’s recovery from the injury he suffered in December 2020 has gone extremely poorly, also suggesting that he is none the wiser as to when the centre-back could potentially step back onto the Parkhead pitch.

In response to a fan asking for an update on the defender, the journalist said: “Return date kept getting pushed back and pushed back, and now there’s no estimated return date anymore. Think the club just didn’t want to put a date on it anymore, so [I’m] uncertain when he might be back. His recovery from the injury last December has just gone really, really poorly.”

Postecoglou will be fuming

With Celtic’s run of bad luck concerning injuries seemingly never-ending since Ange Postecoglou’s arrival at the club, the news that Jullien appears no closer to making a return to action will undoubtedly have left the 56-year-old fuming.

Indeed, with centre-back duo Stephen Welsh and Carl Starfelt both spending time on the sidelines due to knocks this season, Postecoglou would have very much enjoyed being able to call upon a player of Jullien’s ability as, prior to picking up his injury last year, the 28-year-old was in exceptional form for the Hoops.

Over his nine Premiership fixtures in Celtic’s 2020/21 campaign, the £4.95m-rated Frenchman helped his side to keep five clean sheets, scored one goal and registered one assist, as well as making 1.2 interceptions, 1.2 tackles and 3.6 clearances and winning 6.9 duels per game.

These returns saw the £20k-per-week defender average a SofaScore match rating of 7.43, ranking him as the club’s second-best performer in the league last season.

However, with Devlin suggesting that the Frenchman is still some way off being ready for a return to first team football, Postecoglou has no other choice but to continue getting by without the centre-back, whose return to action is undoubtedly a case of the sooner the better for the Bhoys.

In other news – “Heard similar rumours…”: Devlin drops behind-the-scenes Celtic claim which fans will love

Tottenham Hotspur could look to offload struggling midfield star Dele Alli in the January transfer window, according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown…

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT this week, the reporter said:

“I think the club as a whole, if they get the right offer for Dele Alli, they probably would take it.”

During the last winter window, the 25-year-old was linked with a move away from north London but that failed to materialise, though other reports suggested that chairman Daniel Levy was against such a decision.

He appears to have changed his tune since, with Football Insider suggesting that he is available for a transfer due to him being ‘difficult to manage’ behind the scenes.

Time’s up?

It has certainly been a fall from grace for the 37-time England international, who has not been called up to Gareth Southgate’s squad since June 2019.

Back in 2016/17, the former MK Dons starlet emerged as one of the Premier League’s biggest and brightest young talents, off the back of 22 goals and 13 assists across all competitions, earning some comparisons to top-flight greats Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes.

But in recent years, Alli has struggled to replicate such exploits and has been on a downward spiral ever since ex-manager Jose Mourinho was seen lambasting him as “lazy” in more colourful language in the club’s ‘All or Nothing’ docuseries that was broadcast on Amazon.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-team-injury-team-news-updates-transfers-gossip-rumours-antonio-conte-thfc” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

Since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, nearly two-and-a-half years ago, the £27m-rated playmaker has provided 12 goals and ten assists across major competitions, via WhoScored. A fraction of what he managed in that one season.

His latest appearance in a Lilywhites shirt drew some scathing reviews, including one from former midfielder Jamie O’Hara, who unleashed on Alli after their humiliating 2-1 defeat to NS Mura last week.

“Some of the players – and I’ll name them as well – Doherty, Ndombele, Dele Alli, Davinson Sanchez were absolutely shocking. They should be ashamed of their performances tonight. I don’t think you’ll see a few of these in a Spurs shirt ever again.”

Indeed, these are thoughts echoed by much of the Spurs faithful. When asked by Football FanCast recently, some 86% of nearly 300 supporters believe the long-serving star has no future under Antonio Conte.

If the north Londoners can garner some sort of fee for him in the upcoming transfer windows, then it could seriously bolster the Italian’s playing squad and as such, they must surely be buzzing by the news that he could be sold in the near future.

AND in other news, Spurs set for game-changing boost amid behind-scenes insider claim…

Noel Whelan has offered his thoughts on Aston Villa’s reported interest in Axel Tuanzebe…

What’s the talk?

The former Premier League forward has urged Villa to go through with a deal to sign the Manchester United centre-back, who he feels would be a “brilliant signing” and add to their depth at the back.

Villa are reportedly interested in bringing the defender back to the club following his loan spell with Dean Smith’s side in the 2018/19 promotion campaign, and Whelan told Football Insider: “When you look at the strength in depth of centre-back, I don’t think they have enough.

“It depends if they’re going to go for a three and he goes straight into that. Maybe that is the thinking behind it. The fact he’s worked with him before, good background at Manchester United good age as well.

“You need to put pressure on two defenders there don’t really have a great deal of pressure behind them. You’ve got to start covering bases. If one of those picks up an injury or suspension, you need somebody that in there that’s going to handle the pressure.

“He covers bases in two positions for Dean Smith. I think he’d be a brilliant signing. Really young, up and coming, promising and covers two bases.”

Smith needs him

Johan Lange must sanction a swoop for Tuanzebe as Dean Smith is in need of reinforcements in that area of the pitch. Villa have just three senior centre-back options in their squad and one of them – Kortney Hause – only played seven times in the Premier League last season.

This suggests that they are lacking depth beyond their first-choice options, and that could become an issue if they pick up injuries or suspensions. As Whelan explained, there is little for Smith to choose from outside of Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa, which means that they do not have any great pressure on their position in the team and can play without much fear of being dropped.

Therefore, bringing in a defender like Tuanzebe who could seriously challenge the pair could do wonders for Smith’s squad as it keeps everyone on their toes. During his loan spell at Villa Park in 2018/19, the £38k-per-week powerhouse averaged a solid WhoScored rating of 6.75 across 28 appearances, showing that he already knows how to perform to a high standard within the 50-year-old’s system.

If Mings and Konsa know that they have Tuanzebe knocking on the door to start, it could motivate them to give that extra 10% in training and in matches to make sure they are fully concentrated and do not make any silly mistakes. Even if they do drop their standards, the 23-year-old could come into the side and provide a reliable option for Smith to call upon, which is why Lange must seal this deal before the end of the window.

In other news, Aston Villa must sell forgotten £40k-p/w man this summer; his time is up

An update has emerged on Sunderland target Todd Kane, regarding QPR’s plans for him in this transfer window.

What’s the talk?

According to West London Sport, Sunderland target Todd Kane is set to be axed by Championship side QPR this summer. QPR are looking to land Sheffield Wednesday fullback Moses Odubajo as a replacement for Kane, as it would then allow the London-based club to cash in on the right-back.

The report claims that clubs are aware of Kane’s availability, although no offers have been made to QPR at the time of writing. Last month, London Football News reported that Sunderland were keen on a deal to land Kane, whilst their League One rivals Portsmouth and Charlton were also said to be interested.

QPR manager Mark Warburton was forced to remind Kane that he needs to respect his teammates after the defender claimed that he was better than Osman Kakay in an interview earlier this year. Warburton told West London Sport:

“I’m very aware of what was said. But what we speak about as a squad stays private. We’ll never disclose that.

“For me personally, amongst the squad and amongst the staff, respect is paramount.

“We’re in a very competitive business but it’s important to me that we all speak with respect.

Johnson won’t want him

Kristjaan Speakman must avoid making a grave error by ensuring that he does not make a move for Kane this summer, as Lee Johnson will not want him at the club. Kane is seemingly a disruptive influence behind the scenes and that could affect the harmony of Johnson’s squad, which could then impact the results on the pitch if it leads to tension and animosity between the players. As Warburton hinted, Kane did not respect his teammate, Kakay, and Sunderland can not allow that to happen at the Stadium of Light.

If Sunderland are going to mount a promotion push in League One next season they will need positive momentum to help take them over the line. Kane outing teammates in public does not suggest that he will bring a positive energy to the club and that is one reason as to why Speakman should be avoiding the former Chelsea man. Johnson will not want a player who could cause issues in the dressing room.

The £7k-per-week flop has also not done enough on the pitch to warrant a transfer. Kane averaged a disappointing WhoScored rating of 6.51 in the Championship across 28 appearances for QPR. This suggests that he is in bad form and would arrive at Sunderland on a low, rather than joining the club high on confidence and ready to hit the ground running. Therefore, for on and off the pitch reasons, Speakman must not make a move for Kane ahead of next season.

AND in other news, Major update emerges on ace with “special quality”, Sunderland fans will be ecstatic…

Mikel Arteta cannot be blamed for everything and Arsenal players such as Granit Xhaka need to take some responsibility, says former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer.

Arsenal are currently rock bottom of the table with 0 points and 0 goals scored, which has seen Arteta come under intense scrutiny from many, including ex-players.

Last time out, the Gunners were thrashed 5-0 by Manchester City at the Etihad in a game that saw Xhaka shown a straight red card for a two-footed tackle.

With Arsenal players producing moments of madness like that, Palmer believes Arteta is not solely to blame for the club’s disappointing start to the season.

“Obviously the manager can’t help when a player does a reckless challenge like that,” the ex-Leeds United player said to FFC. “It’s absolutely senseless. Arteta can’t be blamed for that. That’s not something he can be responsible for.”

Following a couple of tough games against Chelsea and City, two favourites for the title, Arsenal have a decent run of fixtures.

They next take on Norwich City before travelling to Burnley, so they may see that as a good chance to get some points on the board before the north London derby at the end of the month.

When Rafa Benitez first stepped foot in Merseyside again, he wasn’t exactly greeted very nicely by some Everton supporters.

Banners were hung outside his home and there were considerable protests against his appointment.

Therefore, the Spaniard needed to start quickly and impress from the off. The club’s transfer window wasn’t exactly a fair indication of what Benitez can do but their form has been superb.

Everton have taken seven points from their opening three league games but they do now have a problem on the cards.

On the chalkboard

That issue happens to revolve around James Rodriguez.

The Colombian looked a dead certainty to leave Goodison Park behind this summer and his lack of action in the opening few weeks of the season indicated that he was heading for the exit door.

Rodriguez hasn’t played a single minute of competitive action under the new manager but a move unfortunately fell through on deadline day.

Everton were confident of agreeing a swap deal with Porto to bring Luis Diaz to the club in exchange but Rodriguez ultimately didn’t move. His agent Jorge Mendes tried to engineer a move to Italy but he ended up staying in Merseyside.

Benitez has a dilemma on his hands now. Rodriguez has made his feelings clear and doesn’t exactly want to play for the Toffees again. He wasn’t even aware of who their opponents were a few weeks ago, for instance.

That being said, he clearly possesses immense talent. The former Real Madrid star contributed to ten Premier League goals last term and provided more key passes per match than anybody else in the Toffees’ squad.

However, their new signings look ready and raring to go. Demarai Gray has opened up his Everton account with two goals and a Player of the Month nomination after signing from Bayer Leverkusen.

Alongside Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the Everton attack looks vibrant.

Add Anthony Gordon into the equation and their forward line could become even more mouth-watering.

The 20-year-old has very rarely started for the Everton first team, featuring on just 21 occasions since breaking through. That being said, he’s clearly in Benitez’s plans, with the youngster earning minutes from the bench against Southampton on the opening day of the season.

Possessing the ability to play behind the striker and on the flanks, he feels like a player who is more deserving of game time in Rodriguez’s role. Although he’s not scored a senior goal yet, the future is bright for Gordon.

Greg Cunningham, his teammate on loan at Preston last season, said that the youngster was set for an “exciting” career, while David Unsworth was even more complimentary.

Speaking to The Athletic, he commented: “His balance sprinting with the ball and his balance going past people is something you don’t see every day. He’s got unbelievable pace and he’s a Scouser too, so he’s tough.”

With a rare set of traits in Gordon’s armoury, Benitez would be foolish not to unleash him.

AND in other news, “Being monitored”: Journo makes Celtic transfer claim, their next Ajer may arrive soon…

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman could hit the jackpot with a deal for Wolves centre-back Dion Sanderson as he prepares to table an opening offer for the 21-year-old.

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, Speakman is preparing to make a bid for Sanderson following the end of his loan spell at the Stadium of Light. Speakman wants to bring Sanderson back for a second season in League One and is ready to test the water with an opening salvo. Sunderland are hoping that the relationships built with Sanderson inside the club will be enough to convince him to make the switch.

The report claims that a number of clubs are tracking Sanderson, with Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Huddersfield and Sheffield United named as some of the teams interested in the centre-back – who has one year left on his contract at Wolves. The Premier League side, Wolves, are open to selling Sanderson and would like a fee in the region of £2m for the 21-year-old defender.

After an impressive performance against Crewe earlier this season, Sunderland boss Lee Johnson hailed Sanderson as a “Rolls-Royce” of a defender. He told The Chronicle:

“He was the one that was kind of a shining light in terms of the defensive performance.

“That can be clouded sometimes by the team [performance] because individually he has done alright. I think that’s where it starts for all of us – make sure you are a leader for at least two people.

“If you’re playing at centre-back, then look after a central midfielder, the other centre-half, and maybe the right-back. If you look after those, it switches you on and helps you to focus and concentrate.”

“He’s a centre-half and at his age level he is an absolute Rolls-Royce.”

Jackpot

The £135k-rated beast showed maturity beyond his years during his loan spell with the club and clearly impressed enough for the higher-ups at Sunderland to want to snap him up permanently. Sanderson only turned 21 in December of 2020 and his performances for the club suggest that he could have a very bright future ahead of him, as he has been able to catch the eye at League One level, despite this young age.

In 26 League One appearances for Sunderland, Sanderson averaged a solid WhoScored rating of 6.72. However, his overall rating is marred by seven substitute appearances dragging it down, as his displays whilst starting were where the eye-catching statistics came from. Sanderson averaged a score of 6.87 in two games at fullback – playing right-back and left-back – and averaged a score of 6.88 in 17 starts at centre-back for the Black Cats.

His age and his performances for Sunderland during the 2020/21 campaign mean that Speakman could be hitting the jackpot if he brings him in on a permanent deal. Lee Johnson could have the chance to coach the “Rolls-Royce” into developing further as a player and that could then open the door to Sunderland selling him on for greater profit in the future.

Take a club like Norwich, for example, who signed James Maddison and Ben Godfrey in 2016 for similar fees to the one it could take to sign Sanderson. They later sold Maddison for £24m to Leicester and Godfrey for £30m to Everton. Bringing Sanderson in for just £2m could result in a huge payday for the club down the line if they are able to handle his progress in the right way and nurture him into becoming a top player.

AND in other news, fans should be delighted as £4k-p/w beast has been backed to sign a new deal

Gio van Bronckhorst had the opportunity to bring in his own players to Rangers for the first time in January and made a number of signings.

Aaron Ramsey, Amad Diallo, Mateusz Zukowski and James Sands all came in, whilst John Souttar has been snapped up on a pre-contract ahead of the summer.

It will now be interesting to see what the Dutch coach does with a full pre-season to prepare his squad as he works with Ross Wilson to shape the team to his desire.

One player who has been touted with a switch to Ibrox this summer is Real Madrid attacker Gareth Bale, with Spanish outlet Sport naming them as a potential destination for him at the end of his contract with Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

The new Gazza

By signing the Wales international ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, van Bronckhorst can find his own Paul Gascoigne for Rangers.

After playing in the Premier League for Tottenham and Newcastle, Gascoigne made his way to Ibrox in 1995 and caught the eye for the Scottish giants as he scored 30 goals in 64 league starts for the club during his time in Glasgow.

Bale could be the next ex-Spurs and English top-flight star to shine for the Light Blues as he has enjoyed a sensational career as a forward for multiple clubs and at international level.

He has racked up 221 senior goals for club and country throughout his career for Southampton, Tottenham, Real Madrid and Wales. The winger has found the back of the net 106 times for Real in 258 outings to date, winning the Champions League on four occasions and the La Liga title twice.

Dean Saunders dubbed him a “freak of nature” and his incredible statistics for Spurs last season back up that praise. Whilst on loan with the English side in 2020/21, he scored 11 goals and provided two assists in ten league starts as he proved that he still – at the age of 32 – has the quality to deliver at the top end of the pitch on a consistent basis.

Therefore, signing him would be a big deal for Rangers as they would be bringing in a player with a recent track record of exceptional performances in a top European league and a history of winning major trophies. He has proven himself at the very top level over the years as van Bronckhorst must now make him the new Gascoigne at Ibrox by bringing him to Scotland this summer.

AND in other news, Sources: Shock Rangers transfer claim emerges that will leave Wilson excited…