كشف ماهر غريب، مدير إدارة الإعلام بنادي الزمالك، عن تفاصيل جديدة في ملف أحمد سيد زيزو لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالقلعة البيضاء، في ظل اقترابه من الرحيل.

وشهدت الفترة الأخيرة توقف مفاوضات الزمالك مع زيزو من أجل التجديد بعدما توصل لاتفاق مع الأهلي للانضمام لصفوفه نهاية الموسم الجاري وعقب انتهاء عقده مع الأبيض.

طالع.. أحمد حسن: محمد الشناوي يطلب الحصول على راتب مثل والد زيزو

وقال غريب، عبر قناة “دي إم سي”: “كان هناك اتصال بين زيزو وأحد مسئولي نادي الزمالك، قبل مباراة ستيلينبوش الجنوب إفريقي في بطولة الكونفدرالية بعد قرار استبعاد اللاعب من اللقاء”.

وأضاف: “زيزو أكد لمسئول نادي الزمالك بأنه على استعداد للتوقيع على عقود التجديد، لكن الأمر ليس بيده وحده لكن معه والده، وهذا شيء يحترم بشأن تقديره لوالده”.

وواصل: “اللاعب ما زال متواجدًا في صفوف الفريق ومرحب به في التدريبات وقرار المشاركة في المباريات بيد الجهاز الفني”.

وأكمل: “فكرة توقيع زيزو مع الزمالك صعبة وذلك بسبب بعض الشروط الجزائية في عقود تجارية وقع عليها والده، ومن الصعب أن يتحمل الزمالك تلك الأموال”.

وأتم: “من الصعب أن يعد الزمالك زيزو بدفع شرط جزائي يصل 4 ملايين دولار، وهو أمر سيخلق أزمة كبيرة في النادي”.

A significant update has emerged regarding the future of a “superb” Newcastle United player, with a £115m exit now being mooted in a fresh report.

Newcastle transfer news

Lots of transfer rumours continue to arrive regarding the Magpies, with Benfica centre-back Tomas Araujo linked with a big-money move to St James’ Park. Although Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles will both be back from injury soon, Eddie Howe is in need of more depth at centre-back, and the 22-year-old could be an ideal option to bring in.

Speaking of central defenders, Newcastle have even been backed to make a shock move for free agent and Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos. The Spaniard is an undoubted icon of the game, but his best days are now behind him, so a move for a younger alternative surely makes more sense.

Meanwhile, the Magpies are reportedly in pole position to secure the signing of Hertha Berlin youngster Ibrahim Maza, with the 19-year-old considered a player for the future and someone who could come in as a solid attacking squad option.

Randal Kolo Muani has struggled to set the world alight at Paris Saint-Germain, and he is another rumoured target for Newcastle, with a loan move in the January transfer window seen as a possibility. A new striker would be ideal midway through the season amid Callum Wilson’s proneness to injury and doubts surrounding the long-term future of Alexander Isak.

Newcastle could lose "excellent" £115m star

According to a new update from TEAMtalk, Chelsea have enquired about the availability of Newcastle star Isak, as they look to prise him away from St James’ amid his apparent reluctance to commit his future to the Tynesiders.

The report goes on to claim that the Magpies “would negotiate a potential transfer but only for a ‘monster offer’, with Eddie Howe’s side demanding that the bidding starts at a mammoth £115million”. Viktor Gyokeres is seen as an option to replace him, with the Sporting CP striker arguably one of Europe’s most in-form strikers.

It goes without saying that losing Isak would arguably be the biggest blow imaginable for Newcastle, with the Swede one of the Premier League’s leading attacking players.

Alan Shearer knows a thing or two about what makes a great striker, and the Magpies legend waxed lyrical over the current St James’ ace, saying: “He is just a constant threat all the time. His finishing is excellent and his penalty-taking is as good as they come. He is confident and cool and believes in everything he is doing.”

At 25, there is still so much more to come from Isak, which would make losing him even harder to accept for Newcastle, and while Gyokeres would be a great replacement – he has scored 16 goals in just 11 Primeira Liga appearances this season – keeping hold of the Sweden international is still preferable.

Newcastle actively working on deal to sign "elite" £84m player in January

Newcastle could improve their defensive options with this expensive capture.

By
Brett Worthington

Nov 24, 2024

The lure of Chelsea is obvious, considering they look more likely to offer Isak Champions League football than Newcastle, but this should act as a huge incentive for Howe’s side to enjoy a strong season and get back into Europe’s top club competition.

Newcastle United have reportedly made contact with a former Chelsea star whose sale has been green-lighted by his current club, according to reports.

Howe "disappointed" with Newcastle form as January approaches

Newcastle’s need for defensive reinforcements was clear for all to see at the weekend as the Magpies were thumped 4-2 by Brentford in the Premier League. A frenetic start at the Gtech Community Stadium saw both teams find the net within the first 12 minutes, with Alexander Isak canceling out Bryan Mbeumo’s opener.

The home side regained the lead when Yoane Wissa capitalized on an error by Harvey Barnes for his ninth goal in eight games, but the English winger redeemed himself soon after with a superb turn and finish to level. After the break, however, it was all Brentford, with goals from Nathan Collins and Kevin Schade sealing victory for the Bees and extending their unbeaten run at home this season to eight games. Speaking after the game, Howe highlighted his team’s defensive woes.

“Really frustrating,” he said. “We are really disappointed with the manner of the goals we conceded. It is not even individual mistakes. There’s two or three actions I’m not happy with for each goal. We have to do better in those situations.”

Magpies open talks for Barcelona defender

To help fix their issues at the back, Newcastle have now opened talks for Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen about a potential move to St. James’ Park in January, according to CaughtOffside. The publication claims that Barca are open to selling the former Chelsea star, who joined them on a free transfer in July 2022 and is now in the final year of his contract.

The Catalan club don’t want to lose him on a free next summer, so he could be made available for around £25 million after the New Year.

Christensen had been a key player for Barcelona since his arrival at the Camp Nou, but he’s played just 26 minutes of football this season due to an achilles tendon injury, for which he underwent surgery in Sweden. He is expected to return at the end of January.

Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel once described Christensen as a clever defender after the Dane enjoyed a strong start to the 2021/22 season with the Blues.

“He’s a calm guy, very intelligent player, and sometimes you can get maybe a bit misled by judging him from his personality, because he is a hard defender and he is a guy who is not shy to have hard tackles and win challenges and step up in games,” said the German.

“He is very strong, very reliable and he has not reached his limits because at his age there is still room to improve. He can be a top defender for us in the next years and hopefully he will be because he comes from the academy.”

Should Newcastle want to land the Dane, however, they face competition from Manchester United, who are understood to have already put in an early £12.5 million offer for the 28-year-old.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have sold some key players over the past two summer transfer windows. It has certainly had a knock-on effect for Gary O’Neil’s side, who are struggling this term, albeit while having now won their last two Premier League games.

Indeed, whilst they made a healthy profit from those departures, they have no doubt halted the team’s progress under both former managers and current boss O’Neil alike. In 2023, Portuguese midfield duo Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes departed the Old Gold.

In the most recent summer, Max Kilman was one of the detrimental departures, given he was club captain and a key component of their defence.

However, perhaps the most impactful sale has been that of Pedro Neto.

Neto’s Wolves career

Despite an injury-riddled time at Molineux, Portuguese winger Neto was superb for the Old Gold. He signed for the club from Italian side Lazio, for a reported fee of £14.1m in August 2019.

It is fair to say that the tricky winger’s time at the club was a success. He played 135 times for the club, scoring 14 goals and grabbing 24 assists in that time.

His best campaign was in 2023/24, where the Portugal international scored twice and grabbed nine assists in just 20 games.

Sadly, injuries did play a part throughout his time in the Midlands. He had a total of seven injuries across his four years at the club, leading him to miss several lengthy periods of time. That included 297 days and 52 games for club and country with a knee injury.

However, the winger bounced back well from his fitness issues, and his form earned him a £54m move to Stamford Bridge to join Chelsea. He has played 15 times for the Blues so far, scoring three and assisting three in that time.

Neto was certainly a major sale for the Old Gold and is no doubt a player they miss this season. Worryingly, there could be someone else who follows in his footsteps and leaves the club for a large fee.

Wolves’ next big sale

The player in question here is Rayan Ait-Nouri. The 23-year-old wing-back has been superb in a largely poor season for the Old Gold so far, continuing his impressive form from the past few seasons. He cost the club £9.5m from French side Angers in 2021, after spending the previous campaign on loan from the club.

He has been sensational for O’Neil’s side in 2024/25. The Algerian international, who was described as “underrated” by football analyst Ben Mattinson, has played 12 times in the Premier League, scoring three goals and grabbing two assists. That included a goal and assist against Brentford in a losing cause, a game that ended 5-3 to the Bees.

There can be statistical comparisons made between the Wolves defender and some of the most enterprising attacking left-backs in world football. One of those is AC Milan and French defender Theo Hernandez, who has two goals and two assists in ten Serie A games this term.

The pair are both the types of full-backs who often act like wingers, and with their creative flair it might not be surprising to see their passing stats are so similar, as noted on FBref.

This term, Ait-Nouri averages 1.08 key passes and 3.24 progressive passes per game, with the Milan star slightly more, playing 1.62 key passes and 4.73 progressive passes. The Old Gold defender has even more impressive stats when you consider he is playing for a relegation-threatened team.

Stat (per 90)

Ait-Nouri

Hernandez

Progressive passes

3.24

4.73

Key passes

1.08

1.62

Assists

0.2

0.27

Passes into final third

2.25

4.59

Passes into penalty box

0.69

0.81

Defensively, the two left-backs are neck and neck again. The Wolves number three averages 3.24 tackles and interceptions and 4.61 ball recoveries. In comparison, Milan’s French full-back averages 2.43 tackles and interceptions and 4.86 ball recoveries.

It is certainly possible that Ait-Nouri could be the next big Wolves sale. Given he is statistically similar to Hernandez, his valuation could follow the same trend. The Frenchman is worth £50m as per Transfermarkt, and GiveMeSport have previously suggested Wolves would want £60m for their Algerian star.

Losing their number three would be a blow for O’Neil’s side after so many of their other stars have departed over the past two years, and they will no doubt be doing everything they can to hold onto him.

Wolves could make Cunha a monster by appointing 4-3-3 O'Neil successor

Wolverhampton Wanderers are keeping their options wide open in potentially replacing Gary O’Neil.

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MatériaMais Notícias

Além de jogadores como Didira e Marco Túlio terem destacado a importância do jogo desta quarta-feira (16) onde o CSA recebe o Paysandu, em Maceió, pela Copa do Brasil, quem tratou também de frisar a relevância do embate foi o atacante Lucas Barcelos.

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Baixe agora o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

Pontuando que o aspecto do nível de concentração deve fazer a diferença no duelo considerado como equilibrado, Lucas também ressaltou que a pressão exercida pela torcida do Marujo também deve ser considerado como elemento importante na busca da vaga:

-É um jogo entre duas equipes com jogadores experientes e em uma competição diferente. Os detalhes contarão muito. Temos que estar atentos a eles. Precisamos entrar com concentração máxima do início ao fim para chegarmos ao objetivo, que é a classificação.

-Sem dúvida, a torcida terá papel fundamental durante os noventa minutos. Tenho certeza que eles estarão com a gente do início ao fim. Vamos precisar muito deles – agregou.

Além da qualificação, o time que se classificar no embate a ser realizado às 21h30 (de Brasília), no Estádio Rei Pelé, garante uma premiação mínima de R$ 1,9 milhão.

Allan Saint-Maximin seemingly sent a cryptic message to Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese coach dropped him from the squad for Rangers clash.

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• Saint-Maximin dropped by Mourinho
• French winger posted cryptic message on his social media
• Fenerbahce signed ex-Newcastle man on loan last summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Allan Saint-Maximin appeared to send a cryptic message to Fenerbahce head coach Jose Mourinho after being left out of the squad for the Europa League round of 16, second-leg clash against Rangers. The French winger posted a subtle message on his Instagram account, fueling speculation about his future with the team.

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• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The former Newcastle United player was signed on loan from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli last summer, with Mourinho counting on him during the first half of the campaign. However, Saint-Maximin wasn't named in three of the last four Fenerbahce matchday squads. The latest omission, ahead of the second leg of the Europa League round of 16 against Rangers, came on the Frenchman's 28th birthday on Wednesday. Rangers won the first leg 3-1 at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, with Saint-Maximin brought off the bench in the second half.

• WHAT ALLAN SAINT-MAXIMIN SAID

  “It will take more than that to bring me down…When lies take the elevator, truth takes the stairs; it takes longer but it always arrives in the end. If God is with us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31,” Saint-Maximin posted on Instagram (h/t Sport Witness).

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR FENERBAHCE?

  Fenerbahce will travel to Scotland on Thursday, hoping to overturn a two-goal deficit in the second leg against Rangers. In the Turkish Super Lig, Mourinho's men are currently occupying second place on the league table, seven points behind Galatasaray, albeit with a game in hand. They will take on third-placed Samsunspor on Sunday, March 16.

Second straight loss for defending champions CSK as Super Giants steal it at the close

Hemant Brar31-Mar-20221:57

Jaffer: Super Giants can’t drop Lewis for Stoinis now

KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock set the platform with a 99-run opening stand, Evin Lewis smashed an unbeaten 55 off 23 balls and Ayush Badoni played a cameo towards the end as Lucknow Super Kings chased down 211 with six wickets and three balls to spare. It was the sixth instance in seven games this IPL that the chasing side won the match.Earlier, Super Kings never took their foot off the pedal after being put in. Robin Uthappa struck a 27-ball 50, which included eight fours and a six, and Shivam Dube smashed 49 off 30 to help the side to a formidable 210 for 7.Super Kings, though, were aware it wasn’t necessarily a winning total. The conditions were dewy – the umpires changed the ball in both innings – and Super Kings were without Adam Milne, who missed out because of a side strain.It came down to Super Giants needing 34 from the last two overs. Ravindra Jadeja then handed the ball to Dube, who hadn’t bowled until then. And it showed. Badoni started the over by moving across and sweeping him over square leg for six. The next two deliveries were wides, and the last three were right in the slot for Lewis, who smashed them for 4, 4, 6.With nine needed from the final over, Mukesh Choudhary also bowled two wides before Badoni pulled him over backward square leg to level the scores. Two balls later, he hit the winning run to give Super Giants their first win.Uthappa, Moeen give Super Kings blazing start
Rahul had a big smile on his face after winning the toss but it didn’t last long as Uthappa hit Avesh Khan for two fours on the first two balls of the innings. That set the tone of the innings.Two balls later, Avesh pinged Uthappa on the helmet but when he tried another bouncer, to end the over with, it sailed over for four byes. In the second over, Uthappa flicked Dushmantha Chameera, first for a six and then for a four, and by the end of two overs, Super Kings had 26 on the board.Ravi Bishnoi’s brilliance in the field – a direct hit from backward point to run out Ruturaj Gaikwad – did give Super Giants the breakthrough but not the respite. Uthappa continued in the same vein, striking four fours in Andrew Tye’s one over, and Moeen Ali, who had opened his account with a hooked six off Avesh, smashed 4, 6, 4 off Krunal Pandya’s successive balls. At the end of the powerplay, Super Kings were 73 for 1.Dube keeps the fireworks going
Bishnoi once again provided the breakthrough, this time by trapping Uthappa lbw with the one that skidded off the surface and beat the batter with the pace. But Dube, promoted to No. 4, kept the scoreboard racing. He hit Chameera for three fours in four balls, and Super Kings crossed 100 in just 9.1 overs.Moeen fell to Avesh for 35 but with the dew set in by now, it didn’t get any easier for Super Giants. Dube’s hitting, coupled with some sloppy fielding, meant runs kept flowing.Rahul introduced Deepak Hooda into the attack but Dube didn’t hold back even against the offspinner, hitting him for a four and a six. His innings came to an end when he holed out to long-on off Avesh while attempting another big hit.Dhoni applies the finishing touch
MS Dhoni came to the crease with Super Kings 189 for 4 in 18.2 overs and straightway forehanded Avesh over extra cover for a six. It was the first time in the IPL that he hit a six off the first ball he faced. The next ball he carved over backward point for one-bounce four. Tye dismissed Jadeja and Dwaine Pretorius off successive balls in the final over but Dhoni wrapped up the innings with yet another four, which also brought him 7000 runs in T20 cricket.MS Dhoni scored a six-ball 16•BCCIRahul, de Kock start in style
Super Giants needed a quick start, and Rahul and de Kock gave them exactly that. Against the inexperienced new-ball pair of Choudhary and Tushar Deshpande, they hit eight fours and two sixes in the first five overs.Jadeja turned to Bravo for the sixth over and he almost removed de Kock but Moeen dropped a straightforward catch at mid-off. The next three overs featured two sixes, three fours, and Deshpande shelling a tough chance off Moeen to reprieve Rahul. At the halfway stage, de Kock was on 51 off 35 balls, Rahul on 40 off 35 and Super Giants on 98.Lewis steers Super Giants home
Pretorius ended the opening stand by dismissing Rahul, with Ambati Rayudu running sideway from backward square leg and taking the catch over his shoulder. Manish Pandey fell soon after, which left Super Giants needing 97 from the last eight overs.Lewis hit Deshpande for a four and six to keep the asking rate under control, but Pretorius struck again – de Kock top-edged a pull and Dhoni settled under the swirler.Lewis and Hooda kept the chase alive, both muscled a boundary each off Dwayne Bravo in the 16th over. Pretorius gave away only nine in the 17th and Bravo, after getting hit for a six, sent back Hooda in the 18th. Super Kings might have fancied their chances at that stage but a 25-run penultimate over by Dube dashed their hopes.

Kylian Mbappe has reacted to surpassing Ronaldo Nazario as the Real Madrid superstar closes in on a remarkable Cristiano Ronaldo achievement.

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Mbappe flying at Real MadridHit 31 goals in debut campaignSet to top both legendary Ronaldo namesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Mbappe took his goalscoring tally to 31 across all competitions with a brace in Real's 2-1 win against Villarreal on Saturday. It was the Frenchman's 19th and 20th strikes in La Liga, an impressive achievement considering he took a few games to settle in Madrid after his summer move.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The worldwide superstar has stolen the headlines following Madrid's important win as they look to defend their La Liga crown, surpassing the legendary Ronaldo Nazario's final total of 30 in the 2002-03 campaign and closing in on Cristiano Ronaldo's 33 in 2009-10. Despite the achievement, Mbappe was humble enough to admit he is not on the pair's level even if he does end up beating them both.

WHAT MBAPPE SAID

Speaking to club media after the Villarreal win, he said: "They're legends who have defined an era. It's important, but it's all about numbers. If I score more goals than Ronaldo and Cristiano, it doesn't mean I'm bigger, it just means my first season is going better. The important thing is to help and win titles. Scoring goals is important, but even more so if we win LaLiga , the Champions League , and the Copa del Rey."

(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

After an important win to take Los Blancos top – albeit perhaps on a temporary basis with Barcelona having two games in hand – Mbappe will likely settle down to watch rivals Barca and Atletico Madrid go head-to-head on Sunday night before jetting off to captain the French national team after being recalled by head coach Didier Deschamps.

Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin exhibited their mastery at a pivotal moment in the game to ensure Rajasthan Royals successfully defended a strong total, set up by Jos Buttler’s 68-ball century. This meant a second straight win for Royals and a second straight setback for Mumbai Indians, known to be slow starters.This was one Mumbai would be particularly disappointed with because they were in control of the chase going into the last six overs, after Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma hit half-centuries to leave them needing 65 off 36 with seven wickets in the shed. After that, though, they lost three wickets for two runs over the next seven balls against spin as the chase derailed.Kieron Pollard kept hopes alive by biffing a few blows at the close, but an excellent penultimate over from Prasidh Krishna that went for just ten – no boundary was conceded – left Mumbai needing 29 off the final over. Mumbai just found one more boundary as Pollard kept finding the fielders, before the match ended with Buttler fittingly taking a catch to remove him as Mumbai fell short by 23 runs.The Ashwin-Chahal strangle
It’s unlikely the two would have been given four overs between them in the last ten overs had this been a night game. The absence of dew meant Sanju Samson could play around with his spinners and hold them back, and he did so superbly by bowling Chahal with the long boundary to the leg side, forcing batters to hit him against the turn.First, Chahal had Tim David lbw with a slider that fizzed through the deck in the 16th over. Off the next ball, he had Daniel Sams with a fine cocktail of dip and drift. Sams heaved it to the leg side and was caught smartly by a back-pedalling Buttler from midwicket. Chahal nearly had a hat-trick; it wasn’t to be because M Ashwin was put down by wrong-footed Karun Nair at slip. But, by then, the pendulum had swung the Royals’ way.Only an over earlier, the 15th, R Ashwin had dismissed Tilak Varma for a 33-ball 61 a delivery after the 19-year-old had reverse-swept him for a six. Ashwin responded by slowing it down significantly and beating the batter in flight as the stumps were knocked back to elicit a roar and a send-off.1:40

Did Chahal make the big difference in the end?

The Kishan-Varma partnership
Mumbai lost Rohit Sharma and Anmolpreet Singh early, but Kishan and Varma ensured they kept up with the steep asking rate by playing sensibly, especially at the start of their stand. They showed the maturity in knowing they had the games to accelerate later, thereby giving them an opportunity to set up shop.From time to time, Varma picked the boundaries, and along the way also exhibited some languid stroke-making ability. The one off Navdeep Saini, which he punched on the up to clear long-off, was a stunner.At the other end, Kishan was at his industrious best. Running hard, using his feet to spin, bringing out calculated hits without being reckless, and in the process, raising a half-century before Varma got there. The pair went on to add 81 off just 54 balls to set Mumbai up before they unravelled quite uncharacteristically.Buttler fantastic, Buttler tactful
Much before the Royals spinners left their mark, Buttler provided a treat to the 15,000 fans who had turned up on a hot afternoon at the DY Patil Stadium. He was caught by a Jasprit Bumrah toe-crusher early on, but soon found his bearings when he launched into Basil Thampi for three sixes and two fours in the bowler’s only over, inside the powerplay.Where Bumrah and Tymal Mills hit hard lengths, Thampi went full and was clobbered, as Buttler cleared his front leg and made merry. This forced Rohit to dig deep into his bowling reserves early in the game, and having Pollard cover up the remainder of the overs through the innings.Buttler was impressive against spin, too. At one point, with deep point set for the reverse, he outfoxed Mumbai by backing away outside leg to loft M Ashwin repeatedly over cover. Then, when deep point was moved to sweeper cover, he brought out the reverse hits.Jasprit Bumrah was exceptional, returning 3 for 17•BCCI

He found some solid company in Samson, who got himself in quickly to make 30 before falling to Pollard. Shimron Hetmyer provided some late fireworks, laying into Pollard in his final over to disturb perfectly acceptable bowling figures until then: 3-0-20-1 ended up being 4-0-46-1.Bumrah’s comeback
A week after a nightmarish start to his season, where his figures read 3.2-0-43-0, Bumrah bounced back in style, as his second spell late in the innings prevented a late Royals surge. The three best overs for the Royals batters had totalled 73 runs. Bumrah’s four went for just 17, and brought the wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Hetmyer and Buttler.Those of Hetmyer and Buttler in the death overs brought Mumbai right back in the game, as the Royals looked set to soar past 200, but finished with 194. At the break, Buttler said he wasn’t sure if it was a good score or not because of the short boundary on one side, but their spinners used the long boundaries to perfection to close out an impressive win.

It did feel written into the script that Gary O’Neil was going to be axed as Wolverhampton Wanderers manager eventually, even with the Wolves board giving him a vote of confidence after a barrage of losses.

A last-gasp loss to relegation rivals Ipswich Town proved to be the final straw, as Jack Taylor’s dramatic header caused a chorus of boos to fill Molineux at the final whistle, with brawls involving Wolves players souring the mood even more at the close of the tense clash.

Now, it’s up to a fresh face to pick up the Premier League strugglers and breathe life back into proceedings away from O’Neil, with one name looking more likely by the day to be his immediate successor.

The next Wolves manager

That face is Vitor Pereira, with Sky Sports News reporting now that the current Al-Shabab boss is nearing a deal to become the next Old Gold manager.

This would make sense as the struggling club’s next appointment, as Wolves are known to favour Portuguese imports, as seen in previous managers such as Nuno Espirito Santo and the make-up of much of the squad.

But, nothing is set in stone until an official announcement is out in the open, with the managerless Old Gold also reportedly looking at this EFL experienced boss as their next man for the dug-out.

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Wolves' "excellent" Pereira alternative

As per football journalist Ben Jacobs, John Eustace is “in the frame” to be Wolves’ next manager after the disastrous end to O’Neil’s time in the West Midlands, with the 45-year-old currently succeeding at the helm of Blackburn Rovers.

Already well known to football fans in the Midlands region for his time at Birmingham City, the Old Gold hierarchy could well swoop in last minute to hand him the reins over the inexperienced Pereira if that move doesn’t go to plan.

Eustace was a steady presence at St. Andrew’s during some turbulent recent times in Birmingham’s history, so he could well be the desired figure Wolves need for some momentary calm, having overseen 21 wins in charge of the Blues before his dismissal then signalled relegation for the club.

He has since bounced back from that controversial sacking, as the popular 45-year-old has steered the Riversiders into a surprise playoff spot this season to date, with a remarkable defensive record on display that would lend itself well to the leaky Wolves back four.

1. Luton Town

2-0 win

2. Sheffield Wednesday

1-0 win

3. Hull City

1-0 win

4. Leeds United

1-0 win

5. Middlesbrough

1-0 win

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Amazingly, Blackburn have picked up six wins on the trot in the unforgiving division of the Championship, with zero goals shipped across their last five victories against some tough opponents in the form of Daniel Farke’s Leeds United and Rob Edwards’ Luton Town.

With Wolves conceding goals for fun as of late near the foot of the Premier League, having now shipped an abysmal 40 strikes, Eustace could well be an unflashy appointment that works for Wolves in their short-term dismal situation, away from tempting Pereira to leave Saudi Arabia for a relegation battle.

Rightfully praised for his heroics in Lancashire so far this season, with equally glowing words coming his way from football journalist Alan Biggs during his stint at Birmingham who labelled the 45-year-old as “excellent”, the time could be right for him to win himself a Premier League calibre job post.

It does seem likely that the Wolves hierarchy will go in a different direction by appointing Pereira, but for some stability in what is a basket-case time at Molineux, the Old Gold would do far worse than to hand Eustace the role instead.

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