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One of the biggest components of Wolves’ successful migration from Championship life to the Premier League was Matt Doherty.

The Irishman was a huge presence in their team, dominating the right-hand side of the pitch with swashbuckling and dominating performances from wing-back.

Doherty had a hand in nine goals during the Old Gold’s first campaign back in the top flight in 2018/19, putting in all-action performances on a regular basis.

There were even calls for him to be included in the PFA Team of the Year that season, and a place in it would have been well deserved. He missed out on that accolade but he did eventually earn a major move, joining Tottenham last summer.

His replacement was the mega-money Nelson Semedo, a player who is vibrant and energetic in the final third but a tad shaky from a defensive point of view.

Wolves have signed plenty of full-backs in the last 12 months with Marcal, Ki-Jana Hoever and Rayan Ait-Nouri all walking through the door at Molineux. However, that hasn’t deterred Bruno Lage from considering further options in that third of the pitch.

One player with whom the club has been linked is Czech Republic’s Lukas Masopust. The right-sided player caught the eye for his country as they reached the quarter-finals of the European Championship and Slavia Prague have now reportedly offered him to Wolves.

If they did land the 26-cap international, he could be their new Doherty. Like the Irishman, Masopust is capable of playing on the right of midfield or further back in more defensive areas.

The 28-year-old has featured at right-wing back, right back and in a holding role throughout his career.

He rampages forward and is used to terrorising defenders. After a headline-making performance in the Prague derby last season, Sparta’s Lukas Julis said: “Masopust made fools of us.”

It’s easy to see why that’s the case. He is one of the most progressive players in his position, ranking incredibly highly in some vital areas.

Over the last year, Masopust ranks in the 95th percentile for progressive carrying distance among players in the same position. Furthermore, he ranks in the 87th percentile for carries into the final third.

He also set up seven goals last season, demonstrating exactly why he could be Wolves’ new Doherty in terms of providing a consistent threat from the right flank.

Creating chances was one of the Irishman’s biggest qualities and that’s an area where Masopust clearly thrives as well.

AND in other news, Wolves in negotiations to sign “outstanding” 67-cap gem, he’s a perfect Neves heir…

Leeds United are ready to smash their transfer record to sign Cagliari and Uruguay midfielder Nahitan Nandez this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Marcelo Bielsa is eyeing up a summer move for the 25-year-old, who could be available for much lower than his release clause.

Italian publication La Nuova Sardegna has now claimed that the Whites are actually ready to pay the €36m (£31m) release clause in order to bring him to Elland Road, with Bielsa insisting on signing him. That deal would eclipse the club-record £26m fee that Leeds paid Valencia to sign Rodrigo last summer.

Bielsa will love it

Connor Clancy, editor-in-chief at Forza Italian Football, has thrown his support behind a potential Leeds deal, saying in an exclusive interview with This Is Futbol recently: “Anywhere Bielsa wants to play him, he’d do a job. I like him a lot. I think he’s only about five foot seven, but you wouldn’t know it if you just watched clips of him, he is a little bit of a machine. He’s so powerful but at the same time, has really, really good ball control.”

According to Sofascore, he averaged 1.8 tackles and won an impressive 6.1 duels per game in Serie A last season, which favours well compared to Leeds talisman Kalvin Phillips – the Whites ace averaged 2.6 tackles and won 5.3 duels per match in the Premier League last season.

His performances for Cagliari even led journalist Mina Rzouki to say: “Cagliari’s Nandez is one of the most underrated players. God he’s been so amazing, especially in Cagliari’s last 3 games. He scored the equaliser against Napoli. Man of the match in the win against Udinese. Against Roma – just wow. Unstoppable.”

If Andrea Radrizzani sanctions a record-breaking move for Nandez, then Bielsa would surely love it, especially with reports claiming that he’s insistent on bringing him to Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa would be furious with this unforgivable Leeds mistake…

Ipswich must seal a swoop for “tremendous” St Johnstone striker Guy Melamed after a major update on the attacker’s future.

What’s the talk?

The Scottish Premiership side have confirmed, via the East Anglian Daily Press, that the 28-year-old will be leaving the club at the end of the month. Melamed’s contract at St Johnstone expires at the end of June and the forward has opted against extending his spell in Scotland.

The East Anglian Daily Press has reacted to this by revealing that he is one of three strikers Ipswich are monitoring heading into the transfer window. Sunderland’s Charlie Wyke and Accrington Stanley’s Colby Bishop are also said to be players who Paul Cook would like at Portman Road.

Speaking about Melamed earlier this year, St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson lauded the “tremendous” impact the Israeli forward has had at the club. He told the Daily Record: “His contribution to the team over the last couple of months has been tremendous.

“He has that quality so we are talking and hopefully something can be done. I’m just pleased we have given Guy a platform to come and play his football.

“I think he has had to realise what he has to do to get there but all credit to him.

“He has been here on his own. His girlfriend has been back in Israel and he has been stuck in his flat.

“But he always comes in with a smile on his face, wants to work and play games.

Fans would be buzzing

Ipswich fans would surely be buzzing if the club are able to snap up Melamed on a free transfer. Cook’s side found goals incredibly difficult to come by in the 2020/21 League One season and that makes signing a striker a top priority for the Blues this summer.

James Norwood was Ipswich’s top goalscorer in League One with nine goals, with Gwion Edwards (six) the only other player with more than four league goals for Ipswich throughout the campaign. This suggests that Cook needs additional firepower in his squad, and Melamed could provide that for him.

The £360,000-rated beast managed seven goals in 23 appearances for St Johnstone, including 11 league starts, during the season. He averaged a goal every 142 minutes in the Scottish Premiership, whilst Norwood averaged one every 174 minutes in League One for Ipswich.

Melamed could prove to be an upgrade on the 30-year-old in the centre-forward position, or he could be viewed as valuable competition with both players chipping in with goals to help Ipswich fight for promotion to the Championship.

The Israeli could be an excellent addition to Cook’s squad ahead of next season and prove to be a bargain addition given that he is set to leave St Johnstone on a free transfer. Ipswich could add a reliable goalscorer, as shown by his minutes-per-goal ratio, without spending a penny on transfer fees, and the competition could help Norwood to up his own game knowing that a quality player is coming through the door to potentially take his spot.

AND in other news, Ipswich must act to land “competitive” £3.4k-p/w beast after major transfer update… 

Nottingham Forest are interested in a deal to bring Sam Clucas to The City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, who revealed in a post on Twitter that Chris Hughton’s side are contemplating a move for the Stoke City midfielder in the coming weeks.

Nixon claims that the 30-year-old is available on a free transfer until July 1, when, if no move materialises for the £2.25m-rated man, he will then become tied to his current side for a further year.

Hughton must move

Considering the fact that Nottingham Forest look likely to be without the services of Manchester United midfielder loanee James Garner next season – unless the Reds can convince Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of another loan deal for the 20-year-old this summer – central midfield looks to be a position in which Hughton will have to strengthen in the upcoming transfer window.

And, following another impressive campaign at the bet365 Stadium last season, Clucas could well prove an extremely astute signing for a club looking to mount a push for a top-six finish next term.

Over his 24 Championship fixtures last term, the £33k-per-week man scored two goals, registered three assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.1 interceptions, 0.9 tackles and 1.7 key passes per game.

These returns saw the midfielder whom Gabriel Agbonlahor dubbed a “quality” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.05, ranking him as Stoke’s joint third-best performer in the second tier.

As such, if Forest do indeed fail in their potential bid to bring Garner back to The City Ground this summer, the former Swansea City man would appear to be an apt replacement for the youngster, especially when taking into account he would be available on a free transfer.

However, with Nixon also claiming that a number of other Championship sides are keen on the 30-year-old, it would be highly advisable for the 62-year-old to act sooner rather than later, or else he risks missing out on the midfielder to one of Forest’s second-tier rivals.

In other news: Transfer updates emerges on £18k-p/w dud likened to Makelele that’ll delight NFFC fans

Sheffield United have been dealt a blow in their bid to keep Aaron Ramsdale at Bramall Lane this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that Arsenal have made initial contact with the Blades regarding a deal for the goalkeeper, with Mikel Arteta said to have been on the hunt for a shot-stopper since the departure of Emi Martinez last summer.

However, a further report by The Star revealed that, if Slavisa Jokanovic was to sanction the sale of the 23-year-old in the summer transfer window, it would not be for less than a figure of around £40m.

Jokanovic will be gutted

Considering how impressive Ramsdale was for United last season, despite the fact the club finished rock bottom of the Premier League standings, if Arsenal do go on to land the ‘keeper this summer, it would be an outcome that will undoubtedly leave Jokanovic gutted.

Indeed, over his 38 top-flight appearances last term, the £10.8m-rated man helped his side keep five clean sheets, made an average of 3.9 saves and 0.3 successful runs out per game, as well as making a total number of 147 stops across the season.

These returns saw the £43k-per-week shot-stopper earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.87, ranking him as the Blades’ third-best performer in the Premier League.

As such, with Jokanovic facing the task of securing an immediate return to the top flight with Sheffield United next season, keeping hold of the man Jurgen Klopp dubbed an “incredible” goalkeeper this summer would appear to significantly increase the club’s chances of going on to achieve this feat.

However, with Arsenal having already made contact with the Blades regarding the possibility of the ‘keeper making a switch to north London, the chances of Ramsdale playing his football in the red and white of United next season seems like a rather unlikely prospect at present, unfortunately for the Bramall Lane faithful.

In other news: Fresh twist emerges on “unstoppable” 16 G/A Sheff Utd target, Jokanovic will be livid

Rangers have been linked with both Zinedine Ferhat and Santiago Moreno recently, but who would be the better addition to Steven Gerrard’s side at Ibrox this summer?

Zinedine Ferhat

According to French news outlet Foot Mercato, Rangers are interested in signing the 28-year-old winger from Nimes this summer after his impressive performances in Ligue 1.

The Algeria international has contributed six goals and 10 assists in 33 French top-flight appearances this season, which has helped him earn a noteworthy 7.21 average rating from WhoScored.

The winger is currently valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt but he could well be keen to leave the club this summer following Nimes’ relegation to Ligue 2. His contract is set to expire in 2022, which suggests that the Stade des Costières outfit may be forced to cash in on him this year rather than risk losing him for nothing in 12 months’ time.

Santiago Moreno

According to The Telegraph, Rangers, Leeds United and Southampton are all keen on the Deportivo de Cali winger this summer as he continues to impress with the Liga Dimayor side.

The 21-year-old, whose style of play has been likened to Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, has contributed 10 goals and seven assists in just 49 appearances for the Colombian side in his career thus far and could be tempted into an Ibrox move due to the prospect of Champions League football.

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The Colombian’s contract with Deportivo de Cali is set to run until 2023, which suggests that Rangers may have to pay more than his current market value of £585,000 if they want to sign him this summer.

Who would be the better signing?

Whilst Moreno seems to have a lot of potential, Ferhat has much more experience. Also, he has been playing at a higher standard this season and has been one of the standout performers in Ligue 1 despite Nimes’ relegation.

The Algerian, who has 29 senior goals in his career, also seems to be much more versatile than the Colombian, as he can feature in a number of positions in midfield and attack, which immediately suggests that he could be a good fit at Rangers.

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Therefore, Ross Wilson should perhaps forget about signing Moreno for now and instead focus on bringing Ferhat to Ibrox this summer, as the latter could prove to be an excellent addition to Gerrard’s side if he can continue his form from this season in the 2021/22 campaign.

In other news… Wilson should seal Rangers swoop for “brilliant” beast who will “only get better”

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, David Norris, who made 36 appearances for Leeds United, has claimed that their on-loan winger, Jack Harrison, would be a good squad player at his parent club Manchester City, but that he could be a “force” if he moved to Elland Road permanently.

Harrison signed for City from New York City in January 2018 and was immediately shipped out on loan to Championship side Middlesbrough where he only made four appearances during the second half of the season.

After signing an initial two-year loan deal at Leeds in the summer of 2018, Harrison then signed another one-year loan deal last summer and it’s expected that the move will become permanent at the end of the season.

Speaking on why Harrison would be a good squad player at Man City but why it would be better for him to stay at Leeds, Norris told FFC exclusively:

“He would be a good squad player for them but I just don’t think he would get the game time, but I think he would suit City and he could be a capable squad player.

“At Leeds though I think he could be a big force and name so I would like to see him stick it out and see what happens over the next year or two.”

Since 2018, Harrison has made 124 appearances for Leeds, becoming a crucial player in Marcelo Bielsa’s incredibly attacking side.

It has been reported that Leeds will be able to sign Harrison for a bargain price of just £11 million this summer as Man City have no plans to include him into their side.

Former Manchester United midfielder Keith Gillespie has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that it’s impossible not to like Paul Pogba.

The French World Cup winner has often been criticised for failing to live up to his world-record fee following his move from Juventus back in 2016.

But Pogba has performed impressively for United in recent months and is just 90 minutes away from securing a second Europa League title later this month after their victory over Ajax four years ago under Jose Mourinho.

And the 28-year-old’s numbers epitomise his good form. Pogba has been involved in 14 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions, scoring six times, whilst chipping in with eight assists.

The £290,000-a-week ace is back to playing some of his best football under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the Frenchman recently praising the United boss for never going against his players when taking a swipe at former boss Mourinho at the same time.

He starred once again at Aston Villa on Sunday, assisting Edinson Cavani’s goal to seal yet three more points on the road.

And Gillespie told The Transfer Tavern that he’s a huge fan of the midfielder:

“I think it’s hard not to be a Paul Pogba fan when you see how good he can be. But it’s just about getting that consistency.

“Sometimes you think, is his head in the right place? He’s so strong on the ball at times – he can make things happen.”

Reliable reporter Alan Nixon believes Celtic’s move for Eddie Howe is ‘agonisingly close’, but warned now could be ‘the most dangerous moment’.

The Lowdown: Howe announcement imminent?

With Bournemouth’s season coming to an end last weekend after losing to Brentford, that seemed to give Celtic the perfect opportunity to tie up deals for Howe and members of staff down on the south coast.

The Englishman was poised to bring coaches Stephen Purches and Simon Weatherstone with him to Scotland, along with technical director Richard Hughes.

As we all know, a deal is yet to be officially announced by the Hoops, who admitted earlier this week they were hoping to finalise an appointment shortly.

The Daily Mail shared a story on Thursday morning, believing an announcement was imminent.

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The Latest: Nixon responds to Celtic fan

Nixon, who writes for The Sun, was asked by a Hoops supporter on Thursday afternoon if Howe’s backroom staff would make or break a deal.

He swiftly replied, saying:

“Staff has been an issue for weeks. Bournemouth season now over. So it’s agonisingly close. But sometimes that’s the most dangerous moment.”

The Verdict: Hoops can’t let this slip

In our opinion, Celtic cannot afford to let a deal for Howe to fall through the net.

They first met the 43-year-old at the beginning of April, so the process is approaching two whole months to get a deal completed.

Should a deal collapse, that may leave the Hoops back at square one just months before the start of the new season.

Howe appears to be the man they have wanted all along, so, in our view, they must do whatever it takes at this point to force a move over the line.

In other news: ‘Something must have happened’ – 43 y/o reacts as ‘very strange’ off-field Celtic update emerges, find out more here. 

According to recent reports, West Ham United have suffered a blow to their chances of signing Jesse Lingard this summer, as a number of elite European clubs have entered the race for the 28-year-old.

The report by ESPN claims that, as a result of his breathtaking form since joining West Ham on loan from Manchester United, the Hammers will now have to battle the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Inter Milan for the signing of Lingard this summer, with all three clubs thought to be closely monitoring the England international ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

It is also reported that the £75,000-per-week player’s representatives have informed Manchester United that he will not be used as a makeweight in any potential move for Declan Rice this summer.

Transfer Tavern Take

Considering the fact that Lingard has now scored eight goals and registered three assists in just nine Premier League appearances for West Ham, it is not overly surprising to learn of the new interest in the attacking midfielder.

However, while all three of the clubs mentioned are indeed heavyweights of the Champions League, should West Ham go on to qualify for Europe’s elite competition come the end of the season and the 28-year-old clearly enjoying his football in east London, the Irons should not be ruled out of the race for Lingard just yet.

In other news: West Ham make approach for £12.6m-rated ace; GSB could get him for nothing this summer – find out more here!