Wolves’ ongoing pursuit of Olympiacos winger Daniel Podence could go down to the final day of the transfer window after suffering a minor stumbling block.

What has been said?

There were conflicting reports over the weekend that suggested the deal was on, then off and since it has been revealed the west Midlanders are very much still keen on signing him, per the Express & Star.

However, with less than four days remaining before deadline day, Wolves may have hit a fresh twist as they are still to agree on terms regarding the 24-year-old’s contract with his current club.

Sport24 reporter Dimitris Samolis relayed news from the Greek outfit’s Head of Communications, he said:

It’s on the club…

If Wolves were to miss out on the diminutive winger, then the blame lies solely with the club for trying to complete their business so late in the window.

The likes of Kevin Thelwell, John Marshall and Fosun have had the entire month to iron out these details whilst manager Nuno Santo continues to do wonders on the pitch with his threadbare squad.

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It’s quite frankly shambolic that they have allowed any potential move to enter the final four or five days before the deadline as it only gives the selling club further scope to ramp up the price and make them desperately splash out.

Wolves badly need depth if they are to compete for a top-six berth in the Premier League as well as in the Europa League knockout stages.

Raul Jimenez is their only senior striker; there’s no backup to Adama Traore or Matt Doherty; even central midfield is light on options.

An injury or two would decimate their chances of some success this campaign, so everyone at Molineux best hope they can force this one over the line in time.

And in other news,ÂTim Spiers suggests Wolves are closing in on a new signing

The following article is a special report; all information presented, unless otherwise stated, has been gleaned from Football FanCast sources.

West Ham United are ready to go the extra mile to sign Jarrod Bowen from Hull City in this transfer window, sources have told Football FanCast.

The club are continuing talks with the winger ahead of a possible deadline day move from the Championship club.

Sources confirmed earlier in the day that a fee has been agreed for Bowen of £14m plus £8m in add-ons.

However, talks continue to drag over the forward’s salary demands; he is keen to receive around £60,000-per-week.

One high-level source within the club has communicated a desire to pull out all the stops to acquire his signature, however, even insisting that the Irons’ need is greater than rival clubs who have also been credited with an interest.

Crystal Palace and Newcastle United were named as having held an interest in Bowen by said source, but the club remain confident that he wants to move to the London Stadium.

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Another insider has communicated that the talks are likely to continue into the night, leaving West Ham in something of a race against time to get this deal done.

The deadline, of course, is at 11 pm and there is a hope that he will be announced as their latest signing on Friday but there remains the possibility that things could change.

One source told FFC on Friday afternoon that Bowen’s agent has made a number of demands that are currently holding the deal up.

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While West Ham desperately want to bring the forward in – he has scored 17 goals this season for Hull – there are a number of hoops that still need to be jumped through.

Meanwhile, one ex-West Ham star wanted to return to the club!

Leeds United had to adapt to life without Kalvin Phillips on Tuesday as the midfielder missed the first of three matches due to suspension after his red card against QPR earlier this month.

Marcelo Bielsa stated that his plan was to play Ben White in defensive midfield against Millwall, but it didn’t quite work out that way.

Indeed, the Whites lined up with Stuart Dallas in the midfield to begin with, while White played at centre-back.

With so much chopping and changing in the defence you’d expect to see Gaetano Berardi in the mix somewhere, but he wasn’t even on the bench on Tuesday.

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Bielsa’s decision

The Argentine knew that he’d have to line up a little differently to usual on Tuesday due to Phillips’ absence, and the idea of playing White in midfield had certainly floated through his thoughts.

With that in mind, you’d expect him to at least pick Berardi for a spot on the bench as he can competently cover at left-back, centre-back and right-back, but he wasn’t in the matchday squad at all.

The Swiss defender hadn’t been reported as injured after the manager confirmed there were no new injury updates during his pre-match press conference.

We can’t explain why he wasn’t involved, but it does seem to say a lot about his future.

End of the line

It seems as though Berardi’s days at Elland Road may be numbered.

There have been reports that his contract won’t be renewed at the end of the season, and this snub seems to cement the idea that the 5 foot 10 man is not a part of Bielsa’s plans going forward.

With Phillips suspended, a reshuffle was needed at the back, and an injury during the game could have forced Bielsa into tinkering even further, and he chose to neglect a man in his squad who is experienced in both full-back positions as well as at centre-half.

It doesn’t make much sense, but it certainly doesn’t bode well for Berardi’s future – especially if Leeds get promoted and need new recruits to compete.

In other news, Leeds fans have been drooling over one man after Tuesday’s game.

It was a huge night for Real Sociedad on Thursday evening as they stormed past Real Madrid in the quarter-final of the Copa del Rey to reach the semis after an incredible 4-3 victory –  a game which was ultimately decided by the former Newcastle United man Mikel Merino.

And to make things even more impressive, the victory arrived away from home in the Santiago Bernabeu in front of thousands of Madridistas.

It was no fluke either – La Real led 4-1 with ten minutes left to play.

Los Blancos managed to claw their way back to 4-3 but couldn’t find a late equaliser, bowing out of the competition on a humbling evening for the Spanish giants.

Is life under Ashley really that bad? Maybe this quiz will change your minds, Newcastle fans…

And Merino, who bagged the fourth and decisive goal for his team on the night, was quick to celebrate on

/B8QshgpCMeK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram following the huge triumph over the current La Liga leaders.

Merino failed to establish himself at St James’ Park despite an impressive opening to life in the Premier League before he eventually moved to Sociedad, so it wasn’t a surprise to see his former teammate Christian Atsu liking his snap and showing his support for what is undoubtedly a major achievement in the Spaniard’s career.

But he wasn’t the only one to react to Sociedad’s huge victory as Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic also left a like of his own as the snap seemingly attracted a lot of attention from the footballing world.

Considering how gigantic the result was, we wouldn’t expect anything less.

In other news, many Newcastle fans reacted to links with a player that “would be a bargain even at £20m”…

Celtic’s win against Clyde was pretty routine, despite the testing conditions, as goals from Olivier Ntcham, Scott Brown and Vakoun Bayo handed the team a 3-0 win.

However, there was another big talking point among Celtic fans outside of the strikes and progression to the next round of the Scottish FA Cup.

That is because Marian Shved actually managed to get onto the pitch, when he replaced Mohamed Elyounoussi in the 85th minute.

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There was jubilation among some Celtic fans, as one referred to him being “released”, while another added that “finally he’s free”.

This is a player who had only played 35 minutes of football this season, across two substitute appearances, prior to the game.

Only real Celtic fans will get 100% on the Ultimate Hoops quiz. Test your knowledge below…

He had scored during that time, bagging against Kalju Nomme, so there is a sense of optimism that the Ukraine international can help the team out if given a chance.

However, not everyone was so happy with Lennon about the fact that he brought on the 22-year-old.

That is not because they didn’t want him on the pitch, but rather that they felt he should have been on for far longer, considering how little time he has had in general this campaign.

One fan picked up on the fact that Jonathon Hayes, who has made 22 appearances this campaign, got more substantial game time on this occasion as well.

Meanwhile, Celtic fans discussed another rarely-seen man’s performance against Clyde.

Tottenham Hotspur were humbled at home by RB Leipzig on Wednesday night in a game which Dele Alli will quickly want to forget.

Money talks: How much did Levy pay for each of these Spurs stars?

The England international was subbed off in the 64th minute and didn’t take it well, throwing his boots and water bottle as he took his seat on the bench.

Needless to say, his display didn’t really go unnoticed by the public, either, as Ruud Gullit delivered a damning verdict following the clash.

Here’s what he said for BeIN Sports:

“When it’s a good team he can handle it. But when it doesn’t go that well, is he the player that can raise it? I don’t think so.”

And the fans were quick to jump on the wagon too, agreeing with the pundit.

It seems that many believe Alli is something of a luxury player and can simply become a passenger when things are not going his way.

For all of those reasons, one supporter even said he was always overrated anyway.

The biggest problem, however, is not really his ability but the fact he can’t carry the team like big stars usually do.

He lacks that accountability and leadership someone of his talent and potential should possess.

Meanwhile, many Spurs fans were in agreement with pundit’s verdict on Arsenal’s celebrations…

The Athletic’s Tottenham Hotspur journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke believes that the club’s Player of the Season has been Giovani Lo Celso, per The View From The Lane podcast (February 25th, 33:47).

What’s he said?

The Argentina international arrived on loan from Real Betis in the summer, with the move made permanent in the January transfer window at a cost of £27.2m.

Thus far this season, he has made 17 Premier League appearances, with just six of them coming under the management of Mauricio Pochettino and just six top-flight starts in total.

Under Jose Mourinho, he has become a key member of the squad, playing a part in each of their last nine games.

While he has yet to score a goal or register an assist in the top-flight, he has impressed Pitt-Brooke, who picked his Player of the Season thus far.

He said: “I feel like it is Lo Celso even though he played like what two games under Pochettino.”

Money talks: How much did Levy pay for each of these Spurs stars?

Levy’s win

Chairman Daniel Levy played a blinder with the deal to sign Lo Celso.

Spending just under £30m for a player who is as skilful and silky as the ex-Betis man is astonishing in this inflated market.

He is the kind of player who almost defies statistics and his lack of goals and assists do not give the whole story; he carries the ball brilliantly and glides past players from his position in the centre of midfield.

Mourinho has already expressed his admiration for him, saying before the loss to Chelsea at the weekend – in which Lo Celso was, ironically, lucky not to be sent off – that he was “playing fantastic” and that he had undergone an “incredible evolution”.

Spurs fans will be hoping it continues until the end of the campaign, when he may will win the real Player of the Season award.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans have reacted to the latest update on a possible ban for Dele Alli!

Wolves travel to north London this Sunday to take on Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham.

The Midlands-based outfit won’t have had much time to prepare for this one having played Espanyol in the Europa League on Thursday evening, a game in which they suffered defeat but still managed to progress having won 4-0 in the first leg.

Contrastingly, Tottenham will have had a whole week to get themselves ready for this encounter, having last played against Chelsea on the 22nd – Nuno Espirito Santo will have to be wise with his squad management.

In that respect, here’s the XI that we think the Portuguese coach should opt to deploy…

As you can see, we think Nuno should make four changes to the side who suffered defeat against Espanyol.

Max Kilman, Leander Dendoncker, Daniel Podence and Morgan Gibbs-White should be replaced by Roman Saiss, Ruben Neves, Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez as Tottenham’s weak full-back areas must be Wolves’ focus.

Mourinho has far-from-perfect options in both of his wide-defensive areas. Ben Davies – who should presumably start with Danny Rose out on loan – is lacking in pace, so Nuno must stick Adama Traore on his side where the Spaniard could give the Welshman nightmares.

On the other flank, Serge Aurier is always capable of a brain-fart, so the positionally-excellent Jota – who has five goals in his last two games – could easily sneak in behind the Ivorian and nick another goal with the former PSG man far from the most defensively-aware player in the Premier League.

Premier League Inflation: You won’t believe how much these famous transfers would cost today…

Nuno has used a 3-5-2 system in each of Wolves’ last two outings, but that is a formation in which Traore can only be utilised as either a centre-forward or a right wing-back – putting him up against Davies is surely key to the attack, so a 3-4-3 would allow the former Barcelona man to hug the touchline where he is arguably at his best having completed more dribbles than any other Premier League player this season.

In other news, this Wolves man ignored Nuno’s lifeline this week in disappointing fashion…

Same time, same place, different year: The Man City Cup final featuring, you guessed it, Manchester City is set to take place at the home of English football on Sunday.

It’s the least coveted of all the available trophies, yet it’s psychological benefits are impossible to ignore. The Citizens have won the trophy four times since 2014 and victory in the competition has preceded a Premier League title on three of those occasions. One brings two; the insatiable appetite for silverware rises sharply in between the Wembley walls and lays the foundations for City’s characteristically relentless end of season push.

There is a feeling of inevitability surrounding the result. Death, taxes and Man City winning the Carabao Cup.

While football’s charm to a large degree derives from its unpredictability and its facilitation of David’s triumph over Goliath, the factors really are stacked against Aston Villa ahead of the clash. Since the start of December they have won just three of 14 league matches and they have lost their last three in a row. A relentless City side trounced them 6-1 at Villa Park shortly following the turn of the year, and Pep Guardiola’s side arrive in London on the back of a 2-1 Champions League win at the Bernabeu.

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The ray of hope for the Villains, though, is Jack Grealish, a player who is admired on both sides of Manchester, per Daily Telegraph.

Beyond Villa’s playmaker-in-chief the fact that Dean Smith’s prevailed on the same ground to reach the Premier League last season in a game of infinitely higher stakes will give the club hope of pulling off a minor miracle.

The game is set to take place amid a backdrop of financial and, arguably, moral corruption which hangs over the heads of the overwhelming favourites.

And while some may naturally view this as an unofficial audition for Grealish to earn himself a move to the Etihad Stadium, a footballing dream factory where professional and financial aspirations have been realised for the best part of ten years, City’s two-year ban from Europe’s elite cup competition could yet represent a transfer market kryptonite with the potential to derail their attempts to bring the budding England international into the club.

David Silva’s confirmed end of season departure will open up a vacancy to be filled and Grealish is undisputedly a worthy candidate even if, stylistically and statistically speaking, they are far from carbon copies of one another.

Statistically Grealish is a pulsating machine of noteworthy contributions. Rarely does a player consistently offer so much and impress to the point of near universal admiration, but that’s exactly what he has achieved on his return to England’s top tier this season. 

His ability to bamboozle defenders and drive his team forward is reflected by the fact he is the most fouled player in Europe this season, per Whoscored. On average he draws 4.9 fouls per game, which is 0.8 more than Neymar while his return of 2.8 key passes also trumps the Brazilian’s return of 2.6.

Grealish is no joke and he is certainly much more than a prodigy who happens to have hit a purple patch.

It would not be a stretch to say that triggering his £60m release clause is a no-brainer for Guardiola this summer, and his performance at Wembley could well cement his credentials as a future lynchpin in the Spaniard’s immensely talented midfield.

But City’s ability to dominate the market and cherry-pick a squad consisting of pretty much whoever the hell they want could soon become a distinguishing feature of a tainted past, a mere memory of the Utopian landscape they once prowled.

An outstanding display from Grealish in the EFL Cup final may not be enough to inspire a shocking result yet it may be enough to convince the soon-to-be dethroned Premier League champions that a summer bid should be on their agenda.

For the first time in Guardiola’s reign, though, there is the added complication of City’s Champions League ban which leaves the club’s transfer market prowess in jeopardy.

It will be a bitter pill to swallow for the club if a potential future star snubs their advances in favour of a club with Champions League football on offer, and that daunting feeling of what could have been may begin to manifest when Grealish begins to twist, turn and tantalise in Villa’s midfield at Wembley.

The tide is unlikely to turn on the pitch as City aim to fulfil their annual EFL Cup obligation. Away from the pitch, however, the future is less clear cut.

The Athletic’s Rangers correspondent Jordan Campbell has given a fitness update on four players ahead of the Europa League last 16 tie against Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday evening.

The Bundesliga outfit – who possess eye-catching talents such as Kai Havertz and Leon Bailey – will travel to Ibrox for the first leg of this two-legged tie, and Campbell has given a timely update on the availability of four Rangers players.

He reveals that Steven Gerrard will be without Jermain Defoe and Ryan Jack, while James Tavernier didn’t train on Wednesday but will be given until the last minute to prove his fitness – Scott Arfield will definitely be available.

Campbell states that Defoe will be missing for a minimum of two weeks with a calf injury, while it is not revealed what is wrong with Jack – in Tavernier’s case, he is struggling with a foot problem.

You can see what The Athletic journalist tweeted in full below:

In other news, these Rangers fans have been left “absolutely gutted” and “devastated” after a recent announcement…