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Sunderland have been dealt a double injury blow ahead of their upcoming play-off semi-final clash on Saturday.

What’s the latest?

Speaking prior to the second leg of the Black Cats’ League One play-off semi-final against Lincoln City, Lee Johnson confirmed that both Denver Hume and Conor McLaughlin would be unavailable for selection due to injury.

Left-back Hume was withdrawn because of an issue with his hamstring just 10 minutes into the first leg of the tie and will not recover in time for today, while right-back McLaughlin has a stress fracture of the back which has ruled him out for the remainder of the season.

As cited by Chronicle Live, Johnson said: “Denver has a hamstring injury. It’s disappointing, and it’s happened on too many occasions to different players this season. And Conor is out for the season with a stress fracture of the back.”

Huge blow

Despite Johnson only taking over at Sunderland late last year, the 39-year-old has already had to deal with a quite extraordinary amount of injuries during his relatively short time at the club.

A large portion of these setbacks have occurred to the Black Cats’ defenders, such as the loss of centre-back Dion Sanderson, who returned to Wolves after being ruled out for the rest of the season, and fellow centre-back Jordan Willis, who looks set to be sidelined for 12 months because of a recurring knee injury.

As such, the news that both Hume and McLaughlin are now also unavailable for the visit of Lincoln on Saturday is likely to come as a devastating blow for the former Bristol City manager, particularly as his side are aiming to overturn a 2-0 defeat from the first leg of the play-off semi-final tie.

In other news: SAFC gain transfer boost over “fantastic” £8m machine which will surely have fans buzzing – opinion

Some Wolves fans have been left to rage as a transfer update emerged on Rui Patricio.

As per Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Jorge Mendes is ‘working’ on a deal to bring the Portugal international to AS Roma, with general director Tiago Pinto teaming up with him to get it done.

Patricio would be available for a ‘reasonable’ fee, one that would be ‘lower’ than others demanded by other teams for their respective goalkeepers.

The 33-year-old only missed one game in the Premier League in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt), and so it would be silly to let such a key player go without a suitable replacement lined up.

Nonetheless, Patricio’s experience is vital both off of the pitch as well as on it, especially for the younger players coming through like Fabio Silva.

The Midlands club should really be looking to keep hold of their number one just for some stability, with question marks over the futures of their other key players given that they let the likes of Diogo Jota and Matt Doherty go in last summer’s window.

Wolves fans on Patricio transfer update

These members of the Molineux faithful raged as the transfer update was shared on Twitter:

“See a lot of our fans dismiss Rui as a keeper, personally think he’s solid and not even a position I’ve considered we needed to upgrade currently”

Credit: @Jandersonn94

“Not one we should be selling we aren’t going to get more for him than what we originally paid because of his age!”

Credit: @ACrowe87

“Please no”

Credit: @Vyoe_

“Pls no”

Credit: @eve_elizabethxx

“Hope Wolves learn buy first sell after. Still can say no. Got at least another year while we get goalkeeping experience under him. We do develop good goalkeepers”

Credit: @Darkowl1rush

“Sorry but our only goalkeeper going for peanuts to be replaced by who exactly for less money?”

Credit: @jaylittle84

In other news, find out what manager update has left Wanderers fuming here!

Rangers’ hopes of signing Ryan Gauld this summer have taken a blow after it was revealed that SC Farense have triggered an extension to his contract, meaning that Steven Gerrard will no longer be able to bring him to Ibrox on a free transfer.

The former Dundee United man has been linked with a move to Rangers in recent weeks and it had seemed as if he would be available on a free transfer, as his contract was set to expire in the summer.

However, Portuguese news outlet O Jogo have now revealed that Farense have taken up their option of extending his contract by another year and will only let him go for €4m (£3.5m) this summer.

It is no surprise that the Lions of Faro are keen to receive a fee for the 25-year-old, although they will perhaps be resigned to seeing him leave following their relegation from the Portuguese top flight, especially with a number of Premier League and Championship clubs also reportedly showing an interest.

Despite his price tag, which would likely make him the third-most-expensive signing of the Gerrard era at Rangers behind Ryan Kent and Kemar Roofe, his performances in recent seasons certainly suggest that this would be a deal worth doing for Ross Wilson this summer.

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Farenese’s former manager Sergio Vieira was full of praise for Gauld last season, saying: “He has given us fantastic individual quality, played most of every 90 minutes and has been crucial in contributing with assists and goals.

“He’s a great player, technically very developed and, with the ball at his feet, capable of realising actions that only the best players do.”

Gauld contributed an impressive nine goals and seven assists in 33 league appearances this season and has averaged a solid 7.19 rating from WhoScored, which certainly suggests that he could be a stellar addition to Gerrard’s side ahead of their return to the Champions League next season.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776″]

Therefore, despite this setback, Wilson should definitely act quickly if he wants to bring Gauld to Ibrox this summer.

In other news… Gerrard dealt Rangers blow with “very dangerous” 32-goal beast, time is running out

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… 

Danny Ings has reignited his career at Southampton but that form has seen him attract interest from some of the Premier League’s top clubs, and if he was to depart former Saints vice-chairman Les Reed believes the striker would be heartbroken to leave the south coast.

The former Liverpool striker joined Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side in 2018 initially on loan and he has managed to find the net 46 times in 100 appearances, which has seen the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City linked with the 28-year old.

A lot of clubs will be on the hunt for a striker this summer and with Ings entering the final year of his current deal, the Saints may feel like they have their hands tied and have to sell him to bring money into the club.

Ings appears to have found his feet and best form at Southampton after struggling to ever get going at Liverpool due to numerous injurie,s and Reed believes that if Ings left he would find it tough, as he explained exclusively to Transfer Tavern:

“For Danny, there could be opportunities that open up in the last year of his contract and it will be heartbreaking for him to move but this is the time if he’s going to win a medal or achieve something bigger.”

Man City were credited with an interest in Ings earlier this year but now that Sergio Aguero has officially left they may step up their interest in the striker, especially if the likes of Harry Kane and Erling Haaland prove to be too expensive.

Ings is likely to have a lot of potential suitors both this summer and next year as teams up and down the Premier League will want someone who knows where the back of the net is.

Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley has been speaking about his summer plans, regarding Tottenham midfielder Harvey White.

What’s the talk?

Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley has admitted that he would love to bring Harvey White back to the club for a second spell. White spent the second-half of the League One campaign on loan to the club from Premier League side Tottenham.

Cowley has said that he would like to sign the “great” player on a permanent basis, but concedes that Portsmouth do not have the finances to facilitate such a move and that he would be open to another loan. He told The News:

“Harvey, we love Harvey. He’s a great player and a great kid. We loved working with him. He’s on an upward curve and will get better and better.

“If Tottenham were prepared to let me take him on a permanent we’d be delighted. But I’ve got a feeling, and we’re very respectful of Tottenham who we have a good relationship with, I’ve got a feeling they have big plans for Harvey.

“So I don’t anticipate having the finance to do that, unfortunately. We’d be absolutely open-minded to taking him temporarily again, though.”

Get it done

Portsmouth owner Michael Eisner must now sanction a deal to bring White back to Portsmouth.
As Cowley has said, a permanent move for White is unlikely and Eisner should not risk the financial stability of the club to fund a swoop for the midfielder. However, the owner should be looking to negotiate an agreement with Daniel Levy to bring White in for a second season on loan in League One with Portsmouth to aid his development and bolster Cowley’s squad.
Cowley has made it clear how highly he rates White and is adamant that he would like him back at Fratton Park for the 2021/22 campaign. This is why Portsmouth should be working hard to complete a deal for the youngster to show Cowley that they have faith in him and are willing to provide him with the tools he needs to be successful.
If the manager can get the players he wants in the door this summer, it will hopefully give the club are greater chance of securing promotion next term.
The £2.2k-per-week midfielder did not have a major impact at Fratton Park in the season just gone. He played 21 games in League One, with five starts, and scored one goal from midfield.
Although, it must be stressed that it was the 19-year-old’s first forage into senior football and the past few months could have been a great experience for him to make sure that he is ready to kick on next term.
Cowley clearly saw enough of him in training to believe that he can return in pre-season and progress into a valuable member of his team.
Improving all the time, he’d be another solid addition to their ranks next term.
AND in other news, Time’s up: Cowley must ruthlessly axe £4.3k-p/w Pompey dud after major transfer update…

A major update has emerged in Charlton’s reported transfer pursuit of Preston North End centre-forward Jayden Stockley.

What’s the talk?

According to Hampshire Live, Stockley has decided to sign for Nigel Adkins’ Charlton. The striker spent the second half of last season on loan to Charlton and is now set to return to The Valley for a second spell.

The report claims that Portsmouth had agreed a fee with Preston for the attacker, but Charlton are now in pole position to land Stockley on a permanent deal in the coming weeks. Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland and Ipswich are also named as teams who have been interested in Stockley.

Charlton appear to have beaten off competition from Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland and Ipswich, who could all be rivals for the Addicks in the promotion race next season. The sought-after attacker, Stockley, has seemingly chosen Charlton ahead of the others and may get the chance to explain his decision if the deal is officially announced this week, as expected.

Fans will love it

Charlton fans will love this latest update on the race to sign Stockley. The Preston man enjoyed a successful loan spell at The Valley and Charlton fans could now get a chance to see him play for the club in person if supporters are allowed back in grounds from the start of next season in League One, as expected.

This report suggests that Charlton fans will get that chance and Adkins could get a major boost to his squad heading into the 2021/22 campaign, as Stockley was exceptional for the club during his loan spell.

The £5.1k-per-week ace averaged a sublime WhoScored rating of 7.41 in League One during his loan spell as he scored eight and assisted two goals. This shows that he was able to perform to a consistently high level and that he suited Adkins’ style of play, which may be why he wants to come back to the club for a second spell instead of sealing a transfer to Pompey.

He also won an unbelievable 9.8 aerial battles per game, as he was able to provide a focal point for the Addicks at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, Stockley signing for Charlton on a permanent deal should be a massive boost for Adkins. He has proven that he is a top-quality player at League One level and understands what Adkins wants from his number nine, which means that he should not need any time to settle in.

Stockley could arrive for pre-season and hit the ground running as he will already know everyone at the club and will not need a period of adaptation that other potential signings may need. This is why fans will surely love this deal, as they know that a proven, quality addition is coming through the door.

AND in other news, Fresh twist emerges on “immense” £5.4k-p/w star that will leave Charlton fans relieved…

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in Mikkel Damsgaard…

What’s the word?

According to SampNews24, the North London outfit are preparing to launch a bid for the Sampdoria winger this summer, with him having been a target for several months.

It had previously been thought that the 20-year-old gem has been recommended to the Spurs hierarchy by former manager Jose Mourinho and star midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who has played with him on the international stage.

Now, following the arrival of ex-Juventus director Fabio Paratici, the Premier League side look set to revisit their interest in Damsgaard.

Sampdoria do not want to sell the Danish youngster but they could, according to the report, be tempted by an offer in excess of €20m (£18m), with Italian rivals Inter Milan and Juventus also keen.

Bye-bye Lamela

If Paratici launches a bid for Damsgaard, then you’d imagine it would almost certainly spell the end for Erik Lamela and his eight-year stint in N17.

The Argentine winger has been blighted by injuries throughout his time at Spurs. He has put on the Lilywhites shirt 257 times, averaging only 32 appearances per season, which is quite low when considering they have regularly been competing in Europe throughout that time.

In fact, as of April, he had missed a whopping 135 matches through injury, according to football.london.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-spurs-news-transfer-gossip-rumours-manager-update-fonseca-paratici-levy” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, manager gossip, transfer rumours, injury updates and more!”]

Lamela has attracted plenty of interest from Italy in the last few months, ranging from Bologna to Napoli, so he may not be short of suitors. And by signing the 20-year-old, he can finally be moved on after several disappointing seasons.

Damsgaard has been tipped for huge things in the future by those around him, including former Leicester City title winner Claudio Raineiri, who dubbed him a “child prodigy” in one interview, and claimed he would have a “big future” in another.

The young winger has been one of Sampdoria’s standout performers, especially in terms of excitement and work rate.

As per WhoScored, the Denmark international attempted a whopping 4.6 tackles per 90 minutes at a success rate of 45.6%, as well as topping the dribbling charts, with 4.4 attempts per 90.

Only one other La Samp star managed more than his four assists, too.

TV2’s football expert Martin Mikkelsen waxed lyrical about his qualities during commentary back in January this year, he said:  “He’s magical – what speed!” before adding: “He is dynamic and can go both ways. He is creative but also so mature in his decisions.”

Given Lamela’s injury problems and age, 29, it would make sense for Paratici to move him on this summer and in the £26m-rated Damsgaard, Spurs could get an ideal long-term replacement.

AND in other news, Levy was dealt yet another gutting manager blow before Fonseca move…

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has revealed Glasgow Rangers have closed the Old Firm revenue gap by a huge £48m.

The Lowdown: Rangers could be in for CL finance boost

Last term, the Gers won the Premiership title for the first time in 10 years, a huge achievement for the club from a sporting point of view.

However, financially, it could be even bigger, as their success means they will enter the Champions League in the third qualifying round – they are therefore just two rounds away from the lucrative group stages on the competition.

The Latest: Maguire provides update

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire has revealed the Gers have closed the gap to Celtic in terms of revenue by £48m, and could even overtake their fierce city rivals provided they do well in Europe. He said:

“The revenue gap was £59million between the two and now it’s decreased to £11m. That was without Rangers playing in the Champions League.

“They need just one good season where they are more successful in Europe. If they are in the Champions League and Celtic are in the Europa League, for example.

“We are reaching an intersection point if Rangers are successful in the preliminary rounds.”

The Verdict: The right direction

As has been well-documented, the Gers have had their finance difficulties this century. In 2012, they went into administration (BBC) and, as a result, they were demoted to the fourth tier of the Scottish footballing pyramid. It has taken them a long time to get back to where they belong.

Now, though, things are on the up. Success domestically is a building block for positive European runs. If the Gers do reach the Champions League group stages and Celtic fail to do so, that could put them in a very strong position for a good few years to come.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid as this video emerged.

Many Sunderland fans are desperate for the club to sign Giorgi Aburjania after the Black Cats were linked with a move for the Georgia international.

We are coming cloeer to the start of the 2021/22 campaign, yet the Wearsiders do not appear to be in the best position for the August kick-off. They have lost several players lately, including Josh Scowen, Grant Leadbitter and Max Power (The Northern Echo), while Charlie Wyke appears to be closing in on a move to Celtic (Football Insider). Not only that, they are yet to make a single summer signing as Lee Johnson’s side attempt to earn promotion to the Championship.

However, it does seem that they at least have some targets in mind. As per Spanish outlet Sport Cartagena, Sunderland are interested in signing 26-year-old midfielder Aburjania this summer. He has 22 caps for his country and currently plays in the Spanish second tier with Cartagena.

The news has been doing the rounds on Twitter and has attracted plenty of attention from Black Cats supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the links with the Georgian midfielder.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Aburjania rumour

“From these clips he looks solid defensively and can clearly pick out a pass. Looks very comfortable on the ball, doesn’t panic when pressured and can beat a few players also. This new scouting team may have found a gem here like.”

Credit: @Adamdoran97

“Random Georgian international I’ve never heard of…..this is exactly the sort of signing I love!”

Credit: @Hendo1980

“A central midfielder who runs towards the opposition’s goal at pace using skill and technique coming to Sunderland, what type of witchcraft is this. This has to be fake news. I will believe it when he’s holding the strip!”

Credit: @Lordanthony1978

“After watching clips he’s the midfielder we have lacked for years, someone who can dribble and run with the ball with power and speed. Bring him in with that United lad and Embleton we will be solid.”

Credit: @allinson_terry

“The only issue is a work permit and how long it would take to sort one with the new rules. Hopefully the club have all this in place”

Credit: @paulthomase

“Sounds very good and I think he will be a star player in League One. Looks the player we were lacking many years.”

Credit: @hautsi99

In other news, Sunderland want this Manchester United youngster.