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Tottenham Hotspur could have a busy end to the summer transfer window, according to recent reports…

What’s the word?

Football Insider claim that Spurs are closing in on their seventh signing – a £20m buy-to-loan deal for Udinese right wing-back Destiny Udogie, 19, who will remain at the Bianconeri for the upcoming season.

However, it’s also believed that the north London outfit aren’t finished there as they are eyeing up one more ‘marquee signing’ before deadline day on September 1st.

‘Udogie is not expected to be the last major signing at Spurs this summer,’ they wrote.

The report does not list any names or positions, keeping the potential addition a complete mystery. However, other outlets have suggested that a creative playmaker is thought to be on the agenda and as such, links to Leicester City star James Maddison and AS Roma man Nicolo Zaniolo have emerged.

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Exciting for Spurs

This is certainly an exciting update as it’s been a rather hectic summer of business for sporting director Fabio Paratici and his recruitment staff.

There have been some impressive acquisitions thus far, notably a club-record £60m swoop for Richarlison, as well as the free transfer of Ivan Perisic from manager Antonio Conte’s former club, Inter Milan.

Yves Bissouma joined in a £25m deal from Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion, whilst Spurs have also gambled £15m on Djed Spence from Middlesbrough, among others.

The need for a creative figure should certainly be the priority now, especially with the likes of Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso available for transfer, not that they have delivered in that sense at all.

Both were once club-record signings at £55m and neither have delivered in attacking midfield.

The Frenchman managed only ten goals and nine assists across 91 appearances, averaging a goal contribution every 271 minutes. Whilst the Argentina international, who was touted as Christian Eriksen’s replacement, was worse off with just eight goals and six assists in 84 appearances, which was one goal contribution every 328 minutes.

With neither stepping up to play that no.10-like role for Tottenham and Conte not wanting them to be part of the squad for the new campaign, it would make sense for Paratici and co to now eye a player in this exciting creative mould.

So, with three weeks to go in the transfer window, time is running out if Spurs are to land that final major coup as Football Insider suggest they will do. Although, supporters around N17 should be excited by such claims, particularly as they have delivered a lot of promising acquisitions already.

AND in other news, Enquiry made: Spurs eyeing £50m “lethal playmaker”, he’s Conte’s dream final signing…

Manchester City have been linked with signing Borussia Dortmund left-back Raphael Guerreiro recently and the Portugal international could be the next Joao Cancelo in Pep Guardiola’s side.

According to Sky Sports, Guardiola is keen on signing the 28-year-old this summer as he looks to bolster his options at left-back, despite the recent addition of Sergio Gomez from Anderlecht.

Oleksandr Zinchenko was allowed to join Arsenal earlier in the summer, and while Gomez and Josh Wilson-Esbrand represent two excellent young backup options to Cancelo, Guardiola would seemingly prefer a more experienced competitor in that position.

Guerreiro, who reportedly earns £56k per week, has been a mainstay in Dortmund’s side in recent seasons, making 191 appearances in total, in which he has contributed an impressive 34 goals and 37 assists.

His contract at Signal Iduna Park is set to expire at the end of this season, which suggests that he could be an affordable option for City this summer, and given his similarities with Cancelo, he could prove to be a bargain.

Dortmund manager Eden Terzic was full of praise for the defender last year, saying: “[He is] an amazing player. So you see especially against a deep defending side, we want him to get on the ball because he makes things happen.”

Indeed, as per FbRef, Cancelo is the second most similar player to Guerreiro in terms of style of play.

Last season saw the duo register very similar numbers with regards to expected goals per 90 minutes (0.13 vs 0.12), shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (2.71 vs 2.87) and pass completion rates (85.4% vs 83.9%).

Therefore, it is clear that they are both full-backs who love to get forward and contribute in attack, as they both do on opposite flanks when playing together in the national side.

WhoScored also suggests that both Cancelo and Guerreiro excel at passing, dribbling, concentration, holding onto the ball and playing key passes, so it is clear that they have a lot of similar attributes.

Given the way Cancelo has performed since joining City from Juventus, recently earning a Ballon d’Or nomination, Guardiola would be foolish to turn down a player so similar to the versatile full-back and will be hoping that Guerreiro can be tempted to the Etihad this summer.

Brentford completed their first season in the Premier League in 2021-2022 finishing 13th. This was a dream start for Brentford in the world’s toughest league. The question is – can Brentford sustain this performance in the longer term?

In this article, we will look at what has changed at Brentford during the transfer window to set them up for their second season in the Premier League, highlighting star players and key squad changes that will underpin performance this season.

Brentford Football Club Profile:

Owner: Matthew Benham (since 2012) – a long-time Brentford supporter who took out a loan to raise funds to buy the club uses the Moneyball approach to signing players. Benham also owns a small Danish Club and Brentford have 5 Danish players in the squad.

Manager: Thomas Frank (Danish)

Stadium: Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford – Gtech is Brentford’s largest every sponsorship deal

Capacity: 17,000

Supporters: The Bee’s

Star Player: Ivan Toney (Striker)

With 12 goals last season, Toney was an integral part of keeping Brentford out of a relegation scrap. Bee’s fans will be hoping their star striker can hit the ground running. Toney is also dominant in the air; which works well when David Raya finds him with a long ball.

Look out for: Vitaly Janelt (Centre Mid / Central Defensive Mid)

The 24-year-old German was not a guaranteed starter last season after the arrival of Christian Eriksen.  This season, he could hold down a starting spot in Thomas Frank’s side. Janelt’s very good defensively and physically which means he can boss the midfield. He’s always hunting down the ball and applying pressure and also contributed four goals last season.

A summary of Player Changes

Players signed for Brentford:

Ben Mee – from Burnley – Free

Thomas Strakosha – from Lazio – Free

Aaron Hickey – from Bologna – £14m

Keane-Lewis-Potter – from Hull – £17m

Mikkel Damsgaard – from Sampdoria – £16m

Players who left Brentford:

Marcus Forss – to Middlesborough £3m

Christian Eriksen – to Manchester United – Free agent

Dominic Thompson – to Blackpool -Loan

Zanka – not yet signed – Free agent

Jonas Lossl – to Midtjylland (Danish Club) – End of loan

Did Brentford have a successful transfer window?

Brentford use the Moneyball strategy to make shrewd decisions on player acquisitions – using insights from data and statistics to identify young players with potential who can grow in value at the club.  This has been seen in the past with players including Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma.

Good results from this transfer window:

Brentford signed young players. Brentford are in a long-term project to make themselves an established Premier League Club, they are building their core team around young players. With signings such as Aaron Hickey (20), Keane-Lewis-Potter (21) and Mikkel Damsgaard (22) there is a lot of development potential that will bring glory to West London in the years to come.

Brentford made effective use of free transfers. Ben Mee and Thomas Strakosha are both excellent acquisitions because they bring depth and competition which is important in a Premier League squad. These signings also bring experience; Ben Mee is very experienced in the Premier League and Strakosha was the first-choice goalkeeper at Lazio – one of the top teams in Italy.

Ivan Toney is still at Brentford. The most important player for Thomas Frank’s side scored 12 goals in his maiden season in the Premier League. There were rumours of teams lining up bids for Toney but Brentford have received none yet. Toney is not just a source of goals, he’s also key to build up play, often winning headers that the wingers then drive up the pitch.

Coaching staff improvements. Ex-Tottenham and Manchester United academy coach Justin Cochrane has joined Brentford. He will have the vision and experience to develop Brentford’s young players: Hickey, Potter, Damsgaard, Dasilva, Mbuemo, Fin Stevens, Nathan-Young-Coombes and Myles Peart-Harris.  At Tottenham, he developed players such as Noni Madueke, Kyle-Walker Peters and Japhet Tanganga at youth level. With Brentford re-opening their academy, the future is bright.

Disappointments from this transfer window:

Losing Eriksen. Whilst this is not a surprise, it is disappointing because Eriksen’s arrival gave Brentford’s form a major boost last season. In 11 games he scored one goal and provided four assists. Most Brentford players have admitted that Eriksen’s presence in the dressing room was a huge factor for Brentford’s strong finish to last season. With heavy hearts, the fans had to accept the inevitable – that Eriksen would leave.

Poor performance in pre-season. Brentford underperformed in pre-season with two losses and two wins. What was worse was the 4-0 defeat to Wolfsburg conceding three goals from set pieces. Losing to Stuttgart after being ahead for so much in the game was also a bit disheartening.  Overall, they’ll need to improve if they want to get a good start to the season. Hopefully Frank will be able to use these disappointments to fire up his squad ahead of their second season in the Premier League.

Review of New Signings

Aaron Hickey – The Scotsman is a great signing because last season Brentford were crying out for a quality right back. When they announced Hickey, they’d got what they wanted. Hickey can also operate as a left-back which is a huge bonus. Brentford have got a literal copy of Rico Henry now, with two full-backs who cover a lot of ground, are good defensively, can create chances and are amazing in one-on-one situations.  This means Toney can change his style of play and be more of a penalty box striker, when previously he would have to come deep to collect the ball. Now Hickey and Henry will be providing a lot of crosses for Ivan Toney. The Scot’s also good in front of goal, scoring five in the Serie A last season.

Keane Lewis-Potter – Brentford’s record signing was the star player at Hull last season with 12 goals and 3 assists to his name.  Potter is dangerous from indirect set-piece situations and after the exit of Eriksen, the Bees will be looking for someone to be on free-kick and corner duty.  The England U21 international loves to cut inside from the left onto his right foot and whip in a cross or have a crack at goal from a distance. He is versatile, playing either side in attack or even as a central attacking midfielder. Lewis-Potter won’t be a starter just yet but will be used as a super sub. After a bit of experience and development he will flourish in the Premier League.

Mikkel Damsgaard – You can probably remember the Denmark International from his stunning free kick against England in the Euro 2020 semi-final. Since then, his growth has been hindered, he was out for about 27 games due to a thigh injury. Damsgaard has completed his medical with the Bees and was on the bench against Man United. Personally I was a bit surprised Brentford signed Damsgaard because Brentford already have a lot of players in the left wing position. He can also play in a central attacking midfield role, but Brentford doesn’t function with an attacking midfielder. I don’t believe Frank will sell either of his other left wing players; Yoanne Wissa was Brentford’s second top scorer last season and won’t be happy taking a back seat with the arrival of Damsgaard. Keane Lewis-Potter only signed this summer on a six-year deal meaning it would cost a lot of money to sell him. Is this a rare mistake from the Brentford recruitment team – only time will tell.

Big talking points – competition in the squad…

How do Raya and Strakosha compare?

David Raya was key to Brentford last season, when he was injured Brentford were hit hard as inexperienced, Alvaro Fernandez had to fill in.   With the arrival of Thomas Strakosha, Brentford have two competent keepers at their disposal.  This raises the question of who will be the number 1 keeper.  They both have different playing styles. Raya is amazing technically and has a great passing range. From goal kicks it seems he and Toney are nearly telepathic. Raya knows where Toney wants the ball, and Toney knows where Raya’s going to play it. But the Spaniard isn’t the most commanding player and doesn’t communicate much with his defenders.

Thomas Strakosha was first choice at Lazio, one of the top teams in Italy.  The Albanian stands at 6 foot 3 and is commanding in the penalty box, often coming out to collect crosses. He’s also good at saving penalty kicks, which is something most goalkeepers don’t offer. For someone of Strakosha’s size he’s surprisingly agile and flexible, getting down low to make saves. A strong leader, with a big character, Strakosha is known for clear communication with his defenders – these are important qualities in a Premier League player. Strakosha never lets his head drop but he may need to improve on his passing and his English.

In the early games this season, I think Frank will opt for David Raya in the net but once Strakosha gels in the team, it will be good for them to battle for the number 1 spot.

Will Brentford be hit by second season syndrome?

It happened to Leeds last season, after a fairy-tale first season in the top flight. Leeds were struck by a huge injury crisis impacting key players such as Kalvin Phillips and star striker Patrick Bamford; which nearly resulted in relegation. Will Brentford suffer the same fate?  In my opinion, no. Brentford are unlikely to suffer the same fate as Leeds because they have good backup players in most positions, after key signings for squad depth this window.

The Bess have started the season in fine form showing real tenacity to fight back for a point against a well-organised Leicester side. Frank was ready for their next test against Manchester United.  Last season Brentford struggled against the Red Devils losing 6-1 over two games.  This time Frank changed from the 4-3-3 formation to 3-5-2, enabling Toney to use his physical dominance against 5 foot 9 inch Lisandro Martinez and the team didn’t allow United a lot of time on the ball.  This was seen when Mathias Jensen’s fast reactions in pressing Eriksen, who had come deep to collect a goal kick; resulted in Brentford’s second goal against Manchester United only  18 minutes into the game.

They will need to work hard to replicate their performance from last season as the teams that have been promoted from the Championship will provide stiff competition. Nottingham Forest have signed 15 new players in this window and Fulham have had a great start to the season pressing Liverpool hard throughout their first game to achieve an impressive draw. I have seen predictions that put Brentford in a wide range of finishing positions such as 17th or 19th but after two impressive results so far, my prediction is 12th or 13th.

Leeds United have begun the first steps of a move for Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, making contact with his representatives this week.

The Lowdown: Chalobah profiled

Chalobah, who Rio Ferdinand called ‘unbelievable’ for his performance in the 2021 UEFA Super Cup, is primarily a centre-back who can also turn out in a defensive midfield role.

The 23-year-old, valued at a career-high £18m by Transfermarkt, has made 30 senior appearances for the Blues, spending time out on loan with Ipswich Town, Huddersfield Town and FC Lorient.

He watched on at Elland Road on Sunday as an unused substitute in a 3-0 defeat for Thomas Tuchel’s side, and it looks as if Leeds are keen on a potential late move.

The Latest: Leeds contact

90min provided an update regarding Chalobah’s future on Tuesday.

They claim that Chelsea could make the player available for loan if they sign Leicester City’s Wesley Fofana, with Leeds making contact with Chalobah’s representatives.

The report adds that the Whites would indeed be interested in a move, should he ‘hit the market’.

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The Verdict: Look elsewhere?

Jesse Marsch is well-stocked at centre-back with four senior options and in midfield after bringing in Marc Roca and Tyler Adams.

Therefore, bringing in the versatile Chalobah doesn’t seem to be crucial, whereas you could make an argument for a new forward being an absolute necessity.

Yes, Rodrigo has starred so far this season, but he is mainly used in a deeper role, so securing a new number nine to provide competition to Patrick Bamford and Joe Gelhardt would be a smarter move than pursuing a loan deal for Chalobah.

West Ham United will ‘probably’ make two more signings along with Lucas Paqueta before the transfer window closes on Thursday night, according to transfer insider Dean Jones. 

The lowdown: Paqueta close

This comes as the Hammers get closer to the capture of Paqueta from Lyon, a deal that David Moyes himself discussed off the back of the 1-0 victory over Aston Villa this weekend.

The Scot confirmed that the move was close as the 24-year-old, described as an ‘exciting player’ by the Irons manager, prepares to undergo a medical before completing a £51m switch to the London Stadium (Sky Sports).

Despite the impending club-record transfer, one well-informed onlooker has suggested that there remains money in the GSB coffers for further incomings before Thursday’s deadline…

The latest: ‘Probably two more’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that there are two more names in the mix to arrive at the London Stadium this week.

When asked about the possibility of further signings by West Ham before the transfer cut-off, the Eurosport journalist replied: “Probably two more. They’re going to ask about Vanaken and Gallagher.

“That gives you an idea of where we’re at and these are the key areas of the field that they’ve got to sort out in the coming days. They see it as realistic that three players will sign before the deadline.”

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The verdict: Fingers crossed

Signing Paqueta along with the two players mentioned by Jones would mark an exceptional end to what has already been a relatively successful window for the east Londoners.

Conor Gallagher made his mark in the Premier League last term, scoring eight goals on loan at Crystal Palace, while fellow Irons target Hans Vanaken went even better, netting 15 times in all competitions for Club Brugge.

Having perhaps run out of steam towards the final few weeks of a hectic 2021/22 campaign, squad depth is going to be more important than ever for the Hammers, who have Premier League, domestic cup and European challenges on the horizon once again this term.

If indeed Moyes and co can get deals over the line for Paqueta, along with Gallagher and Vanaken, then West Ham would be far better placed to at least replicate the tremendous showings they enjoyed domestically and in Europe last season.

Wolves look to have unearthed a gem in Max Kilman, with the centre-back now a key part of Bruno Lage’s side and no doubt eyeing up a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

The 25-year-old is a graduate of the youth academy at Wolves and was playing on loan at non-league Maidenhead United just four years ago, before returning to Molineux and establishing himself in the first team.

He has gone on to make 73 appearances for Wolves’ first team, contributing one goal and two assists, and he looks set to form a strong partnership with Nathan Collins at the heart of Lage’s defence.

Should the centre-back leave Molineux any time soon, Tim Spiers suggested that the Old Gold would reportedly demand a fee of up to £30m for the homegrown defender, which is no surprise when you consider his excellent performances in recent years.

Kilman has started each of Wolves’ Premier League games so far this season, averaging a strong 7.00 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which ranks him as the third-best player in Lage’s squad. Meanwhile, the defensive titan has won 3.2 headers per game, by far the most of anyone at Molineux so far in 2022/23.

It is rare to see Premier League sides hand youngsters regular first-team minutes but it has really paid off in Wolves’ case with Kilman, as at just 25 he could be a fixture in their first team for several years to come.

Conor Coady was full of praise for the defender in 2020 after a win against Fulham, saying: “I thought he was outstanding, but I would expect nothing else from him. He’s brilliant to have around and is a brilliant professional – he listens to the manager, he learns off the lads who’ve been playing there the last couple of years and I think you could see that today.

“But also in the games he played last season, so he’s got that experience now of playing a couple of games and you’ve seen that tonight, so I was absolutely over the moon for him.”

Therefore, considering his rise over the past few seasons from non-league to the top tier, Jeff Shi (chairman since 2017) and Wolves have definitely struck gold with Kilman when they recruited him for their academy for zero transfer cost just over four years ago.

Tottenham Hotspur face a potential stadium closure after footage emerged of Marseille spectators clashing with stewards and police during their Champions League fixture last week, according to ex-Premier League referee Keith Hackett.

The Lowdown: Chaos at Spurs vs Marseille

Footage has recently emerged on Twitter which shows the French club’s fans throwing a few missiles at Spurs supporters, before escalating into full-blown fights with stewards.

As a result, riot police had to intervene to calm the situation down.

These events put a dampener on the Lilywhites’ return to Champions League, in which Antonio Conte’s side kicked off their campaign with a solid 2-0 victory thanks to a brace from new signing Richarlison.

The Latest: Hackett’s claim

Hackett believes Spurs are going to be subject to punishment for the events that transpired on Wednesday night.

Speaking with Football Insider, the former referee claimed:

“I think Tottenham are probably in trouble.

“What we have to understand is there is a match delegate appointed by UEFA. Usually, it’s a guy with a strong administrative background. He’s there as the contact between the clubs and UEFA, he’s the UEFA man at the stadium.

“Part of his remit is to report on various things. He’ll do a walk around the stadium before the game to ensure that enough gates are open, access into the stadium is OK and there’s no problems externally.

“This is a real problem. Two sets of fans were throwing things at each other.

“The first question is UEFA will look to see if there’s a history of Tottenham Hotspur in this area. Has there been any previous problems with ground security and incidents of this kind?

“If there isn’t then Tottenham can expect a substantial fine. If they have got previous Tottenham could well be in for a closure of the ground, no spectators in.

“UEFA are really keen on that particular scenario. They will be investigating it. The disciplinary panel will be looking at the number of security people, the pre-planning arrangements, and where was the security? We know security came in with the helmeted police officers coming in.

“Watch this space. Usually, UEFA take a dim view of this type of behaviour. When it’s an English club they get microscopic.”

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The Verdict: Could be a big blow

If UEFA do end up forcing Tottenham to play even one of their home Champions League games behind closed doors, this would be a huge blow given the impact the positive atmosphere around N17 is making on the pitch.

It will feel slightly unfair given who the footage suggests was to blame, but Tottenham will be hoping they receive a fine; otherwise, they could be coming into other games already on the back-foot.

Glasgow Rangers have had plenty of successes and failures in the transfer market over the years as they have unearthed gems but also brought in disappointing flops.

In recent years, the Light Blues have snapped up the likes of Glen Kamara, Ryan Kent, James Tavernier, and Connor Goldson, but have also signed the likes of Cedric Itten, Jack Simpson, and Carlos Pena.

They have also allowed players to leave who have then gone on to achieve greater things in the game, potentially leaving the Gers regretting their decision.

One player the club had a nightmare with was English attacker Martyn Waghorn when they sold him to Ipswich for a reported fee of £1m in 2017.

The Light Blues had signed him from Wigan in the summer of 2015 whilst they were in the second division of Scottish football and he played a major role in their promotion to the Premiership.

Waghorn scored a whopping 28 goals and provided eight assists in 36 outings in all competitions in his first season at Ibrox, including 20 strikes in 25 league matches for the club.

In his second campaign in Glasgow, the Englishman produced 16 strikes and nine assists in 41 appearances in all competitions and this meant that he managed 44 goals and 17 assists in 78 matches for Rangers in his first two seasons.

It was reported that the striker was unhappy with his contract situation at Ibrox and was disappointed that they were unwilling to offer him a lucrative new deal during the 2016/17 campaign, which led to his departure to Suffolk at the end of that season.

He ended up spending just one year with the Tractor Boys as he enjoyed a phenomenal season with Ipswich. The attacker scored 16 times and amassed 13 assists in 44 Championship outings for the Blues, which earned him a big-money switch to Derby County.

Waghorn departed East Anglia to sign for the Rams in a deal that was reportedly worth up to a staggering £7.5m. This means that his value rocketed by 650% between the time that he left Rangers and the day that he signed for Derby, after his sensational campaign in the second tier of English football.

The dynamo, who Frank Lampard once hailed for his “incredible” work rate, thrived after leaving Scotland and the Light Blues will surely be regretting their decision not to offer him a sizeable contract extension as he could have fulfilled his potential whilst playing in the Premiership.

Therefore, Rangers had a nightmare with the sale of Waghorn for £1m in 2017 and may wonder how he would have fared if he had stayed at Ibrox for a few more years.

Everton have had their fair share of injury problems over the last 12 months but are comfortably competing in the Premier League this season after their relegation struggles, with a reliable source now gifting supporters more good news.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist Simon Phillips, Nathan Patterson could return to action sooner than expected after sustaining an ankle injury whilst on international duty with Scotland this month.

Phillips told GIVEMESPORT:

“I did speak to my source on his injury, and there’s some positivity that he might be back sooner than six weeks, more sort of four to five weeks.

“So, we’ll have to see the full impact of that one and how quickly he recovers, but it’s not all doom and gloom, there’s a bit more positivity that he might come back sooner than first expected.”

It’s a boost for Lampard

There is no doubt the news that the young Toffees right-back could return sooner rather than later will be a big boost for Frank Lampard, as Patterson has been a standout performer in the team since taking over the role from Seamus Coleman.

The 20-year-old Scotsman has made the position his own despite having big boots to fill in replacing the club captain, and over his first seven Premier League outings has proved that he is now a key player to the team.

Patterson has created one big chance, making 1.3 interceptions, four tackles, 2.7 clearances and has won six duels per game, proving that he is a dominant presence on the right side of the pitch and his inclusion has contributed to Everton’s improved performances over the season so far.

For comparison, no player in the Goodison ranks has made more successful tackles a game this term with Amadou Onana next up, although a considerably way behind on 2.6.

The £15k-per-week talented youngster’s influence has not gone unnoticed either as Danny Murphy lavished praise on Patterson during an analysis of his performance against Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby:

“This young lad, Nathan Patterson, seems to have the lot. He is only 20, he came in January, physically, he is very, very good.

“He’s got this desire to get forward and have an impact on the game, which I think is great. His defensive work is good, you can see the strength to keep the ball under pressure.

“He is a diamond, they really have got themselves a good player in the market. He is a terrific young player.”

With that being said, the return of Patterson will be warmly welcomed by both the manager and supporters when he does recover from his injury as he is already shaping up to be a huge future prospect for Everton and has come at the perfect time as Coleman nears the end of his career.

Just eight games into the new Premier League season and the managerial merry-go-round has already begun.

Scott Parker was the first victim when he was sacked by Bournemouth, with Thomas Tuchel axed by Chelsea not long after.

Wolves were forced to sack Bruno Lage after he won just one of the Old Gold’s opening eight fixtures this season, with his side managing a measly three goals, the worst of any side in the top flight.

Those at Molineux could profit from another Premier League side’s lack of patience, however, with reports suggesting that Nottingham Forest could soon part ways with Steve Cooper after the Reds slipped to the bottom of the top flight after a 4-0 defeat against fellow strugglers Leicester City on Monday night.

According to John Percy in The Telegraph, Wolves could consider a move for Cooper if he is given the boot by Forest, and while he has endured a difficult start to Premier League management, his career thus far suggests that he could be a very promising appointment.

The former England youth coach did a superb job at Swansea City, taking them to successive Championship play-off finals, and did an extraordinary job with Forest last season, taking them from the relegation places to the promised land after they defeated Huddersfield in the play-off final.

Cooper also spent time with Liverpool’s academy earlier in his career and earned a lot of praise from former player Jordan Lussey last season.

He said: “He is the most dedicated manager I’ve come across, in terms of his appetite, his eagerness, his energy, his buzz.”

While the Premier League has proven to be a tough ask for Cooper this term, he has essentially assembled an entirely new squad after promotion, and he may be able to work wonders with a more tightly-knit squad such as Wolves.

His spells at Swansea and Forest have seen him average 1.61 and 1.83 points-per-game respectively, both of which are significant increases on the 1.29 points per game averaged by Lage at Wolves.

Cooper’s experience of English football too will no doubt mean he is better suited to the job than the previous manager, even if his Portuguese nationality will have benefited their lusitanic crop of stars.

Therefore, with a move for Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim seemingly not on the cards, Wolves could take advantage of Forest potentially sacking Cooper by bringing the 42-year-old to Molineux.

Based on his ability to overachieve, the Old Gold could well strike oil by luring him across the Midlands.