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Sunderland’s descent down the divisions to the third tier began in the 2016/17 campaign as they were relegated from the Premier League under David Moyes.

The Black Cats were unable to stave off the drop for another season, with Sam Allardyce having just about led them to survival in 2015/16, and they found themselves back in the Championship.

Midway through their relegation campaign, Moyes decided to cash in on centre-back Sebastian Coates, who was sold for a fee in the region of £4m to Sporting Lisbon. He spent the first half of the season on loan to the Portuguese giants, and the Wearside club opted to let him leave on a permanent deal instead of recalling him to bolster their survival hopes.

Coates had joined Sunderland from Liverpool in the summer of 2014, initially on loan, and made 32 appearances in all competitions before heading out to Lisbon. He had only played 24 times for the Reds prior to his switch to the Stadium of Light and failed to hit the ground running on Wearside, despite Dick Advocaat dubbing him “very solid” prior to his exit.

However, instead of offering him another chance to show what was capable of as they battled against the drop, Sunderland chose to sell him to the Primeira Liga outfit. This turned out to be a shocker of a decision, as the Uruguayan defender went on to flourish at his new club.

By the summer of 2019, Transfermarkt valued him at a whopping £13.5m. This is a £9.5m increase from the £4m that Sunderland got for his sale and shows that the club had a howler with the centre-back as they missed out on a bigger payday. Even to this day, he is worth a sizable £11.7m.

Instead of raking in a sizeable transfer fee or benefitting from his talents on the pitch, the Black Cats received just £4m for his services and suffered relegation to the Championship that year, which is why letting him go was a shocking decision, albeit with the benefit of hindsight.

To date, the Uruguayan colossus has played 275 competitive matches for Sporting and scored 28 goals from defence, winning one league title in that time. This shows that he has become a crucial player for the Portuguese giants over the years as they have relied on him as a consistent performer, with his soaring market value suggesting that he excelled on the pitch between his Sunderland exit and 2019.

What could have been…

AND in other news, Speakman must avoid big Sunderland disaster over teenage phenomenon who has 12 goals in six games…

Nottingham Forest have reportedly reignited their interest in Blackpool winger Josh Bowler with the 23-year-old subject to Premier League interest too.

What’s the latest?

According to Football League World, the Reds are ready to make a fresh attempt to lure the Englishman away from Bloomfield Road after a failed attempt in January with Leicester, Burnley and Fulham also apparently interested.

The winger has scored seven goals in 40 Championship matches for Neil Critchley’s side this term who currently sit 16th in the second tier having won the League One playoffs last season.

Bowler was a summer addition for the Tangerines having been released by Everton after four years in the U23 set-up with a loan spell at Hull City in the 2019/20 season proving uneventful.

However, the 23-year-old only signed a one year contract last summer, although Blackpool will almost certainly take up the option in his contract to extend his stay by another year.

Forest should swoop for Bowler

There was always going to be some risk for Blackpool by taking on Bowler after a stagnant start to his career. However, the winger has been a revelation on the seaside.

With eight goals in all competitions, this season has seen the attacker make excellent progress hence the interest from Premier League clubs as well as Forest.

Steve Cooper has arguably the Championship’s best winger in Brennan Johnson who has netted 14 goals and registered seven assists in the second tier this term. Although, if the Reds fail to secure promotion it may be hard to keep him at the club.

If that is to be the case, then the East Midlands outfit should undoubtedly swoop to sign the wide man who has already shown that he has become accustomed to the Championship.

Moreover, the £810k-rated Englishman will be available for a bargain fee given his short-term contract.

Having started his career in the QPR youth ranks, Bowler was handed one first-team appearance for the Hoops under former manager Ian Holloway before making the move to Everton in 2017.

Speaking on Quest about the winger, Holloway said: “I gave him his debut as a young man at QPR, unfortunately he played half a game for me and then got sold.

“We got £1.5m for him and his mum and dad needed him to go but he’s only played 35 Championship starts in his career and he’s 23.

“I would pay to watch him myself.”

There’s certainly plenty of excitement surrounding Bowler which may prove to be an obstacle for Forest in their pursuit of the 23-year-old. However, it’s certainly a race worth participating in.

In other news: Imagine him & Johnson: Cooper can unearth a gem in NFFC’s “lovely” rarely-seen 21 y/o

Taking to Twitter, these West Ham United fans have been left excited by an ExWHUemployee transfer update involving Sparta Prague striker Adam Hlozek.

Manager David Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman have set their sights on a forward signing before January 31 with Hlozek one of the many names recently linked.

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Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s recent purchase of a 27% stake in West Ham has only accelerated reports of the 19-year-old potentially moving to east London, with 90min reporter Toby Cudworth saying his influence could ‘sway’ an agreement (Twitter).

GSB, as a result, may have the opportunity to back Moyes with Hlozek’s acquisition and this is reiterated by reliable club insider ExWHUemployee.

He claims that West Ham could sign the prolific teenager and a ‘deal is there to be done’ (via West Ham Views) if Newman and Moyes opt take it further.

West Ham fans excited…

Reacting with their opinions on Twitter, these Irons supporters have been left excited by the fact an agreement to sign Hlozek is indeed possible this month.

He has been making waves for Sparta, notching an impressive 21 goals and 24 assists since the start of 2020/2021 and earning call-ups to the Czech Republic national team so early in his career.

Taking this into account, it’s little wonder these Hammers fans believe he could be a ‘quality’ addition – find all of their best reactions down below:

“Get him to the bowl”

Credit: @Adamsoitis

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Hlozek and David up top together would be deadly, add Kamara to that and we’d be set for a decade”

Credit: @arrrrrrrchie

“So doooooo itttttt”

Credit: @NStampar

“PLEASEEE!”

Credit: @WestHamNRU

“Get it done West Ham.”

Credit: @PakistanHammers

“Absolutely get it done. Quality striker.”

Credit: @chris31demons

In other news: ‘I know for a fact’ – talkSPORT reporter makes on air West Ham transfer claim involving £17m ace, find out more here.

Newcastle United have been dealt yet another setback in their bid to bring Dan Burn to St James’ Park in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Luke Edwards, with The Telegraph journalist revealing on Twitter that Brighton have rejected the Magpies’ new and improved offer for the versatile defender, believed to be in the region of £10m.

Edwards added that, should PIF fail to bring a new centre-back into the club this month, it will have been “a failure” on the part of the Newcastle board, as their priority in January has always been strengthening the heart of their defence.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “Brighton, like every club in Europe, know Newcastle are desperate to sign a centre-back. Two bids [have been] rejected for Dan Burn. To fail to sign at least one CB in this window would be a failure, whatever else happens. The priority on January 1 was CBs.”

Howe will be fuming

As Edwards suggests, Newcastle’s main objective in the January transfer window was to bring in at least one if not two new centre-backs. Should the Toon ultimately miss out on Burn despite two hefty offers, it will undoubtedly be an outcome which would leave Eddie Howe fuming.

Indeed, it is easy to see why the heart of the Magpies’ defence is an area of the pitch where the club are eager to strengthen this month. Aside from Norwich City, no Premier League team has conceded more than Newcastle’s 43 goals this season, an average of 2.05 per game.

Considering just how impressive Burn has been over his 13 Premier League appearances, the £3.15m-rated defender would appear to make a fantastic addition to Howe’s current options at the back. The 29-year-old has helped Brighton to keep three clean sheets, in addition to making 1.8 interceptions, 1.7 tackles and 3.6 clearances per game and winning 52% of his duels.

These returns have seen the 6 foot 7 colossus average a SofaScore match rating of 6.96, ranking him as Graham Potter’s 10th-best performer in the top flight.

However, with Edwards revealing that the Seagulls have now rejected Newcastle’s second approach for the centre-back – who is also more than capable of playing on the left of a back four – it very much seems doubtful whether PIF can complete a deal for the defender prior to Monday’s transfer deadline. That would be extremely frustrating for the 44-year-old Toon manager.

In other news – “Been told”: Kaveh Solhekol drops “behind the scenes” transfer update which NUFC fans will love

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Everton fans have taken to Twitter to share their views on the latest transfer rumour linking Idrissa  Gueye with a move away from Goodison Park.

The recent report comes from French outlet Telefoot, who have suggested that the Toffees are open to the Senegal international leaving the Premier League and joining Paris Saint-Germain.

The idea of Gueye joining the Ligue 1 champions has been a recurring theme of the Toffees’ transfer window, with the likes of L’Equipe and Sky Sports reporting on the story in recent weeks and captain Thiago Silva (Le Parisien via GFFN) even openly discussing a potential move.

However, adding a fresh twist to this ongoing exit saga, in return for the 62-cap international’s signature, Everton reportedly want Thomas Meunier, something PSG are supposedly considering.

Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin may be out for the season but it’s given him a chance to show off his new accessory. Check out the video below to see for yourself…

But to complete an exchange deal for the right-back and defensive midfielder, the French giants will demand Everton send cash to France alongside Gueye.

It would be a considerable transfer for the Merseyside outfit as Marco Silva would instantly lose one of his key midfielders, and one that has no direct understudy.

The Portuguese manager would be strengthening the right-back spot, on the other hand, and securing one of the top full-backs in the world at present.

Not every member of the Goodison Park faithful is keen to see Meunier join in exchange for Gueye, though. Here’s a selection of the best Tweets from Everton fans after the news broke…

Journalist Paul Brown has now dropped some fresh Everton transfer news involving Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin, claiming a deal for the winger is ‘out of reach’.

The Lowdown: £50m claim

As per The Daily Mail, the Magpies are now willing to listen to offers of around £50m for Saint-Maximin in the summer, as Eddie Howe looks to freshen up his squad ahead of the new season.

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The Goodison Park faithful are reportedly just one of a number of clubs who are interested in his signature, but that is assuming that they manage to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The Latest: Brown update

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Brown has now claimed that a move for Saint-Maximin to the Merseyside club ‘looks out of reach at the moment’, but admitted that he would have been an ‘ideal’ signing under former manager Rafa Benitez:

“It looks out of reach at the moment. I’ve thought since last summer, when we found out that Rafael Benitez wanted to play quick, counter-attacking football with wingers, that Saint-Maximin was ideal for that kind of role.”

The Verdict: Unlikely

It just seems very unlikely that Saint-Maximin would leave the long-term project at St. James’ Park for a club currently entrenched even further in the relegation dogfight.

He is clearly a key player for the Magpies, having averaged more shots and dribbles per match in the division than any of his teammates, while no Toon player has come close to his six man-of-the-match awards.

Nonetheless, it is very difficult to see the Toffees paying anything close to £50m for the Frenchman anyway, given their financial troubles.

In other news, find out which Ronaldo-like star the Blues are now eyeing here!

Tottenham have a ‘pronounced interest’ in Juventus attacker Paulo Dybala ahead of a possible summer move and even hold one major advantage in the race.

The Lowdown: Juve icon on the way out

The 28-year-old has been a great player for Juve over the years, standing out as one of Serie A’s premier attacking players.

Dybala has scored 113 goals in 287 appearances for the Turin giants, not to mention chipping in with 48 assists, outlining the creative side of his game, all while racking up an incredible five league titles and seven domestic cups.

The Argentine’s Juve deal expires at the end of this season, however, and it looks highly likely that he will enjoy a fresh challenge after Fabrizio Romano revealed he is not expected to pen new terms.

The Latest: Spurs eye up summer move

According to But! Football Club [via Sport Witness], both Spurs and Atletico Madrid have a ‘pronounced interest’ in signing Dybala this summer.

While it is also stated that Inter Milan are the current favourites to sign him instead, the article says the fact that Fabio Paratici signed Dybala for Juve ‘could give them (Spurs) an advantage in any race, as would the presence of Antonio Conte as manager’.

The Verdict: Is he worth it?

Dybala has enjoyed an outstanding career – he was once described as a ‘great player’ by Lionel Messi, which speaks volumes – and he would be an exciting, high-profile arrival at Spurs, called a ‘world class’ and ‘massive’ would-be signing by former Lilywhite Paul Robinson.

Admittedly, the Argentina international turns 29 later this year and has had injury problems throughout his career, but he can be a sprinkling of stardust for Antonio Conte, providing match-winning moments when Harry Kane and Son Heung-min cannot.

His ability to thrive in a No.10 role could even help Son and Kane become even more potent, with his pedigree at a top European club proven over an extended period of time.

In other news, Tottenham have reportedly sent officials to watch two players. Find out who they are here.

Liverpool are looking to snap up versatile Celtic youngster Ben Doak, according to The Daily Record’s Scott Burns.

The Lowdown: Doak profiled

Doak is just 16 years of age and was recently on the bench for Ange Postecoglou’s first team against St Johnstone prior to the winter break.

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Transfermarkt have him classified as a midfielder, FlashScore as a forward and The Glasgow Evening Times as a full-back or a winger, making Doak an extremely versatile player.

He is yet to pen professional terms at Parkhead, though, and it seems as if he could be the latest Hoops starlet to move on before making a senior Celtic debut.

The Latest: Burns’ claim

Burns shared an update regarding Doak for the Daily Record on Saturday afternoon, claiming that the Reds are looking at a compensation deal for the 16-year-old.

However, Celtic are trying to stop a move to Merseyside and are aiming to convince the teenager to agree a long-term contract in Glasgow.

The Verdict: Not ideal

The Hoops have lost a number of talented youngsters over the years, with Leo Hjelde a recent example of a player to depart without making a senior appearance for Celtic before going on to make a first team breakthrough for Leeds United.

Mitchel Frame is another Parkhead academy starlet who has been linked with a Premier League switch, and it seems as if Doak could also now leave.

The pull of the Premier League appears to be too much for these young talents to resist, but hopefully CEO Michael Nicholson and Postecoglou can persuade Doak to commit his future to Celtic.

In other news: £12m Celtic trio now set to leave Parkhead over the next 7 days, journalist claims.  

Aston Villa have Marseille’s Boubacar Kamara on their list of midfield targets.

That’s according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, and as to be expected, a number of Villa fans have been sharing their thoughts on the rumour.

Kamara is 22 years of age and is primarily a defensive midfielder, an area of the pitch that Villa want to bolster following Marvelous Nakamba’s injury.

He is out of contract with the Ligue 1 club at the end of the season and has been linked with the likes of Leeds United and Manchester United this month.

However, it appears as if a Villa Park switch could be on the cards in the final days of the January transfer window following Romano’s claim. The journalist revealed that Kamara is also on Villa’s midfield shortlist alongside Juventus’ Rodrigo Bentancur.

Villa fans react

@villareport relayed Romano’s update regarding Kamara on Twitter. Here is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply, with many excited at the links and one labelling a possible deal as ‘perfect’.

“Oh my lord, yes please”

Credit: @HarryMummery

“DO IT NOW”

Credit: @Finleysurrell1

“Must be dreaming”

Credit: @STAUNT0N

“B. Kamara is the dream IMO. The perfect player for us. Hope we can get him.”

Credit: @ClaretVillans

“AAAAAAAAAA YES”

Credit: @DanAV___

“Please I beg, Don Lange”

Credit: @nedhandy8

In other news: ‘Such a talent’ – Some Aston Villa fans ‘confused’ as club confirms exit news

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Florian Grillitsch to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that Leeds have joined fellow Premier League sides Arsenal, Newcastle United, West Ham and Everton in the race for the Hoffenheim midfielder – who looks set to become available on a free transfer upon the expiry of his contract with the Bundesliga outfit at the end of the season.

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The report goes on to state that the 26-year-old’s representatives have sounded out a number of top-flight teams regarding a potential summer switch, while several unnamed German and Spanish sides are also thought to be keen on a move for the Austria international.

Finally, the Daily Mail claim that Victor Orta has identified the defensive midfielder as a potential replacement for Kalvin Phillips, who has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Bye-bye Phillips

While it is undeniable that losing the services of Phillips this summer would come as a huge blow to Jesse Marsch and his side, should Orta be able to get a deal for Grillitsch over the line as the 26-year-old’s replacement, it would certainly ease the loss of the Whites’ academy graduate.

Indeed, over his 18 Bundesliga appearances this season, the £14.4m-rated midfielder has been imperious in front of the Hoffenheim defence, making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 2.1 tackles, two clearances and winning 4.9 duels – at a success rate of 60% – per game.

Furthermore, the £35k-per-week Austrian has also completed an average of 51.9 passes, 6.6 long balls, 4.2 chipped passes and 0.6 key passes per fixture – demonstrating his quarterback-esque distribution of the ball.

These returns have seen the 26-year-old average a quite spectacular SofaScore match rating of 7.21, not only ranking him as Sebastian Hoeness’ second-best performer in the German top flight but also the joint 17th-best player in the division as a whole.

As such, it will perhaps come as no surprise to learn that Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann is a huge fan of the midfielder, with the 34-year-old stating back in 2020:

“Grillitsch is one of the best players in the Bundesliga, and he’s a bit under the radar. He still has a few construction sites, he knows that, I’ve told him that often enough. But he is an exceptional footballer and has an incredible gift for setting the rhythm of the game.”

Indeed, with this description also quite easily being applicable to Phillips, it is not difficult to understand why Orta would be considering a move for Grillitsch to replace the England international this summer, although, a move for the Hoffenheim midfield marshal would all but confirm the £45m-rated man’s departure.

AND in other news: Sources: Victor Orta plotting Leeds bid for £42m “tank”, he “can be as good as Virgil”