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Lawrie Sanchez is confident that Chris Wilder would get West Brom promoted at the first time of asking, but has revealed he has a concern that the manager wouldn’t have the same “emotional connection” that he had at Sheffield United.

The former Blades boss has been out of management since his sacking at Bramall Lane earlier this year but is the favourite to become the new West Brom boss following the recent departure of Sam Allardyce.

Wilder took the Blades from League One to their highest Premier League finish last term, but paid the price for their struggles this season, which eventually culminated in relegation.

A report from the Telegraph earlier in May said that Wilder was set to hold talks with West Brom about becoming their new manager, although Frank Lampard and Barnsley boss Valerien Ismael are both in the running for the job.

West Brom are going to be amongst the favourites to win promotion straight back to the Premier League, but Wilder has experience of getting a team out of the Championship having led Sheffield United back to the promise land two seasons ago following their second-place finish behind Norwich.

But whilst he wouldn’t have the same ’emotional connection’ with the Baggies, Sanchez told Football FanCast that he would get West Brom promoted.

“If you get the team up you’ve got the golden ticket. It is the Willy Wonka golden ticket getting a team promoted, because what they see it hundreds of millions of quid.

“He’s got to be there or thereabouts. I’m sure he wouldn’t turn it down, but the only difference between Sheffield United and West Brom is that he had an emotional connection with Sheffield United, whereas West Brom is just another job. But I have no doubts that he would take them back up.”

Ex-Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Almen Abdi has criticised Carlos Carvalhal, claiming he ‘didn’t like’ his former manager at Hillsborough.

The Lowdown: Abdi flops at Sheff Wed

Abdi made the move to Wednesday from Watford back in the summer of 2016, in what looked like a good piece of business at the time.

The Swiss midfielder proved to be a hugely disappointing signing, however, making just 23 appearances in total and contributing little towards the Owls reaching the Championship playoffs in both 2016/17 and 2017/18.

Abdi eventually left Hillsborough in 2019, following a desperately underwhelming three years in Sheffield.

The Latest: Carvalhal blamed for struggles

Despite his struggles, Abdi appears to be placing the blame with Carvalhal, telling The Athletic that he never felt he was treated well by his manager at the time:

“The coach didn’t help me very much because I’d play two games, then the third, which I didn’t play well, so he’d drop me, then drop me again and after a while, you lose confidence.

“I needed a manager who trusted me, who believed in me, who pushed me. He (Carvalhal) didn’t do that. He’s energetic, he’s enthusiastic.

“He’s a really good coach and he did well. But he didn’t trust me. He didn’t like me and I didn’t like him that much. So it was really hard mentally. I was asking myself why? What have I done?

“I was one of the best players at Watford in the Championship and Premier League for the whole season and played almost every game.

“And suddenly, I’m not good enough to play for Sheffield Wednesday, with all due respect they had a great team but I wasn’t good enough.”

The Verdict: Hugely disappointing signing

In truth, it could be argued that both Abdi and Carvalhal are to blame for the former’s lack of impact, but the majority of it still lies with the player himself.

He never hit the heights that many expected of him and the likes of Sam Hutchinson, Barry Bannan and Kieran Lee were far more prominent players in the middle of the park.

Wednesday coped just fine without Abdi, so nearly reaching the Premier League in 2017, so he needs to accept that he was a major flop at the club.

In other news, one Sheff Wed stalwart has been linked with a summer exit – find out who it is here.

Many Wolves fans have been left to buzz as a transfer update emerged on Lee Kang-in.

As per Super Deporte, the Midlands club are currently watching the Valencia ace along with a whole host of other teams in Europe.

The La Liga side are open to selling him in the summer window, with the Molineux faithful knocking on the door for his potential signature.

Transfermarkt currently value him at £13.5m, but he could be sold for lower than his market value.

Given that he is just 20 years of age, and a number of top European teams, including the likes of Atletico Madrid, Fiorentina, Milan and Napoli are also interested in signing him, the Wanderers should seriously consider pouncing on what could well turn out to be an absolute bargain.

Wolves fans on Lee transfer update

These WWFC supporters buzzed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that the South Korea international would be a ‘steal’:

“See this is content we like to see Dave”

Credit: @cal_wolvesfc

“Huge dub”

Credit: @amreik

“Looks like a steal for around £10 mil”

Credit: @Joe_Callow_

“Straight swap with Mir I reckon….Poss we have to give a bit of £££. Left footed, creative, would be class in the role Lage played Joao Felix in at Benfica”

Credit: @dmarsden1988

“I love this guy, he’d be a great signing. Really talented dribbler and passer, offers creativity and plenty of dynamism, and on the cheap – would be a great signing for us. #wwfc”

Credit: @SamJGollings

“The scenes”

Credit: @Oli_Dorr

In other news, find out which £25.8m-rated ace Wolves are ‘leading the race’ to sign here!

Graham Roberts insists that the new Tottenham Hotspur manager will not want to sell Harry Kane, whomever they may be.

The club have been linked with a number of new managers in recent weeks.

Brendan Rodgers is said to have turned down a potential move to the club from Leicester City.

The Athletic have reported that Spurs had opened talks with PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino over a potentially sensational return to the club, while talks with previous frontrunner Antonio Conte broke down in a period in which a number of top managers, including Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid, left their posts.

Roberts, though, believes that a condition of any manager being appointed will be to keep Kane.

The England captain has asked to leave the club, per Sky Sports, but Roberts thinks he will have to remain in north London if a manager is to be willing to take the reins following the sacking of Jose Mourinho earlier this season.

He told Football FanCast exclusively: “Until the manager comes, we don’t know. If you’re Brendan Rodgers, the first thing you’re going to say is, ‘I don’t want Harry Kane to be sold’.”

Aston Villa can demand any fee they want for Manchester City target Jack Grealish this summer, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has warned.

Grealish continues to be linked with a move to Manchester City. In fact, ESPN recently reported that Pep Guardiola views the England international as important as Tottenham’s Harry Kane, another rumoured target.

The same outlet also claims that Villa value Grealish at £100m, and Palmer believes the Midlands club are well within their right to ask for that sort of money for their captain.

Speaking exclusively to TT about Grealish’s future, the ex-England player said:

“It’s very difficult to put a price on players. You’re talking about Jack Grealish, Villa are saying now he’s worth over £100m. You’re taking him into the Ronaldo bracket at that money.

“But, you know, he’s signed a new contract and they can ask for whatever money they want for him.”

For that kind of money, Grealish could find it difficult to secure a transfer before the start of the new season if he does really want out.

However, as Palmer mentioned, he signed a new long-term contract not too long ago, so it really is not unfair for Villa to ask for the fee that is currently floating about.

Celtic have been working on deals to sign both Sunderland striker Charlie Wyke and Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: McKay and Postecoglou’s Wembley meet up

New Celtic CEO Dominic McKay and boss Ange Postecoglou met in person in London on Friday, with the pair continuing to work on preparations for the new season.

The pair were also in attendance at Wembley, watching England against Scotland at the European Championships.

Current Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor played the entirety of the Group D stalemate, and it seems as if the Hoops were also busy on Friday when it comes to getting some new faces through the Parkhead door.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-6/” title=”Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Source shares transfer news

Former Celtic man and Football Insider pundit Frank McAvennie was talking to the site about the Hoops’ summer business in a story which was published on Friday.

Within that piece, Football Insider added that the club are working on deals for both Wyke and Ryan after being informed by a Hoops source on Friday.

Wyke is set to be out of contract at the end of month, whereas Brighton are happy to part ways with Ryan this summer.

The Verdict: New additions are needed quickly

Celtic have a month until Postecoglou’s first competitive game as Hoops boss against FC Midtjylland in the Champions League qualifying rounds, so new signings could do with being sealed very soon.

Postecoglou is also set to take training next week after completing his quarantine, so you’d think he’d want his targets through the door as quickly as possible ahead of the new season.

Wyke and Ryan appear to be the two targets Celtic are working on at this moment in time, and hopefully, deals can be reached sooner rather than later, perhaps with a view to getting both players ready to start in Postecoglou’s first competitive XI against FC Midtjylland.

In other news: Hoops expected to make offer for Exeter City ace, find out more here. 

Noel Whelan is enthused by the prospect of Leeds United acquiring young Celtic defender Leo Hjelde [Football Insider].

The Lowdown: Leeds United get ready for the 2021/22 campaign

Bringing in ready-made first-team talent will be key for Leeds to kick on and look even further up the Premier League table this term, but unearthing starlets with considerable potential may also be high up on Marcelo Bielsa’s priority list.

One prodigy who has been reported as a Whites target has been Norwegian Under-18 international Hjelde, who is in talks about a move to Bielsa’s side – he was previously labelled as ‘the next (Virgil) van Dijk’ by former coach John Hughes [Football Insider].

At 17-years-old, he has already been predisposed to first-team football on loan at Scottish Premiership side Ross County in 2020/21 [Transfermarkt].

The Latest: Whelan waxes lyrical over Hjelde’s potential capture

Inspiring Whelan to have his input, the BBC Radio Leeds pundit waxed lyrical over Hjelde’s potential arrival in Yorkshire in an interview with Football Insider, stating:

“When someone is coming out and saying he’s the next Van Dijk, wow, people will take notice.

“The fact that he’s already played first team football at such a young age is a testament to his ability.

“The scouts aren’t just looking abroad at £30million players. In this day and age, you can find some real rough diamonds.”

The Verdict: Hjelde would be an excellent Leeds signing

Pointing to the modern methodologies of recruiting talented youngsters, Whelan makes some credible arguments regarding talent spotting at elite clubs.

In terms of long-term progress, Hjelde could develop into an established Premier League player should an alleged move to Elland Road materialise, even if it takes a while before we see him make a real impact.

Within his temporary stint in the Highlands, the former Rosenborg man made 12 appearances [Transfermarkt], netting a crucial solitary goal for the Staggies in a crunch relegation fixture against Kilmarnock [BBC].

His Celtic future hangs in the balance, owing to the fact he only has 12 months left on his deal at Parkhead [Sportslens].

A rising star, Leeds United will be doing all they can to get the deal over the line, whilst they are said to be confident of landing his signature to boot [Sportslens].

In other news, Leeds United have been linked with a surprise swoop for a 17-goal striker.

Chris Wilder would have only taken the West Brom job if he was guaranteed full control, claims the club’s former midfielder Carlton Palmer.

Wilder was thought to be the leading candidate to replace Sam Allardyce before the Baggies turned to Valerien Ismael, with the Mirror previously reporting that the 53-year-old was close to being appointed as manager.

However, things broke down, and a conflict between ex-sporting director Luke Dowling and owner Guochuan Lai has been cited as the reason why, per The Athletic.

Palmer, though, feels there also would have been doubts on Wilder’s side, suggesting he would have wanted guarantees when it came to control over football matters, something that managers do not always get today due to the influence of directors of football and those in similar roles.

“I know Chris,” the ex-West Brom player said in an exclusive interview with FFC. “So I know he wouldn’t go into a situation in a football club if he wasn’t in control, that is for sure.”

As well as Wilder, West Brom also seemingly came close to appointing David Wagner, who is now managing Young Boys, so it is probably fair to say that the Baggies have had their setbacks this summer.

All in all, not the way any club would want to approach a new season, though there is still a while before things kick off, giving Allardyce’s successor plenty of time to have a look at his team and bring in new players.

Noel Whelan has backed Celtic to solve their centre-back issues by completing the purchase of heavily linked Hadjuk Split defender Mario Vušković.

The Lowdown: Celtic gear up for the 2021/22 campaign

As the Celts get their ducks in a row ahead of 2021/22, many onlookers will be keen to see what Ange Postecoglou has up his sleeve, with the new manager seeking to build a side capable of reclaiming the Premiership title at the first attempt.

Already busy in the transfer market, the Hoops have completed deals for English duo Joey Dawson and Liam Shaw from Scunthorpe United and Sheffield Wednesday respectively [67 Hail Hail].

The Latest: Whelan issues glowing Vušković verdict

Now mooted to be close to signing Croatia under-21 international Vušković [Daily Record], BBC pundit Whelan has issued a glowing response to latest developments.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Football Insider, the former Aberdeen striker stated:

“Celtic’s scouting network has always been excellent.

“Last season they changed it up a bit and went for experienced loan signings but it didn’t work out.

“They lacked something at the back last season so hopefully Vušković can solve that problem if he comes in. It was their biggest problem.

“Whether it was formation or personnel they could never find that happy medium at the back.

“They have made big profits off young players in the past and perhaps Vušković could be the next one.

“It could be a transfer that benefits the club both on and off the pitch if he comes in and does well. They need to get that wheel turning again.”

The Verdict: Vušković would be an excellent addition for Celtic

Whelan rightly alludes to the problems that Celtic suffered within their defence last season. They shipped a whopping 19 goals in six Europa League group matches and conceded more than twice as many as Rangers in the Premiership.

Primed to hopefully resolve the issue, Vušković made 33 appearances for Hajduk Split in 2020/21, managing four goal contributions in the form of two goals and two assists [Transfermarkt].

Possessing pace in abundance and comfortable on the ball (Daily Record), the 6 foot 1 colossus looks to be well-stocked with the capability to function within the high-octane style of football that Postecoglou prefers to execute.

With their season kicking off in just three weeks’ time in the Champions League qualifiers, Celtic should look to finalise a deal for the talented central defender without delay.

In other news, Celtic are plotting an ambitious swoop for a Serie A midfielder.

Patrick Vieira is on the verge of taking over at Crystal Palace and could have up to £80m to spend this summer, according to The Daily Mail.

And, as to be expected, a number of Eagles fans have been reacting to the news on social media.

It looks set to be third time lucky for Steve Parish and the Palace hierarchy when it comes to finding Roy Hodgson’s successor.

The Eagles came close with Nuno Espirito Santo and Lucien Favre, but it seems as if Vieira will be the man through the door at Selhurst Park.

He’ll have a busy few weeks before the start of the new season, with a significant player rebuild required.

The new Palace manager, according to The Daily Mail, is expected to have as much as £80m to spend on new players in the transfer window.

Palace fans react

Both @cpfc_xtra and @CPFCtransfersHQ shared the news on Twitter on Wednesday.

These Palace supporters were stunned at the claim…

“Can’t believe this. Would’ve thought if Favre was offered a kitty of £80m he’d of taken the job”

Credit: @smupp1

“My god”

Credit: @Kevbartleyy

“A what?”

Credit: @JoelGray_

“Where’d we get 80 million”

Credit: @Crypto_Horse28

“Huh?”

Credit: @cpfc_rozay

“Must of mistyped that”

Credit: @FiachraFurlong

In other news: Many Palace fans buzz at club’s interest in Borussia Dortmund man, find out more here.