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Sunderland have been guilty of surrendering plenty of money on decidedly talentless individuals, with plenty of high-profile blunders over the last decade.

However, other than the obvious candidate in Jack Rodwell, one of the most expensive has to be Papy Djilobodji.

Signed for an initial £8m fee in 2016, the Senegalese centre-back was coming in to replace the much beloved Younes Kaboul.

He arrived with a high pedigree and had just helped Werder Bremen escape a similar relegation scrap during a successful loan spell. Hoping to complete a similar feat with the Black Cats, he made the move and signed on for a £35k-per-week deal.

Just 24 appearances and a relegation later, he was swiftly cemented as one of their worst ever signings.

Having featured just 18 times during that ill-fated season, the 33-year-old was dribbled past 0.8 times per game and only kept one clean sheet.

In total, he cost the club £9.5m during his miserable 109 weeks at the club, which ended as sourly as was expected after a loan spell with Dijon in France.

Djilobodji had dropped down the divisions with them and remained on big money, so to see him eventually sacked after reporting back for pre-season late and failing his fitness test was disappointing.

It meant that the Wearside outfit could recoup no fee for the defender who had already cost them so much, and left the owner at the time Ellis Short rather short-changed.

Sunderland journalist James Hunter outlined one of the many examples of his “awful defending” in a tweet, as his side were on the wrong end of a 4-1 drubbing to Burnley.

It was a horrendous acquisition and one that has to go down as one of the worst alongside another defender, Emmanuel Eboue.

The former Arsenal full-back suffered a similarly horrific (and short) spell at the club, signing in March 2016 before having his contract terminated by the time that same month was up.

He was, at least, brought in on a free in this instance, so the fact he did not feature once makes it easier to swallow. Like Djilobodji, he too was sacked, due to a suspension from FIFA.

The former Chelsea man was hands down the worst signing out of the pair of them, however, simply due to his hefty price tag.

He missed plenty of matches, and when he was available his performances were evidently below par. He cost them big money for their status and played a large role in their relegation. Sunderland certainly had a howler with this deal.

Leeds United suffered their first defeat of the new Premier League campaign at the weekend as they were beaten 1-0 by Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.

Jesse Marsch was tactically outclassed by Seagulls boss Graham Potter and you can’t help but feel as if the Whites were just lacking something in the attack.

Their prospects certainly changed after the introduction of summer signing Luis Sinisterra from the bench.

It was the second outing in a row that the Colombian winger looked like a bright spark and you’d have to wonder why he wasn’t started, particularly as Dan James’ struggles continued.

‘Another who made a difference when he came on. Direct running helped Leeds bypass Brighton’s press. Came closer to an equaliser than anyone else,’ Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Graham Smyth wrote in his post-match ratings column.

In just half the time on the pitch, Sinisterra fired off more shots, managed one fewer pass and had one big chance missed, in comparison to James, via SofaScore.

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Life after Raphinha has so far looked good despite the Welshman’s struggles – after all, this was their first loss from four and they thrashed Chelsea 3-0 last weekend.

The Brazil star sealed his dream move to FC Barcelona after he finished as Leeds’ top goalscorer and most creative player (1.8 key passes per game) last term.

Sinisterra was signed as his replacement in a £21m deal from Eredivisie side Feyenoord, where he scored an eye-catching 23 goals and laid on 14 assists in the very same campaign, as per Transfermarkt.

So he really ought to be starting for the Whites.

James has failed to score in his last 17 league appearances for Leeds, meanwhile, Sinisterra has already scored for his new club, firing a rocket in past Barnsley in the Carabao Cup, where he also provided an assist.

Once described as “really exciting” and as a “mouth-watering prospect” by former shot-stopper Paul Robinson to Football Insider, it’s clear that Sinisterra should be playing in the starting XI every weekend.

Marsch is merely holding his side back by not playing the summer signing.

AND in other news, Leeds eye late swoop for “brutal” 68-goal machine, could be bye-bye Dan James…

West Bromwich Albion are back in action this afternoon with a home clash against Hull City in the Championship as the Midlands club aim to get their first league win of the season.

The Baggies’ previous league outing saw them draw 0-0 against Cardiff City in midweek.

In terms of what Steve Bruce’s starting XI could look like, one man who has yet to make an appearance in the league this season and who we feel should be unleashed today is Taylor Gardner-Hickman.

Despite not making a league appearance so far this term, the 20-year-old did play the full 90 minutes of the Baggies’ 1-0 win over Sheffield United in the Carabao Cup earlier this month.

During this game, the right-back managed to show just what he is capable of producing in an attacking and defensive sense.

From a defensive point of view, he made two clearances and four interceptions and won four tackles, not getting dribbled past on even one occasion and winning nine of his 11 duels, more than any other Baggies defender throughout the game.

In terms of his attacking output against the Blades that night, Gardner-Hickman made five key passes, created three big chances and successfully completed four of the five dribbles that he attempted.

This performance ultimately earned the 20-year-old an impressive match rating of 8.9 from SofaScore, making him the highest-rated player across both teams.

Bearing in mind how Darnell Furlong failed to make even one key pass or one successful dribble during the 0-0 draw against Cardiff, this could persuade Bruce to give Gardner-Hickman his first taste of league action in 2022/23 and take the 26-year-old out of the team today.

The Baggies boss has previously shared his admiration for the youngster, having described the 20-year-old as “terrific” since Bruce’s arrival at the club.

Taking all this into account, Gardner-Hickman certainly has what it takes to not only help his team avoid conceding goals with his defensive talent, but also terrify Hull with his evident attacking capabilities.

With that in mind and his presumed eagerness to get his first league start of the season and show Bruce why he should be a regular starter, the Albion boss should put the youngster into the starting XI for today’s clash against the Tigers.

Football is one of the most popular sports in the world for many good reasons. Not only does it have a very long history, but it also entertains people pretty much everywhere in the world. Because football is already so popular, it might not be a surprise that betting on football is very popular as well. Because of this popularity, more people are interested in trying it, but it’s important that they know how to do so in a safe way.

Most football betting has moved online. This has opened completely new possibilities for experiences. Now players can find a free no deposit casino bonus even for betting, and many other great possibilities. Because online betting has made betting more accessible, it’s even more important that the players know how to bet safely. This is where our article will become helpful for you.

Choose a safe betting site for playing

In order to be able to bet in a safe way online, you need to choose a safe website to bet on. The internet is full of different options when it comes to betting online, so you can be sure that there are many completely safe options.

There are many different guidebooks and comparison services that can help you to find safe betting sites easily. Usually, you simply need to make sure that a couple of things are in place, such as a gaming license, and you can be quite sure of the website’s safety.

If you don’t want to search for safe betting sites yourself, you can also use review websites. These websites often have a separate safety section. This way you can easily find out whether that site should be trusted or not.

Learn about different ways to bet

Before you place your bets, you should learn about different ways to bet. If you have never played sports betting, it might even surprise you that there are many different ways that you can place your bets. The most traditional way to bet on football matches is by betting on which team will win.

Still, it’s important to know that this is not the only way. You can also bet on the overall number of scores or whether a certain team will score more or less than a certain number. The way you bet has an effect on how you should use tips, so it’s important to learn as much as possible about the different forms of betting.

Once you know how you want to bet, on which site, and on which football matches, you can learn better how to use tips. Therefore it’s a good idea to figure out the other aspects before looking into tips.

Remember to stay updated on all football news

How you should place your bets in any specific game is affected by many things. Different choices you make have an effect on this, but there are also many external things that also have an impact.

As a result, it’s crucial that you are always up to date on football news. Since football is such a popular sport, there are many different media available where you can find football news. You can find platforms that focus more on overall football news as well as niche information.

Safety and mobile betting

Not only has online betting become increasingly popular, but especially mobile betting has also made its way up on the popularity scale. Most bettors even prefer betting on their mobile phones, which is not surprising. It can be done from anywhere, and the quality is almost identical.

Regardless of whether you are interested in mobile betting or betting on a computer, safety is always just as important. Thankfully, there is an easy rule of thumb for ensuring safe mobile betting. As long as you choose an gambling site that is licensed, either nationally or internationally, you can be more sure that the website is legitimate. Then you just need to ensure that you bet in a safe and responsible way.

Responsible betting should be always kept in mind

Talking of responsibility, this is one of the most important things when it comes to safe online betting. Responsible betting means the type of gambling that is always under control. All of the safe and high-quality betting sites have separate tools for responsible betting, such as help-lines and unhealthy gambling awareness links. Therefore, you can easily learn about responsible betting even before you place your first bets.

Once you know to bet responsibly and safely, you can start having fun with football betting. Use all the tools and tips available online, and you can get the most out of your experience.

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One of the surprise rumours of the transfer window thus far has seen Glasgow Rangers linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund starlet Giovanni Reyna, with the teenager tipped to join the Ibrox outfit on a loan deal.

Although the move is said to be “extremely unlikely”, the player does seemingly have a strong connection to the club, with his father – Claudio – having spent two years with the Old Firm outfit, playing alongside current boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst in that time.

The bond between the two men reportedly led to Reyna Sr. naming his own after his former teammate, with Van Bronckhorst likely to be fully aware of the £42k-per-week youngster’s burgeoning talent.

Despite his youth, the 19-year-old has been a firm fixture of the Dortmund first-team over the past few years, having already racked up 76 appearances for the German outfit thus far, netting nine goals and providing 12 assists in that time.

Dubbed “special” by former boss Lucien Favre, the Sunderland-born, USA international is one of a number of promising young talents that the Bundesliga side possesses, having been part of the club’s youth academy after joining from New York City FC in 2019.

Another of that crop of emerging stars at Westfalenstadion is Jude Bellingham, with the Gers potentially able to land a player in a similar mould to that of the former Birmingham City man by signing his current colleague, Reyna.

Not just two exciting prospects at the same club, the pair also share a number of statistical and stylistic similarities, according to FBref.

While the American gem typically takes on a more advanced role than his England counterpart, the duo appear to have similar attacking traits regardless, with Reyna ranking in the top 1% for progressive passes received and touches in the attacking penalty area, while also ranking in the top 3% for dribbles completed in comparison to those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues.

The record of Bellingham is almost identical – albeit while having played significantly more minutes than his teammate – the 19-year-old ranking in the top 3% for all three metrics.

It is the latter man who has undoubtedly achieved greater acclaim in their respective careers thus far, with the Stourbridge-born menace having been lauded by international colleague Jack Grealish earlier this year, the Manchester City maestro admitting it is “scary” how good the starlet is at such a young age.

That being said, if afforded more game time next season at Ibrox after only making ten league appearances for Dortmund last term, Reyna could well begin to truly blossom in his own right, eventually becoming a leader-like figure for the Glasgow side as Bellingham already is for their current club.

It may be something of a pipedream to think that the forward could arrive in Scotland, although if sporting director Ross Wilson can make it happen then it would no doubt be a notable coup.

AND in other news: Van Bronckhorst can unearth his own Bernardo Silva with “dream” Rangers swoop for “fantastic” gem

Nottingham Forest managed to turn around what started out as a rather dismal 2021/22 season into what ended as very special one with Steve Cooper managing to get the club back to the Premier League.

One figure that played a big part in Forest’s campaign was Djed Spence, who joined the club during the previous summer transfer window on a season-long loan from Middlesbrough.

With 46 appearances under his belt, the right-back scored three goals and delivered five assists along the way.

In the 39 Championship games he appeared in, the 21-year-old made 65 interceptions and won 38 tackles in addition to having 22 shots at goal and delivering 82 crosses in total.

Since then, it has been reported that the full-back is of interest to Tottenham Hotspur, which could dash any hopes Forest had of securing a permanent deal for the defender.

With that in mind, one other figure that the Midlands club have been linked with that could be an ideal replacement for the Englishman is Nahuel Molina.

After starting his career in Argentina, the 24-year-old joined the Italian club back in September 2020. Since then, the £18m-rated right-back has made 68 appearances for the club in which he’s scored ten goals and provided ten assists.

In the 35 Serie A appearances he made last season, the Argentine made 35 interceptions and won 26 tackles, highlighting his clear defensive talent.

However, his attacking prowess was on full show as well as he racked up the second-highest number of crosses delivered (83) and shot-creating actions (75) made in the Udinese squad.

In fact, a goal he scored back in April was described as “beautiful” by journalist Sanny Rudravajhala on Twitter.

This shows just how much of an asset he would be to Forest and why they’d be able to forget about Spence should they be able to get Molina through the door this summer.

Forest and Cooper should definitely do all they can to get the Udinese full-back to make a move to the Midlands given how much talent he has up and down the pitch.

The chance at playing regular football in the Premier League for a big club like Forest should work in their favour when it comes to convincing the player to join them this summer.

AND in other news: “Advanced talks”: Sky Sports journo drops claim that’ll leave Forest supporters gutted

Wolverhampton Wanderers are among the clubs interested in signing Sporting Lisbon midfielder Matheus Nunes, according to a report from Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Rise to prominence

Signed by Primeira Liga side Estoril in 2018 from Portuguese minnows Ericeirense, Nunes continued on a pathway to stardom when making a switch to Sporting just six months later.

Since then, the Brazil-born star has directly contributed to 15 goals in 99 outings, lifting the Portuguese League Cup twice, the domestic cup once and the top-flight title in 2020/21.

With the future of Ruben Neves in doubt at Molineux beyond this transfer window, Bruno Lage now appears to have set his sights on an international teammate as a possible replacement…

The latest: Wanderers named

As per Foot Mercato, translated by SW, Wolves and Fosun are ‘ready to bet big’ on Nunes this summer and have even made an approach already.

It’s claimed that the Midlands club, Newcastle United and Everton all have an interest in the eight-cap Portugal ace whilst Manchester Cty have also recently been linked.

The report also states that Sporting have ‘refused an approach’ worth €45million (£39million) from an unnamed Premier League outfit for the 23-year-old heralded as ‘one of the best players in the world’ by Pep Guardiola following a UEFA Champions League round 16 tie in 2020.

The verdict: At all costs

Already heavily indexed to Joao Palhinha, Wolves are rightly wasting little time in planning for life after the hotly sought-after Neves.

During 2021/22, Nunes scored five times and registered four assists in 50 appearances across all competitions, earning a 6.98 Sofascore rating whilst winning 6.5 duels on average per league game in the process, illustrating a combative prowess to accompany an eye for goal.

Even at the mooted €60million (£51.5million) asking price, signing the renowned Portuguese playmaker would be a worthwhile move from the Wanderers hierarchy regardless of what happens with Neves, Palhinha and Joao Moutinho alike as Lage and Fosun look to develop the squad further and take the club to the next level.

In other news… Wolves are reportedly in negotiations to sign an exciting new striker.

Crystal Palace could soon agree a deal for Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure after holding further talks with the French club. 

The lowdown

Palace are going in search of their first signing of the summer as they look to arm Patrick Vieira for his second season in charge.

They’re in the market for central midfield reinforcements, with Conor Gallagher headed back to Chelsea after his season-long loan move and Cheikhou Kouyate’s future uncertain following the expiry of his contract.

Doucoure played most of his football last season just in front of the defence as a no. 6, but he can also operate in a more advanced role in the middle of the park.

He joined Lens from Malian football club AS Real Bamako in February 2018 and has gone to make 131 appearances for the club, including 34 (33 starts) in the league last season.

The 22-year-old has two left years on his contract with the upper-mid table outfit and is valued at £13.5million by Transfermarkt.

The latest

The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones reports that ‘a deal is thought to be close’ after a fresh round of negotiations between the two sides.

Vieira knows Doucoure from his time as a manager in Ligue 1 with Nice and is confident that he’s well-suited to English football.

Steve Parish, Dougie Freedman and Co would apparently regard the signing as a major coup, should they successfully complete it.

The verdict

Doucoure isn’t necessarily a midfielder who will score goals or provide assists – he’s only managed 15 G/A at Lens – though he does rank in the 75th percentile among positional peers in the top five leagues for shot-creating actions, so you would say he still makes a noticeable attacking contribution (via FBRef).

His main strengths are his ability to progress the ball through passing and carrying (he ranks in the 93rd percentile in both departments). Out of possession, he reads the game well, averaging 2.26 interceptions per 90 minutes (84th percentile).

In terms of profile, he’s similar to Chelsea’s Jorginho and Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka, and so he’d be expected to add real class and steel at SE25.

According to talent scout Jacek Kulig, ‘smart scouting clubs’ will have identified Doucoure as a ‘combative, intelligent and consistent’ talent. What’s more, team-mate Seko Fofana has billed him ‘a complete player’, while journalist Alex Lowy has marvelled at his ‘incredible’ performances.

You can see why Palace would be so pleased to get this one over the line.

In other news, Palace are eyeing two Manchester United players.

Liverpool have a track record when it comes to securing transfers for fledgling players such as Harvey Elliott, Fabio Carvalho and Ben Doak.

Now that the summer transfer window is in sight, it seems as though the Merseyside club have their eyes on securing yet another teenage talent for their ranks.

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What’s the news?

After being recently linked with a move for Aberdeen’s 18-year-old right-back Calvin Ramsay, journalist Fabrizio Romano discussed the matter during a recent episode of Rio Ferdinand’s FIVE podcast.

The transfer expert said: “Calvin Ramsay is a full-back from Aberdeen, really interesting player, born in 2003, he’s a player that they are scouting, following and monitoring so that could be an option for Liverpool.”

A product of the Scottish club’s youth system, the teenager has gone on to make 39 senior appearances for Aberdeen across all competitions. This shows just how highly he is rated by Pittodrie, having seen so much first-team action at such a young age.

In those appearances, Ramsay has scored one goal and delivered nine assists along the way, showing that he has a knack for making a difference when surging up the field.

To further highlight his attacking talent, only one other Aberdeen player (Jonny Hayes) delivered more crosses in the Premiership this season than the teenage starlet’s 154.

From a defensive point of view, the youngster made 22 interceptions and 14 tackles in 24 league appearances, showing that he can be a useful figure at both ends of the pitch.

Labelled an “unbelievable” player by sports journalist Ryan Taylor, Ramsay could well be the next teenage talent to make the move to Anfield and potentially become a first-team option for Klopp in the same way that Elliott has.

If Liverpool’s scouting team feel that the Aberdeen gem is worthy of a potential transfer to Merseyside, the Reds could find themselves with another future star on their hands.

It seems highly unlikely that Trent Alexander-Arnold will see his place in the first team under threat any time soon, but if Ramsey does join Liverpool and continues to progress at such a quick rate, he could well become an ideal backup for the Englishman in the future.

In other news: Klopp now plotting Liverpool bid for “complete” £30m target, he’s “like Yaya Toure”

Celtic have reportedly had a bid rejected for Caen striker Alexandre Mendy, according to a reputable French outlet L’Equipe. 

The lowdown: Career so far

The 28-year-old has spent his entire career in France so far, becoming somewhat of an eternal loanee, racking up 54 senior goals in 207 appearances across numerous spells out on loan as well as permanent stints at Bordeaux, Nice and Guingamp.

Mendy arrived at his current club Caen from Bordeaux in 2020 on a free transfer and has since shone for the Normandy based Ligue 2 outfit.

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Now the Guinea-Bissau international could be set to leave for domestic action elsewhere for the first time…

The latest: Bid made

As per reputable French source L’Equipe, Celtic have seen an initial offer of €3million (£1.5million) rejected by Caen.

The report claims that a number of other clubs are vying for the seven-cap ace’s signature but it’s the Hoops who have made the first move ahead of the summer transfer window.

It’s stated that the side currently sitting eighth in the French second tier would negotiate ‘in the event of a higher offer’ for their talismanic frontman, who was hailed as ‘very strong’ by former Bordeaux manager Jocelynn Gourvennec.

The verdict: Ange not messing around

This season, Mendy, who can also operate as an attacking midfielder and out wide, has scored 16 times and provided one assist in 30 Ligue 2 outings, all while earning an impressive 7.04 average rating and winning an outstanding 4.7 aerial duels on average per game (Sofascore). To put that in perspective, that’s more goals and headers won than Giorgos Giakoumakis.

However, unproven outside of the lower reaches of French football and already 28, upping the current offer would enter the realm of taking a risk with a portion of Ange Postecoglou’s summer budget.

Whilst the Bhoys must find suitable recognised centre-forward backup for Giakoumakis and Kyogo Furuhashi, the Greek-Australian boss has already proven to be a shrewd operator in the transfer market, so upping the bid on a player with plenty of unknowns could be a questionable decision.

Either way, to see the boss and club chiefs acting so decisively with summer targets is a positive, giving supporters hope that whatever the result of these talks, plans for the transfer window are already in action.

In other news, Frank McAvennie is in awe of one Celtic player’s development. Find out who it is here.