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It has been with us for a while now and for the vast majority of football fans in the English Premier League, it shows no signs of actually improving, improving the game and not simply being another way for incompetent referees to unfairly influence a game in favour of the media big boys.

Yes, we are talking about the Video Assistant Referee technology, although the use of the word technology is meant in the loosest sense. We have seen how well VAR can work in European leagues previously, but for some reason when it comes to the Premier League and the Champions League it seems like an endless kerfuffle of mistakes, contradictions and absolutely infuriating moments that simply serve to further diminish the raw passion and emotion of our beautiful game.

The latest controversy came in the midweek Champions League clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Sporting Lisbon. Spurs manager Antonio Conte saw red and was sent off after England striker Harry Kane saw his stoppage time potential winner ruled out for an offside, which in turn delays their qualification through to the last 16 but you will get good a sportingbet sign up offer on not letting this result effect their chances.

Ranting to the media following the full time whistle, the 53-year-old Italian was simply perplexed as to how such an obvious mistake could be made, as in his mind, such mistakes should be impossible under VAR itself.

“What happened in the last game was incredible. You score, you are already qualified for the next round, you are celebrating and then you have to stay for five minutes to look at the situation with VAR and you take the decision and you don’t know if it’s right or wrong. For me it’s impossible to make a wrong decision with VAR and also to take four, five or six minutes to make it. To stay there five or six minutes already means you have confusion in your mind. It’s incredible.”

Conte was so incensed his proper post game press conference lasted a single question.

“This is not football in this way also because you cut the emotion, the emotion of everybody and especially the players because you don’t know. You score a goal and you don’t know what happens later. Did someone commit a foul one minute before? Or discover a foul one minute before and then they go to disallow this? It happened but it only happened when they want it to happen. This is the difference. But when I stay at home and I see the image, I am watching another game and I see the image, the VAR, then for me it is easy to take the best decision.”

I think most will agree with what Conte was subtly trying to say.

Photo by Unsplash

Wolverhampton Wanderers currently occupy 18th place in the Premier League table after winning just two league matches all season.

Their biggest downfall is a lack of goals, with the Old Gold only scoring five times in 11 league matches, the lowest out of any side in the top flight.

Former manager Bruno Lage brought Sasa Kalajdzic to the club to solve these woes, however, he got injured in his first match, while Diego Costa hasn’t exactly set Molineux on fire so far, averaging a disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.35.

Lage might still be in a job if Wolves signed one of their targets during the summer, especially with his goalscoring record and Premier League experience…

Dzeko would have solved Wolves’ goalscoring crisis

Edin Dzeko was linked with the club back in July as Lage looked to add some firepower to his misfiring squad.

A move didn’t materialise and it appears Wolves are paying for that mistake now, especially with their woeful goal return this season.

The £155k-per-week forward has plenty of Premier League experience, winning two league titles with Manchester City, scoring 50 goals in 130 league appearances for the club in a four-year spell.

Despite being two years older than Costa, the Bosnian might have been a better option due to the form he showed last season for Inter Milan.

The 36-year-old scored 17 goals in all competitions, chipping in with a further ten assists, proving his game doesn’t just rely on goals and he is still performing at the highest level.

Eusebio Di Francesco, his manager at AS Roma, supported this claim, saying: “He’s an extraordinary player, and not just in terms of his finishing – he gets the team playing, brings the ball down, and produces good service for his teammates.”

Compared to positional peers in the big five European leagues, Dzeko ranks in the 93rd percentile for total shots (3.56 per 90) and the 90th percentile for progressive passes (3.06 per 90), with these stats alone proving that Wolves should have brought him back to England.

With their current form and evident woes in front of goal, the club will surely regret their decision to pursue other targets.

Chelsea have held internal discussions over a move for Leeds United director of football Victor Orta, according to a Tuesday evening report from The Telegraph’s Matt Law.

The Lowdown: Failed Freund move

New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is on the hunt for a new sporting director and was looking to bring in RB Salzburg’s Christoph Freund.

However, Freund confirmed that he will remain with the Austrian side after interest from the Blues. That has led to Boehly and co identifying new targets, one of which appears to be Orta.

The Latest: Chelsea news

According to Law, Orta’s name has been discussed by Chelsea officials as they continue their search for a new sporting director.

Law added on Twitter that the Leeds chief is ‘in the mix’ alongside Bayer Leverkusen’s Tim Steidten, who may be further up the list as he is ‘set to be spoken to’.

The Verdict: One to watch

It is ‘unclear’ if Orta will formal hold talks with Chelsea at this moment in time, so this could be one to look out for in the coming days. Orta has had a relatively successful time in Yorkshire, helping the Whites grow from a mid-table Championship side to a Premier League outfit.

The Spaniard has landed some shrewd signings during his time at Leeds, however, his long-term future could be in question should the 49ers Enterprises take full control.

Phil Hay has recently said that ‘changes of ownership tend to mean a changing of the guard at executive level’, so it will be interesting to see if he would be keen on a move to Stamford Bridge.

Crystal Palace are still interested in signing Watford winger Ismaila Sarr before the end of the transfer window, journalist Papa Mahmoud Gueye has claimed.

The Lowdown: Palace linked with Sarr

Patrick Vieira has enjoyed a good summer in the transfer market but he may still be working on doing some late business before deadline day ends.

One player who has been mooted to sign for Palace is Sarr, who is still at Watford but potentially looking for a return to the Premier League and a move away from the Championship.

There is plenty of interest in Sarr from a number of clubs, but it looks as though the Eagles could be in the mix until the transfer window shuts.

The Latest: New update emerges

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, Gueye claimed that Palace could snap up the 24-year-old.

The reporter tweeted:

“Crystal Palace is still on Ismaila Sarr. Ongoing discussions. The striker hopes for the Premier League before the end of the transfer window.”

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The Verdict: Exciting for squad depth

Sarr would be an excellent signing for Palace, providing strong competition for the likes of Wilfried Zaha and Eberechi Eze and improving the overall squad depth.

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The fact that the Senegal international has been described as a ‘scary’ talent by Ben Foster says a lot about his ability, and he could make Vieira’s side an even more fearsome counter-attacking proposition with his pace and finishing.

Should the Chelsea-linked Zaha leave at the last minute, Sarr would also help fill the void left by the Palace hero, although the hope is that both are plying their trade at Selhurst Park when the weekend comes.

Everton could finally be set to end their search for a new striker…

What’s the word?

According to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, both Fulham and the Toffees are looking to make a late swoop for Brighton and Hove Albion forward Neal Maupay.

Taking to Twitter, Crooke said: “Could be a late twist in Neal Maupay’s move from BHAFC to NFFC with both EFC and Fulham pushing for the Frenchman.”

Just as it looked like Nottingham Forest were tying up a deal for the 26-year-old, there could be late drama which could benefit Frank Lampard.

Everton can finally axe Rondon

With the Toffees still on the search for a striker to fill in for the injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin, their last two Premier League games have seen them opt for no recognised number nine, as winger Anthony Gordon instead deputised at centre-forward.

Against Chelsea, Salomon Rondon was suspended, so that made sense, although Lampard made the tactical decision to omit the Venezuelan against Aston Villa last Saturday.

It seems that the 32-year-old has no future at Goodison Park if, even during a selection crisis at centre-forward, Gordon is still preferred to him in that role.

An unpopular signing by an unpopular manager, Rafael Benitez brought a hugely unfit Rondon to Everton and gave him plenty of chances to shine. However, he has managed just three goals in 24 appearances, drawing ridicule from many Evertonians.

To bring in a cheeky “marksman” in Maupay, who would surely take over the role of centre-forward provocateur from the departed Richarlison, could go down well with the Goodison Park faithful.

Renowned for riling up opposition supporters, the Brighton ace also knows how to find the net consistently. This is integral for a Toffees side who are yet to see one of their own players score this season.

Last season the Frenchman found the net eight times, but it is his link-up play which will really excite Lampard. The “clinical” (as dubbed by Patrick Vieira) £50k-per-week star ranked in the top 9% for pressures per 90 among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months, so he could initiate an Everton press backed up by the relentless Gordon and Dwight McNeil.

Also, his 77.8% pass completion rate puts him in the top 13% for strikers among Europe’s major leagures. He can bring the exciting young talents around him into the play, and his general play could be just as valuable as the goals he would contribute.

Compared to Rondon’s 67.5% pass completion rate, it is a no-brainer for Lampard to try and get this deal done. The Everton boss must act fast to secure Maupay and finally ditch the toothless Venezuelan forward.

Crystal Palace have been going places under Patrick Vieira and there is a sense of expectation and excitement as the campaign gets underway in a few days’ time.

The Frenchman will welcome the side he captained so successfully to Selhurst Park on Friday evening and it would be just typical if he was to defeat them.

With the likes of Cheick Doucoure, Chris Richards, Sam Johnstone and Malcolm Ebiowei – a player already compared to Wilfried Zaha – in their ranks a win could well be forthcoming. After all, the Eagles brushed aside Arsenal with relative ease on home turf last season.

One player they will have to be wary of is a certain Bukayo Saka. The Englishman was their top scorer last season and is now valued at a whopping £100m by Football Observatory.

It has been a meteoric rise for the winger and Palace could well sign their own version of the Gunners’ energetic and skilful youngster this summer.

That’s because they’ve been linked with an eye-catching move for Napoli and Mexico forward Hirving Lozano.

Indeed, speaking of the deal earlier this week to Football FanCast, journalist Pete O’Rourke admitted that it would be a “huge signing” for the London club, and it’s hard to disagree with that viewpoint.

It hasn’t quite happened for him in Naples where he’s scored 26 times in 114 outings but while in the Netherlands at PSV, he was in astonishing form.

Before he moved to Italy, Lozano bagged 40 goals in 79 appearances for the Dutch giants, form that saw him become one of the most exciting young attackers in the modern game.

At the age of 27, the Mexican is now in his prime and is arguably in need of a move to really launch his career. He may be slight and therefore rather lightweight for the Premier League, but there is an element of bite to his play style that would surely suit the English game.

Compared to Saka, via FB Ref, it only provides further evidence of how his attributes would be perfect for Palace.

When it comes to passes that lead to a shot attempt, the duo were both fairly evenly matched with Lozano registering 2.68 to Saka’s 2.84 per 90 minutes over the last 365 days.

They press a similar number of times with the Napoli talent managing a success rate of 25.5 per 90 compared to the Arsenal winger’s 27.0.

The amount of dribbles they complete per 90 is also similar as Saka managed 1.48 to Lozano’s 1.40 in the last year. It’s this area of their game where they are most alike as the former registers 7.92 progressive carries per 90 to the latter’s 8.21.

With that in mind, it’s clear to see that ‘Chucky’ as he is affectionately known, is an incredibly exciting talent and one that could light up Selhurst this season.

If Vieira can convince him to make the move, he may well unearth his own version of Saka – the £100m-rated Arsenal starlet. Now there’s a mouthwatering thought.

AND in other news, Vieira eyeing Palace swoop for “complete” £13m colossus, he’s the ideal Benteke heir…

ExWHUemployee has dropped an update on reported West Ham United transfer target Armando Broja.

What’s the latest?

In a recent interview with The West Ham Way editor Mark Carlaw, the Hammers insider revealed that, following a number of reports linking David Moyes with a move for the Chelsea centre-forward this summer, the Scot is indeed interested in a move for the 20-year-old.

Ex went on to state that, should Thomas Tuchel manage to land his own attacking targets this summer, the Blues could be willing to part with the Albania international for a figure in the region of £30m, with West Ham said to be hopeful that an agreement can be reached with their west London rivals.

Regarding the Irons’ interest in Broja, the club insider said: “He is still very much David Moyes’ and the club’s number one target for that position.

“As of right now, Chelsea are unsure and reluctant as they are currently short on strikers having just loaned [Romelu] Lukaku back to Inter Milan. They are about to go on a pre-season tour in America, and Broja is expected to feature for Tuchel to review.

“Now, if they can bring in some of their front-line targets then the chances of signing him will increase as they’ll be more relaxed in letting a striker leave. All I can say is that West Ham are still actively working on this and the club is hopeful that a deal can be done at some stage.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how exciting a prospect Broja undoubtedly is, Ex’s confirmation that West Ham are pursuing a move for the striker this summer is sure to be news that will have left the London Stadium faithful buzzing.

Indeed, with 32-year-old Michail Antonio having been Moyes’ only recognised centre-forward since the sale of Sebastien Haller back in January of 2021, the Hammers’ rather desperate need for a backup centre-forward is clear for all to see.

And, considering just how impressive Broja has been in his short career thus far, the 20-year-old would appear something of a perfect addition to the 59-year-old’s attacking arsenal ahead of West Ham’s 2022/23 campaign.

Indeed, the £19.8m-rated talent has consistently proven his extraordinary ability in the final third, scoring 16 goals and registering five assists over 35 appearances for Chelsea U18s, three goals in 13 fixtures for Chelsea U23s and 11 goals and three assists over 34 outings while on loan at Vitesse Arnhem.

The £8.5k-per-week hitman also highly impressed during his season-long spell at Southampton in 2021/22, bagging six goals and providing two assists over his six outings in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

As such, should Moyes be successful in his bid to get a £30m deal over the line for Broja this summer, it would very much appear as if the Scot will have not only solved the issue of his lack of depth at centre-forward, but also could well have secured Antonio’s long-term successor in leading the West Ham line – a prospect that is sure to delight the London Stadium faithful.

AND in other news: In talks: West Ham eye swoop for 20 y/o “huge talent”, he could become a £85m star

A huge update has emerged on Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos as speculation continues to grow over his future at Ibrox beyond the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

According to Fanatik, the Gers are locked in discussions over a deal to sell the striker ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that talks are set to continue throughout the week after Turkish Super Lig side Besiktas made contact with the Premiership outfit.

Morelos has one year left to run on his current contract in Glasgow and it remains to be seen how much they will be willing to sell him for.

Ross Wilson will be scrambling

The Light Blues sporting director Ross Wilson will now be scrambling to secure the best deal for the club, whether that comes in the form of a transfer fee from Besiktas or a new deal for Morelos.

Losing the Colombia international would be a major blow and the Gers would need to be compensated accordingly for it to be worth them selling. He has proven himself domestically and in Europe and would be difficult to replace, which is why they cannot afford to let him leave on the cheap.

In the Premiership last season, the 26-year-old was sublime as he produced 11 goals and seven assists in 25 starts for the club. The gem also excelled in the Europa League as he found the back of the net four times in eight starts throughout the competition.

These statistics show that he has the quality to score goals on a regular basis and that is why losing him would be such a big blow. Gio van Bronckhorst and Wilson would then need to bring in a replacement and there is no guarantee that anyone coming in will be able to hit the ground running and replicate Morelos’ form.

Therefore, Wilson will now be fighting hard to agree a new contract with the striker to ensure that he remains at Ibrox and is not tempted by a move to Besiktas.

Signing him to a fresh deal would also allow them to demand more money for his signature as they would not have the threat of him leaving for nothing looming over them. As a result, they’d hopefully be able to bring in enough money to sign a player who has a good chance to take over from Morelos.

AND in other news, “The edge..”: Transfer insider drops big Rangers claim that’ll delight supporters…

Liverpool are close to finalising a deal for Darwin Nunez after it was revealed that a bid had been submitted by the club on Friday, and an update has now emerged from a reliable source about the finer details of the proposed deal.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed more details about the proposed €100m (£85.4m) deal which could take the Uruguay striker to Anfield, specifically about his expected salary.

The transfer insider tweeted: “Reports of Darwin Núñez salary for €250.000/week are considered wide of mark by Liverpool sources. Figures would be lower – salary would include add ons.

“Five year deal not an issue – Liverpool are discussing with Benfica about key details of €80+20m deal structure.”

Supporters will love it

FSG are renowned for executing a fair and strict wage structure at Liverpool, so supporters will love that the club are not only keeping the structure balanced with the signing of Nunez, but are able to secure the porentially record-breaking deal over their competitors without compromising the harmony between the players who are already at the club.

The wage structure at Anfield has been a hot topic since negotiations started with Mohamed Salah over the last few months to extend his contract past June 2023.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-salah-gnabry-isak-romano” title= “Read the latest Liverpool news!”]

It was reported that the Egyptian winger wants £400k-per-week to pen a new deal which would secure his future at the club, but the talks have reached a stalemate, with Liverpool unwilling to give the three-time Premier League Golden Boot winner hundreds of thousands more a week than his team-mates.

It has surely become a concern for Reds supporters, as Sadio Mane is already set to leave the club ahead of next season with two bids already arriving from Bayern Munich, and the idea of losing Salah’s abundant goal contributions will also be a worry.

However, the proposed signing of Nunez shows that Liverpool are capable of securing top talent without offering wages which would disrupt the structure that FSG have in place.

In 2021/22, the Uruguayan scored 34 goals and contributed four assists in all competitions in his cenrre-forward role at Benfica, topping the Primeira Liga scoring charts with 26 league goals and illustrating that he is more than capable of offering another devastating attacking threat in the Reds’ already high-scoring team.

AND in other news: “LFC want…”: Fabrizio Romano drops huge transfer update, supporters will be buzzing

Steve Cooper has had an outstanding season with Nottingham Forest and could be set to take the club back to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years, but he could be set for his first disaster if he can’t secure promotion at Wembley this weekend.

What’s the latest?

According to The Evening Standard, West Ham United are plotting a move for Joe Worrall should Nottingham Forest fail to secure promotion to the top-flight on Sunday afternoon in the Championship play-off final against Huddersfield Town.

As per the report, David Moyes is desperate to bolster his defence this summer following a disastrous injury crisis in his back-line this season and wants to avoid the same occurrence in the next campaign.

Fulham and Leicester City are also named as two Premier League clubs that would be interested in signing the Forest star this summer, with West Ham reportedly believed to be able to offer him a better option with European football secured.

Cooper set for disaster

The prospect of losing out on Premier League football at the final hurdle will already be daunting enough for Nottingham Forest but to also lose a key player following the disappointing outcome would set Cooper up for disaster ahead of next season.

Worrall has been drawing positive attention to himself this season, with the defence being one of the highly praised areas of the Forest squad, conceding just 22 goals in total and more impressively only five goals in total in 2022.

Over 39 appearances in the Championship, the 25-year-old has won the majority of both his aerial and ground duels (63%), successful in the vast majority of his dribbles (79%), making 1.8 interceptions, 1.9 tackles and 3.1 clearances this season, proving that he has been a solid and consistent performer for the side.

The 6 foot 3 defender has been with the club for most of his career making 182 appearances over the last seven years after starting out in the U18s and breaking through to the senior team.

With that being said, it would be a huge blow for Forest to lose such an influential player especially if they are not able to complete their goal on getting promoted to the Premier League ahead of next season, and Cooper must carry out as much damage control as he can to keep the player no matter the outcome.

AND in other news: NFFC given green light to sign “outstanding” 29y/o livewire, he could replace Spence