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Wolverhampton Wanderers moved up into eighth position in the Premier League with a 2-1 victory over local rivals Aston Villa at Molineux, and a star may have been reborn in a new role if fans’ reaction is anything to go off.

Nuno Santo’s side picked up three points courtesy of goals from Ruben Neves, who bagged a trademark long-range effort, and Raul Jimenez, who netted his 13th of the season.

The Portuguese manager continued to tinker with his defensive line in the absence of Willy Boly with Leander Dendoncker once again playing at centre-back rather than his natural defensive midfield position.

And it is something that some members of the old gold faithful want to continue to see going forward as he played a massive role in the win.

One supporter said that he didn’t want to see the 24-year-old ever play in midfield again as he’s ‘unbelievable’ in defence and could have been the Man of the Match while another told the club to save their money in January as the Belgian was the right-sided centre-back they have long been looking for.

‘Flawless’ and ‘world class’ were just two of the other words used to describe Dendoncker while one further fan believed that he was an absolute bargain at £12m.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Although Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish has attracted considerable interest from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur in recent transfer windows, another of the club’s star performers could well garner more interest from Premier League eyes in the future too.

Despite Villa’s re-arrival in the top-flight marking a period of considerable inconsistency – with promising wins over Norwich and Brighton mixed alongside three consecutive defeats that have left the club in 18th place – the consistent performances of John McGinn are standing out as a particularly positive aspect of the 2019/20 campaign.

The 19-cap Scotsman has scored three goals and registered two assists in 12 Premier League appearances so far this season, but it is the former Hibernian man’s all-round game that is providing ballast to his case for consideration amongst the Premier League’s best.

McGinn ranks in the top ten for successful dribbles (33) of all players in the Premier League so far in 2019/20 – highlighting his ability to contribute to a high standard.

That puts him above one of the brightest players in the Premier League in James Maddison and only three behind the £72m Nicolas Pepe.

Reports had linked the midfielder with a move to Manchester United in the summer, with Sir Alex Ferguson reportedly an admirer of his playing style and it would be unsurprising if similar links popped up in the future if he maintains the impressive standards that have been set so far in just his first season of top-flight football.

Villa keeping hold of McGinn would be a major coup given the consistently impressive performances over the last two seasons. After all, his stock is surely rising and will continue to do so the longer he performs well in the Premier League. The 25-year-old has amassed a considerable 2.8 shots per game, coupled with 1.3 key passes too. 

Not only that, but he was awarded with both the supporters and fans’ Player of the Year in their promotion-winning season from the Championship – and the relentless midfielder could well be destined for an even bigger future than Villa Park.

According to The Mirror (November 22, page 74), Leeds are interested in signing Burnley striker Matej Vydra, and the news has been met with a mixed reaction from supporters.

The potential deal is reportedly worth £7.5m and would allow the club to strengthen the attack, which is much needed given the lack of goals of Patrick Bamford and the recent injury to Eddie Nketiah.

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Vydra could be a good fit, too, having scored 21 league goals in his last Championship season, with one fan pointing out that Marcelo Bielsa had made the Norweigan his number one target when he arrived at the club.

His all-round play could allow him to score goals and connect play, but some fans hold doubts about the impact he would make, and also if the transfer has a realistic chance of happening, since Victor Orta claimed earlier this week that the winter window would be a quiet one.

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Here is some of the discussion that has been taking place in reaction to the latest report.

Gareth Bale’s departure from Tottenham was a blow in itself, but the aftermath was arguably worse.

The Wales international won PFA Player of the Year during the 2012/13 campaign, his last one before moving to Real Madrid for a then world-record fee of £85.3m (€100m). Whilst his departure was not desired, at least Spurs then had a considerable amount of money to spend on the rest of the squad.

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However, most of that cash was squandered. In the summer of 2013, the Lilywhites signed Erik Lamela, Roberto Soldado, Paulinho, Christian Eriksen, Etienne Capoue, Vlad Chiriches and Nacer Chadli. Other than Eriksen, none of them have set the world alight – even Lamela, who is still at the club, has blown hot and cold.

Paulinho, though, has arguably seen his reputation rise since departing – he was sold for €14m (£10m) to Guangzhou Evergrande, but is now worth £20.7m as per Transfermarkt.

Here, we take a look at how he is getting on.

Time at Tottenham

By the time Paulinho joined Spurs for £17.75m in 2013, he was already a Brazil international, and had just played an important part in the Selecao’s Confederations Cup victory – he played in all but one match.

His stint at Corinthians proved successful too – he won the Copa Libertadores there, whilst he was also a part of the the side that defeated Chelsea in the Club World Cup final in 2012. All in all, he scored 25 goals in 112 games for the club from midfield – Andre Villas-Boas will have likely thought he was signing a potential star.

That proved not to be the case. His first season in England was not too bad – he did manage eight goals in 37 matches in all competitions – but Mauricio Pochettino clearly wasn’t a fan. He made just three starts in the league during the 2014/15 season, failing to stake a claim for a regular first-team spot.

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It summed up his time in north London that he moved to China, often seen as a big payday away from the competitiveness of European football. Few will have expected to hear much from him again.

Where is he now?

He certainly found his feet in the Far East. He made 105 appearances between 2015 and 2017, winning the Chinese Super League three times as well as the Asian Champions League, whilst his 26-goal return was not to be sniffed at. Still, there appeared to be little clamour for him to return to Europe.

That was until Barcelona incredibly stepped in to take him to La Liga. The fact that they had signed him in the first place was a shock, but the €40m (£36.4m) fee they paid was even more baffling.

Most surprising of all, though, was that he actually appeared to excel at the Camp Nou. He was there for just one season, but he managed nine goals and three assists in 34 league matches, whilst he featured nine times in the Champions League as well.

By 2018, he was already back on loan at Guangzhou with an obligatory purchase option in January – all in all, they paid £44.2m to take him back. Since then, he has 35 goals in 61 matches – clearly, China wasn’t the end of his career after all.

Many Tottenham Hotspur fans are raging after Ricky Sacks relayed a report from Football Insider saying that chief scout Steve Hitchen has been forced to take a pay cut, while Jose Mourinho is staying on his full salary.

Football Insider report that as well as having his recruitment department shut down, 44-year-old Hitchen is also part of the 550 non-playing staff who have been placed on the government’s furlough scheme.

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The story that adds while the Portuguese manager is, of course, not managing at the moment with football suspended at the current time, he is remaining on full pay – The Daily Mail reported this was £15m when he was appointed as Mauricio Pochettino’s successor.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has been the subject of criticism from journalists and supporters alike already this week following the staff furlough decision, and this latest report has got them fuming, too.

While one fan said “what a joke” about the report, another said they were “disgusted”.

It is fair to say that Tottenham as a whole isn’t a happy camp right now.

Here is a selection of the reaction…

In other Tottenham news, one journalist has made a fresh Spurs transfer claim, suggested big Pochettino favourite could leave club this summer…

Despite spending big-money on bringing Harry Maguire to the club last summer, it appears Manchester United are intent on splashing the cash on another centre-back this year too.

The Red Devils spent a world-record fee for a defender to lure Maguire away from fellow Premier League side Leicester, but whilst the England international has been a mainstay in the United back-line, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has chopped and changed who his partner is.

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The likes of Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones, Axel Tuanzebe and Eric Bailly, amongst others, have all had their chances to establish themselves as Maguire’s partner, but none have really assertively made their claim.

And now, in an update from Spanish publication Sport (via Sport Witness), United have already contacted Samuel Umtiti’s entourage ahead of a potential move, and that they are one of the most interested clubs in signing the Barcelona defender.

After hearing about the news, United fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their transfer target.

One Red Devils fan acknowledged Umtiti’s history with niggling injuries, but claimed that “if he’s healthy” then “of course you sign him”.

A couple of United supporters insisted that they would take him instead of the likes of Jones, Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo.

One fan in particular meanwhile, even suggested that Umtiti would represent an upgrade on Maguire himself – though that may be a bit of a stretch, Football FanCast have previously explored how the Frenchman could actually be the latter’s perfect partner in central defence.

With so many defenders on the books at Old Trafford, including the likes of Smalling and Rojo who are currently out on loan at AS Roma and Estudiantes respectively, it is rather strange to see United being linked with a move for another centre-back.

If they perhaps start getting rid of a couple of players on a permanent basis, then a swoop for the 6 foot Umtiti makes that much more sense.

Meanwhile, Man Utd fans blast Jose Mourinho amid Fred news.

Tottenham Hotspur could be willing to let Danny Rose leave the club for as little as £5m this summer, according to Football Insider.

What does the report say?

Rose has spent the second half of this season on loan at Newcastle United and could be set to depart on a permanent basis this summer.

According to Football Insider, Spurs could be willing to let him leave for £5m, with transfer fees set to fall in the current economic circumstances.

The North London club are said to have valued him at around £20m last summer, but could now be prepared to cut their losses.

With Rose’s deal set to expire in the summer of 2021, the report states that he is unlikely to play for the club again.

Sign of the times

Rose has been a good servant for Spurs but now looks set to depart on a permanent basis.

The current economic circumstances are something that football is going to have to adjust to and clubs will have to accept that players are going to worth far less than they were in the past.

With Newcastle set to have plenty of money to spend this summer the 29-year-old could stay at St James’ Park, while Watford are said to have shown an interest in him last year.

Loads of Tottenham fans have been drooling over an iconic goal from Gareth Bale, as Tuesday marked seven years since his final strike in the Premier League at White Hart Lane. 

Bale has scored plenty of incredible screamers throughout his career so far, including an acrobatic finish in the Champions League final, and it is fair to say this stunning goal is certainly no exception to the rule.

Fan accounts @LastWordOnSpurs and @thespursweb shared footage of the Welshman’s long-range effort against Sunderland in 2013, a match-winning strike that put the game beyond the Black Cats and propelled Spurs to 72 points, which was a record for the club. Taking a pass in the final minute of the game, he cut inside from 25 yards out, and curled the ball into the top corner.

The £28.8m-valued winger scored 56 goals and created 58 assists in 203 appearances for the Lilywhites, before leaving for La Liga giants Real Madrid, but it seems a large section of the THFC faithful still have plenty of fond memories about the “Welsh wizard.” One supporter tweeted the video is “stunning,” while another added his “technique is unbelievable.”

Scroll through some of the glowing reactions down below…

Tottenham fans, do you want the board to bring Gareth Bale back to the club in the future? Let us know in the comments section!

Name: Todd Cantwell

Club: Norwich City

Date of Birth: 27 February 1998

Position: Midfielder (Centre/Attacking/Wide)

Todd Cantwell – his career so far

Even though he is already one of the better developed young players at the club, Todd Cantwell’s road to success and the first-team squad of Norwich City wasn’t easy nor quick. The now 22-year-old midfielder had to go through thick and thin to get where he is right now but his determination, hard work and persistence ensured he would ultimately reach his goal.

But he is very much their own product as the Dereham-born midfielder spent all of his youth career with the Canaries, joining the team at the U10 level and advancing through the ranks of their academy until he joined the young development squads.

Even though it wasn’t really that straightforward, his rise through the levels was still pretty impressive. Cantwell played just one game for Norwich’s U18 squad, scoring two goals in the process, before being moved up the ranks and into the U23s rather quickly.

The majority of his early career was spent there and he managed to register 40 appearances, scoring four goals and assisting further five along the way as well. But despite the experience he was gaining playing for the development squad, Cantwell was still not ready for a leap into the senior team of the Canaries and the upper hierarchy decided he needed a loan deal to develop even further.

With that in mind, the young midfielder embarked on a short venture into The Netherlands where he played for Fortuna Sittard, helping the team reach the Eredivisie after playing a total of ten games, scoring twice and assisting further three under his belt as well.

Upon his return from that successful loan spell, Cantwell rejoined Norwich and was pivotal in their Championship-winning 2018/19 season, helping them gain promotion into the English top-flight.

Interestingly enough, he made his senior debut before going out on loan to Fortuna Sittard, featuring in an FA Cup game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in January 2018. He also made his Norwich City league debut in September 2018 against Reading.

Since then, he’s become a big part of the senior squad, registering 59 first-team appearances, scoring seven goals and assisting further four as well.

Transfer latest

There have been some transfer rumours and transfer news surrounding the young midfielder as of late as he was linked with a couple of big profile Premier League clubs only recently. The likes of Tottenham Hotspur and even Liverpool were mentioned as possibly being interested in him.

Of course, with his contract being valid until 2022, there is still a good chance he stays put and doesn’t move anywhere, at least for the time being. There hasn’t been any Norwich City news suggesting a new deal might be on the way and even though he seems content staying with the Canaries, his future is still very much an open book.

And since big Premier League clubs might be interested as the summer transfer window approaches, his allegiance might be put to the test.

Player profile

Cantwell is very well-known for both his playing style and very outgoing personality that manifests itself in his glorious dance moves and celebrations with his teammates. But all of that aside, the midfielder truly does have the skill set to match it and then some.

The now 20-year-old has been a big presence in Norwich’s lineup and his intelligent movement, vision to pass the ball superbly and fluid positioning across the pitch makes him a standout performer on a regular basis.

And that’s really the thing with him – it’s difficult to pinpoint his exact positioning and movement across the pitch, which makes him unpredictable. When we pair that up with great technique and a mean pass, we get a clearer picture of the kind of midfielder he is.

Usually, he will identify the free pockets of space and then aim to exploit them by advancing up the pitch and then hurting the opposition where they least expect it. Of course, he is still fairly young so his game is bound to improve as times goes on.

Jurgen Klopp has announced Xherdan Shaqiri will be ruled out of Sunday’s clash against Everton.

In a report from the Guardian (relayed via @LFCTransferRoom), the manager has revealed the Switzerland international will not be available for selection due to injury.

Shaqiri has reportedly been training in small doses, but not as much as the rest of the team. He is the only player ruled out of the Merseyside derby.

Many fans are speculating over what this means for the winger’s future with the Reds. He has been limited to just six Premier League appearances this season, and ten across all competitions. Shaqiri’s last match in the league was a brief one-minute cameo against Spurs in January (via Transfermarkt).

The 28-year-old signed for Liverpool in 2018 but it looks likely that he will be moved on soon due to the fact Klopp is not utilising him in the team. Lots of Kopites are in agreement, with one tweeting ‘He’s gone in the summer’.

What do you think about the news on Shaqiri, Liverpool fans? Join the discussion in the comments below…