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During the back end of last season, influential winger Pedro Neto fractured his Patella during the club’s 1-0 win against Fulham, and Wolves legend Steve Bull fears the winger may not get back to his best form for another two years, comparing him to teammate Jonny Castro who suffered a big setback after his own serious injury.

It would be a massive blow for new manager Bruno Lage as Neto finished last season with the most goals and assists for Wolves as they limped to a poor 13th place finish in the Premier League, compared to previous successive top-half finishes.

Neto was often the most consistent winger for Wolves with both Adama Traore and Daniel Podence failing to perform on a regular basis despite showing their talents in flashes, which saw Neto linked with a big-money move to Manchester United because of his consistent performances.

It was widely expected that Neto would spend a long amount of time out of the Wolves side, but Bull believes that the winger may not be able to get back to his performances pre-injury for another two years, something he spoke exclusively to Football FanCast about:

“First and foremost, we’ve got to get Pedro Neto back and fully fit because it’s going to take longer than what you’d think with that sort of injury. Jonny had his and came back too quick and he’s been out for more or less two years. Pedro’s not long had his operation.”

Neto was able to receive the ball and effortlessly glide past defenders which he did 60.7% of the time as he dribbled past 79 players, the second most for Wolves, only behind Traore whose game is all about getting to the byline and past players.

Lage will know it’s a problem he must overcome in pre-season to figure out how to play without Neto and if he is not going to be on top of his game for two years, then he could think to bring in a new winger if there is no guarantee that Neto will come back the same player.

Luke Edwards has dropped a big claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United as news emerged on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

The Lowdown: KSA on priority watch list

As per The Athletic journalist Matt Slater, the KSA are staying on the US government’s priority watch list for Intellectual Property (IP) theft for the third straight year.

Slater claimed that this is ‘not a good look’ for the Saudis’ quest to prove they are taking digital piracy seriously, given that they want to invest in football, most notably the KSA group wanting to buy the St. James’ Park faithful off of the hands of Mike Ashley.

The Latest: Edwards reacts

Quoting the tweet from Slater, Daily Telegraph journalist Edwards has since given his reaction to the news, claiming that he does not think Ashley will win the pending arbitration case between him and the Premier League over the failed takeover in the North East by the KSA consortium.

He also claimed that the takeover ‘collapsed ten months ago’ in his opinion, in other words saying that he cannot see a way back into the Tyneside club for the Saudis.

The Verdict: Takeover not done yet

While the latest news with the KSA is alarming, it does not mean that a takeover of the Magpies can be ruled out just yet.

The result of the arbitration hearing will likely give a much clearer picture over the direction of where the potential deal is heading, and Ashley would not have pursued with the case if he was not at least somewhat confident of winning it.

Still, even if the Toon do not end up winning the case, then they still have the anti-competition lawsuit that they launched separately against the top flight to fall back on, which could present the potential takeover with a new pathway.

Nonetheless, Ashley and NUFC will not have given up hope of winning arbitration just yet, as the legal battle with the division looks set to be an intriguing one.

In other news, find out which ace Callum Wilson dubbed ‘unbelievable’ Newcastle are eyeing here!

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to announce former Juventus chief Fabio Paratici as their new sporting director in the near future, and he will have one monumental job on his hands.

The North London outfit have appeared to be in freefall ever since losing the Champions League final to Liverpool.

Mauricio Pochettino was sacked, Jose Mourinho has come and gone, Harry Kane wants to leave, and there’s a new low of being in the Europa Conference League next season.

Having won 19 trophies in 11 years in Turin, the Italian talent-spotter is in for one hell of a task at Spurs, where a piece of silverware has escaped them for 13 years.

Paratici could bolster his impact immediately by making one major decision within the current squad, however.

Since the end of the 2020/21 season, a lot has been made on the future of right-back Serge Aurier.

Football Insider claimed last month that a return to former club Paris Saint-Germain was ‘95%’ done, with the Lilywhites set to clinch £20m-plus for his signature.

It has since gone quiet on the situation but comments from the player himself have emerged in the last week or so. During an interview with L’Equipe, the 28-year-old claimed:

“Everyone knows that if I wanted to extend my contract at Tottenham, I’d have already done so. I’m not going to do that in six months’ time. I’ve experienced the Premier League and a Champions League final. I’ve reached the end of a cycle and it’s time to look elsewhere.”

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That is him practically saying his time at Spurs has come to an end, so it’s now on Paratici to generate as many funds as possible from his exit.

This could be a blessing in disguise for whoever takes the helm next season, with Spurs still on the search for Jose Mourinho’s successor.

As perfectly put by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher earlier in the year, Aurier is “one of the biggest liabilities in Premier League football” and is “a player who would possibly put you off management with the amount of crazy decision he makes.”

It’s not the first time that the 66-cap Ivory Coast international has been described in this manner as he clearly makes these mistakes regularly. Two former Spurs players have previously echoed Carragher’s thoughts.

Jamie O’Hara tweeted that Aurier was an “absolute liability” during their defeat to Leeds earlier in the season, whilst over a year ago, Darren Bent lambasted him as a “liability” too.

Considering he is amongst the current high-earners at the club, earning a reported £120k-per-week, Paratici must absolutely look to move him on as one of his first pieces of business.

Valued at £18m, the incoming sporting director should be able to generate a decent amount from his departure this summer. If he does, then it’ll certainly be the perfect start to his reign in North London.

AND in other news, Journo reveals fresh twist in Spurs’ manager search that’ll surely leave fans thrilled…

Borussia Dortmund forward Jadon Sancho is on Liverpool’s list of potential summer arrivals, according to journalist Christian Falk.

The Lowdown: Sancho exit possible

The 21-year-old has continued to excel for the Bundesliga giants this season, scoring 16 goals in all competitions and outlining his reputation as one of Europe’s best young players.

Sancho continues to be linked with a summer exit from Dortmund, however, with a return to England looking most likely should he leave Signal Iduna Park.

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The Latest: Liverpool again linked with move

Speaking to Bild [via Sport Witness], Falk confirmed that Sancho is being viewed as a possible summer signing by Liverpool, although they aren’t alone in showing in interest in him. The journalist outlined:

“That is indeed, true, Liverpool are looking at Sancho again.

“He is on the list, especially because they don’t know what will happen with Salah, who is always a bit on the move and thinking about a transfer.

“Chelsea are also very interested, as we have reported, and also Spain lures him again and again.

“If Salah were to be sold or he says he doesn’t want to be at the club anymore then there would surely be movement on Sancho with Liverpool.”

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The Verdict: Future superstar

Sancho is a special young talent who has already achieved so much at the top level, making 135 senior appearances for Dortmund and winning 18 England caps by the tender age of 21, so it is only natural that the Reds’ rumoured interest should be seen as hugely exciting.

Eventually, Jurgen Klopp will need to find long-term replacements for Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, with the pair both turning 30 next year.

If Diogo Jota is the man to potentially fill the Mane-shaped void over time on the left, Sancho could then be Salah’s successor, wreaking havoc on the right wing by combining electric pace, quick feet and consistent end product.

The forward has 50 goals and 63 assists for Dortmund, which speaks volumes about his quality, but whether or not Liverpool can afford to sign him this summer without selling one of their main assets is debatable – Sancho is valued at £90m by Transfermarkt.

In other news, there has been a key update on Liverpool’s pursuit of one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Ange Postecolgou has been asked if he’s been offered the chance to become Celtic’s new manager by reporter Dan Orlowitz.

The Lowdown: A busy few days…

Celtic’s search for a new permanent boss has taken plenty of twists and turns in recent months, however, the last few days have been manic.

The Hoops were thought to be closing in on Eddie Howe, only to see a deal dramatically collapse on Friday afternoon due to budget, backroom staff and personal issues.

Hours on from the development, Celtic were thought to be in advanced talks with Postecolgou, who took charge of Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos on Sunday.

The Latest: Postecolgou’s response

Postecolgou guided Yokohama F. Marinos to a 2-1 win over Shimizu S-Pulse to take the club 15 points behind leaders Kawasaki.

As to be expected, he was asked about a potential move to Scotland after the game. This is what Orlowitz posted on Sunday morning, admitting the 55-year-old refused to comment on a move to Parkhead and insisted he was focused on his role with Yokohama F. Marinos.

“BREAKING: In response to my questions, Ange Postecolgou won’t comment on whether or not he’s been offered Celtic job, says he’s focused on his current job at Marinos.”

The Verdict: Not a surprise…

It’s not a shock to see Postecolgou batting off any questions regarding Celtic without a real answer.

It seems as if he may well be the man in the Celtic Park hot seat next season, though, and a deal for the Australian could prove to be a huge gamble by the Hoops board.

Fergal Harkin, who looks set to become the club’s new director of football, maybe the driving force behind a move for Postecolgou. Yokohama are part of the City Football Group, so Harkin, Manchester City’s football partneerships manager, likely knows him very well.

Considering Howe appeared to be Celtic’s main target for a number of weeks, a move for Postecolgou has appeared to gather pace quickly, but after the Howe disaster, the new candidate keeping his cards close to his chest is a good thing.

The Hoops have reportedly been tracking Postecolgou for months, so it seems as if they know just what they’ll be getting, however, it’s obvious he was never the club’s first choice, so it’ll be interesting to see how he may fare in Scotland.

In other news: Celtic still hold interest in Scottish Premiership ace, find out more here. 

Sunderland fans appear to be very happy after Lee Johnson revealed ahead of the Blackpool clash that Dion Sanderson will not miss the rest of the season as initially expected.

The Black Cats’ hopes of automatic promotion are in trouble following a couple of disappointing results. First, they were beaten by Charlton Athletic 2-1 before losing by the same scoreline to Wigan Athletic, who are currently struggling to stay in League One. They currently trail second-placed Peterborough United by five points with six games left to play (BBC).

They were then hit with another blow when it appeared Sanderson would miss the rest of the season due to injury (Roker Report). However, prior to the Wearside outfit’s clash with Blackpool this weekend, manager Johnson has revealed Sanderson should be fit before the end of the season (James Hunter).

The news appeared to please the club’s supporters, and they were quick to take to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts on the matter when the news broke.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Sanderson news below

“Just save Sanderson until the play offs. No need to risk him in the next 6 games”

Credit: @SAFCNewsFeed

“Needs to get himself to Seaham hall for a couple of weeks”

Credit: @AdrianMagson

“Ah – so him being out for the season was just a lie? Gotcha.”

Credit: @LeBenjiboo

“better off resting him than trotting him out there injured…looked off the last 2 matches”

Credit: @Spina13Colada

“Oh thank goodness for that”

Credit: @bamgboyeolu

“YESSSSSS”

Credit: @KINGMAGUIRE1

In other news, Kevin Phillips is delighted with this Kyril Louis-Dreyfus update.

Tottenham Hotspur legend Gary Mabbutt has told Football FanCast that plans will be in place for Gareth Bale’s future as his loan spell at the club comes to an end.

The winger returned to the club from Real Madrid in the summer.

He has gone on to make 29 appearances in all competitions, scoring 11 goals, but the spell is coming to an end, with just five games of the season remaining.

It remains to be seen what will happen next, with Bale himself saying that his plan was to return to Spain, before his agent felt the need to clarify the comments and claim that they had been taken out of context.

Spurs are reported to have an option to keep him for another season and Mabbutt thinks that decisions will already have been made for the Wales international.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “Of course plans are in place. You’ve got a player that in two months’ time is going to be in limbo and due to be going back to Real Madrid after a one season loan.

“He’s come back and people will be debating about Gareth Bale’s impact at Spurs.”

Bale took some time to get up to speed at Spurs but Mabbutt has also hailed the impact the superstar has had on the dressing room.

“The bringing back on loan of Gareth Bale from Real Madrid had a massive impact in that respect within the dynamics of the dressing room.”

Teemu Pukki continues to make Celtic’s decision to sell him in 2015 look like a humongous error six years later.

The Finnish striker was jettisoned from Parkhead by former boss Ronny Deila after failing to find his best form in the Scottish Premiership.

Indeed, he could only find the net on nine occasions in 38 appearances with the club following his arrival from Schalke 04.

Moved onto Brondby for a reported £600k after just two years as a Bhoy, Pukki has continued to plunder goal after goal. He was lethal in the Danish Superliga and then continued that rich form in both the Championship and Premier League with current employers Norwich City,

Since departing the club on a permanent deal, the now 31-year-old has scored 124 goals. For comparison, current Hoops forward Odsonne Edouard has found the net on just 82 occasions in the same period, albeit having only arrived at Celtic in 2017.

Pukki’s performances only seem to be improving as he ages. He has already scored 22 goals in the league this season, just seven goals fewer than his lethal 2018/19 campaign. He has a further seven league games to beat that haul.

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Pukki’s displays also continue to draw praise from his manager. Norwich boss Daniel Farke has hailed the striker as “unplayable” throughout the 2020/21 campaign.

He is now rated at £6.3m as a result, indicating just how much he was undervalued by Celtic.

With the Canaries now look set to seal a return to the Premier League with yet another promotion, Pukki is once again set to be a top-level forward.

Should he equal or even better his last season in the Premier League then that will only continue to prove that Celtic made a huge error in selling him for what now looks like a pittance of a fee.

AND in more news, take a look at which current Premier League star the Hoops will also regret not keeping…

Frank McAvennie has exclusively told Football FanCast that West Ham captain Mark Noble would be “annoyed” if David Moyes ever opts to pick a youngster instead of him while Declan Rice is out.

The Hammers have one of the most settled midfield partnerships in the Premier League in Rice and Tomas Soucek, but the former has been ruled out for around four weeks with a knee problem sustained on international duty.

Prior to West Ham’s game with Wolves last week, the pair had played every minute in the Premier League season, with that run finally coming to an end at Molineux.

Mark Noble was the obvious choice to replace Rice, with 21-year-old Conor Coventry, who was an unused substitute for the recent defeat to Manchester United, their only other senior recognised central midfielder in the squad following the summer departures of both Carlos Sanchez and Jack Wilshere.

But McAvennie told Football FanCast that playing a youngster ahead of Noble wouldn’t sit well with the Hammers skipper:

“Nobes would be annoyed at him because you automatically want to get in.

“Sometimes you say ‘right Nobes, you go and sit in in front of the centre-halves and don’t let them get in’. But it’s so defensive. Because it’s so good to watch West Ham at the moment because they’re so quick and lively.

“They’ve got players there, it’s how they do it. Do they bring Nobes in or bring a youngster in and play the same way, that’s why David Moyes is given the big bucks. I know for a fact that Noble will want to play, but whether he can or not I don’t know.”