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This article forms part of our Profit Players feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.

Walter Zenga was a busy man in the summer of 2016, signing 10 players in one month for Wolves after he became their manager on July 30th (as per BBC).

Among the last batch to arrive just before the August 31st deadline (as per BBC) was midfielder Romain Saiss, who signed from French club Angers for a fee of £3.6m, according to TransferMarkt.

BBC reporter Mike Taylor wasn’t wholly unconvinced by Wolves’ scattergun approach in the market that summer, saying: “How much value they will get for their money will not be clear for some time. If things go well, Wolves could have a midfield full of continental flair, but it will be a challenge to get the best out of those players in the gruelling Championship once the days grow short.”

Zenga’s stay at Molineux was decidedly brief, with the Italian sacked after just three months in charge, but Saiss would have far greater longevity in the Black Country.

He was by no means a fixed presence in Wolves’ line-up in his first season at the club, starting 19 Championship games and coming on in five more, but once Nuno Espirito Santo pitched up at Molineux in the summer of 2017, the fortunes of club and player would accelerate rapidly.

Saiss made 42 league appearances (37 as a starter) in the 2017/18 campaign as Wolves romped to promotion back to the Premier League after a six-year absence, the Moroccan chipping in with four goals and impressing sufficiently to make his country’s World Cup squad, featuring in two games at the tournament in Russia.

In preparation for Wolves’ top-flight return, Nuno brought in a multitude of players that summer, including midfielders Joao Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker. [via TransferMarkt]

The heightened competition for places had an impact on Saiss’ involvement in the team, featuring in just half of their Premier League games last season and starting only 12.

However, he applied himself very diligently whenever he was on the pitch – only three Wolves players won more aerial duels per game last season than the Moroccan’s 3.2, while he was also in the top five for tackles (2.1) and interceptions (1.4) per game. [via WhoScored]

Despite those impressive figures, he appeared to be on his way out of the club at one stage this summer, with Turkish journalist Sercan Dikme tweeting in August (via @sercan_dikme) that representatives from Besiktas were negotiating a potential transfer with Wolves.

The 29-year-old stayed put, though, and is on course to feature more prominently this season, with six Premier League starts and six Europa League starts (between qualifying and group stage) to his name already, as per TransferMarkt.

Saiss has made his mark in the latter competition, scoring the equaliser in last week’s 2-1 win away to Slovan Bratislava, and is one of only four players still at the club from the first half of the 2016/17 season. He has again displayed his aerial ability this term, winning 2.9 headers per game – only Willy Boly has a better average, as per WhoScored.

Zenga may have barely had time to organise his desk at Wolves, let alone build a legacy, but his fleeting era has left behind a lasting presence in Saiss, who has repaid his reported £3.6m transfer fee with eight goals in 110 appearances following Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Newcastle.

The most recent of those helped Wolves to an away win in Europe, something that would have seemed rather far-fetched when he came to a club that finished 14th in the Championship the season before his arrival.

Wolves fans, do you think Saiss has proven to be excellent value at a reported fee of just £3.6m? Have your say by commenting below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Out of sight, out of mind.

That’s pretty much been the case for Tendayi Darikwa this season.

Having been a regular in the team last campaign, racking up 31 appearances across all competitions, he has been out of action so far having sustained an injury in pre-season.

Watch Nottingham Forest Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, the right-back couldn’t give a timescale on his recovery, but said that things were going well:

“It’s a long-term injury, so it’s slow progress. But I’m happy that I am making progress. The main thing is just to stay focused on the rehab – do everything that the doctors and the physios are telling me to do.

“Hopefully I can then get back at the back end of the season. We haven’t put a timescale on an exact return date just yet, because it’s still so early. But I’m hopeful, with a bit of good luck and a lot of hard work, I might get lucky and play a few games.”

By the sounds of it, he doesn’t sound too confident in being able to make it back this season if he is talking about being lucky to play games.

Given that reports suggest that Carl Jenkinson’s current injury could keep him out for longer than expected, that leaves Forest without a recognised full-back in their ranks.

The question if you are Forest, is do you keep things the way they are and hope that Darikwa will eventually find his way back to full strength sooner rather than later? Or do you put this season down as a write-off and go after someone in January?

It’s something that could certainly be a big dilemma for the club heading into the next couple of months.

Matty Cash has got off to a great start so far this season filling in that role, with one goal, two assists and four clean sheets but you can only play with fire for so long.

They don’t even need to go into the transfer market to search for bodies, with Sabri Lamouchi reportedly happy to give players in the academy a chance this season, that might be the route he is forced to take.

What option he does select will be fascinating to monitor.

Arsenal have been asked to pay the asking price of €100m (£86.3m) for RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano, according to The Athletic.

The question is, do the Gunners need him?

Unai Emery’s side have been linked with the Frenchman for the majority of the summer after having a £55m bid previously rejected. Despite this, Arsenal bolstered their defence with the addition of the 18-year-old Saint-Etienne centre back William Saliba, only for the Frenchman to return to Les Verts on a season-long loan.

So why are Arsenal trying to sign another centre back? Is he needed?

Here’s why Unai Emery already has his very own Dayot Upamecano at the club.

During the 2018/19 campaign and in the 16 games that he played, Saliba averaged two tackles per game and 2.7 clearances, along with an average of 1.8 interceptions and a passing accuracy of 85.6%. Saliba has received praise from some of the most iconic figures in Europe. Former Chelsea and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho described him as being exactly like Kurt Zouma, who has won the Premier League twice with the Blues. per RMC (via talkSPORT).

The Gunners were looking for a long-term replacement for the former skipper Laurent Koscielny and believe that Saliba is the answer. With Hector Bellerin injured, the 18-year-old also has the versatility to play in the right-back role which will come as a huge advantage in terms of Arsenal’s defensive squad depth.

As eye-catching as his statistics appear, it’s difficult to ignore what Upamecano has achieved in the past 12 months. However, they do not compare to Saliba in any way.

As a 19-year-old, the RB Leipzig centre back featured 15 times in the German Bundesliga and averaged 1.5 tackles, 2.2 interceptions, 1.1 fouls, 2.9 clearances and was shortlisted for the 2018 Golden Boy award last season. He achieved a passing accuracy of 82.5% which was not as high as his fellow countryman.

Unai Emery has to be given credit for snatching the 18-year-old away from the French-outfit for such a low price, considering the inflated rate suggested to them for Upamecano. With Saliba edging out the 20-year-old in almost every defensive area, Arsenal already have their very own Upamecano on their hands, without buying him.

As David Ornstein from The Athletic said, there does not appear to be any urgency in going after a centre half at this stage due to the options that the club already has. The club should follow their gut and wait for the arrival of Saliba next summer instead of paying millions for another defender.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Sheffield Wednesday hosted Everton in the Carabao Cup third round on Tuesday night as both teams took a short break from league action.

The Premier League outfit ran out 2-0 winners at Hillsborough thanks to a brace from former Blades striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

New appointment Garry Monk made eight changes to the team that salvaged a point against Fulham on Saturday with this being just his third game in charge.

The 48-year-old evidently wanted to see the peripheral members of his squad in competitive action for the very first time, even so, that may have been his first significant error as Owls boss.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He may be unbeaten after two matches in the Championship, but it is still too soon to judge. Therefore he should be trying to get fans onside at the earliest opportunity and fielding a more competitive team against Everton may have paid dividends.

The Toffees are struggling as of late in the Premier League having recorded back-to-back losses, so they were there to be got at – even if Marco Silva named a relatively strong starting XI; he made just five changes.

That train of thought was further proved in hindsight as the home side weren’t exactly swept off their feet like Nottingham Forest were against Arsenal, they could have actually got something from this match.

Wednesday recorded more shots than their top-flight opposition by having nine attempts and they even restricted them to just three efforts on target all game – two of which ended up in the back of the net, but that’s the difference between the elite and the second tier. Teams take their chances.

Two of the Owls’ most influential players started the game on the substitutes bench in Steven Fletcher, who has scored four goals this season and Kadeem Harris, who has been an essential attacking outlet for them recording one assist while averaging 1.1 crosses per game.

Given that Everton have leaked nine goals in their last four Premier League matches, it would have made sense to play the top-scorer in the team. It certainly would have given them a better fighting chance.

If the south Yorkshire club fails to make the playoffs under Monk, they could well look back upon this match and wonder why a cup run couldn’t at least have occurred.

View this post on InstagramGreat victory yesterday!!A post shared by joaomoutinho8 (@joaomoutinho8) on Oct 4, 2019 at 6:52am PDT

View this post on InstagramGood job by the team to go after the three points all the way to the end. Let’s go Wolves! ?A post shared by Adama Traore Diarra (@adamatrd37) on Oct 3, 2019 at 12:59pm PDT

View this post on InstagramWhat a Thursday evening in Istanbul!!!!!!!!!! Always fighting till the end!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ??????A post shared by Jonny Otto (@jonnyotto19) on Oct 3, 2019 at 1:31pm PDT

A number of Wolves stars were buzzing after beating Besiktas, and their posts on social media reflect the changing mood around the club after their second consecutive victory.

Previously supporters had to endure weekend after weekend of their men posting about sticking together and moving forward, so it will be a welcome change to see the squad being able to post after a great win.

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West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini has been speaking about midfielder Manuel Lanzini ahead of his side’s clash against Manchester City on Wednesday night, and the signs are that the Argentine star won’t be making his first start for the club since May.

What did he say?

After a long injury absence, the 26-year-old finally made his long-awaited return to action as a substitute in the 3-1 win against Fulham at the London Stadium on Friday, and no doubt Irons fans will be hoping to see their man back in the XI as soon as possible now.

Speaking prior to the perhaps daunting trip to the Etihad Stadium, Pellegrini looks to have dampened those hopes by telling whufc.com: “We must be careful with [Manu].

“He did very well in his 15 minutes and the important thing was that he was not afraid and remembering his knee, so we will see what the best way is to get minutes in every game. You must be careful when you give more minutes.”

Will he definitely not start?

While West Ham will want to finish in seventh position and as the best of the rest this season, taking a risk on a player of the calibre of Lanzini away against City would be a huge risk given he has only just returned, and his manager seems to acknowledge that.

Yes, Pep Guardiola’s men may have played 120 minutes in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday and could be a little leggy just a few days later, but Pellegrini can’t risk potentially aggravating the injury given the South American ace isn’t 100% match fit.

Irons supporters will need to be more patient in their bid to see the London Stadium hero back in the side, and they now have the squad depth for that to be an acceptable thing.

Barnsley defender Dimitri Cavare is set to miss Sunday’s clash against Brentford but could return for next week’s meeting with Derby.

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The Star reported that the 24-year-old is nearing a return from the hamstring injury he picked up in the recent defeat to Leeds, with Barnsley manager Daniel Stendel believing he could be back for next Wednesday’s home clash against Derby.

Stendel told The Star: “He had an injury in the Leeds game. He tried to play until the end, but he had a muscle injury in the hamstring. We hope he can play against Derby maybe but we are not sure.”

Guadeloupe international Cavare has had a frustrating, stop-start beginning to the 2019/20 season for Barnsley.

Having played for the entirety of their first two Championship games of the campaign, he then missed their next four matches in all competitions before being brought back into the team against Wigan at the end of August. [via TransferMarkt.co.uk]

He kept his place for the 0-2 defeat to Leeds, during which he had a hamstring injury, and consequently was sidelined for last weekend’s defeat at Nottingham Forest. [via TransferMarkt.co.uk]

Barnsley have only kept two clean sheets this season, both with Cavare in the side, while the Reds have conceded four goals in as many games with him in their defence (one per game). In the five matches that he has missed, Stendel’s team have let in 11 goals, an average of 2.2 goals per game. [via TransferMarkt.co.uk]

Cavare has shown that he can adapt to either full-back position, although he has been the preferred option in neither, with Ben Williams starting four games from left-back to Cavare’s two and Toby Sibbick starting at right-back in all but one Championship game this season.

While the Guadeloupe defender is quite versatile, he has trailed his fellow full-backs for some key metrics this season. His tackling average of 1.8 per game is lower than both Sibbick (3.6) and Williams (2.5), while the former also has a higher passing accuracy of 72.5% to Cavare’s 66.7%. [via WhoScored.com]

However, Cavare has recorded more interceptions (1.8) and dribbles (1.5) per game than Sibbick (1.1 interceptions, 1.4 dribbles) and Williams (1.3 interceptions, 0.8 dribbles), while his passing accuracy is much better than Williams’ 56.9%. [via WhoScored.com]

Cavare’s inferior tackling and passing statistics when compared to Sibbick indicate why Stendel has gone with the latter as his preferred right-back option this season.

However, with the 24-year-old outperforming Williams for interceptions and passing accuracy, as well as demonstrating in recent weeks that he can play at left-back, maybe Stendel should restore Cavare to that position for the Derby game if he is fit by then.

With Barnsley conceding far fewer goals with Cavare in the team than without, the Guadeloupe man deserves a more sustained run in the side once he has returned from injury.

Barnsley fans, do you think Cavare should be in the starting XI more regularly? If so, in what position would you like to see him playing? Join in the discussion by commenting below!

A key boost has emerged for Rangers in their pursuit of a centre-back signing for Gio van Bronckhorst…

What’s the talk?

According to 24Sata, via the Daily Record, Gers target Danilho Doekhi has rejected a contract offer from Dinamo Zagreb in a last-gasp twist on deadline day.

It was reported last week that the player was set to make a decision between signing a pre-contract deal with the Croatian outfit or Rangers. The latest report does not state that he has now agreed to join the Scottish giants, but they now appear to be the only horse left in the race for the Vitesse beast.

Elation

This update will surely leave fans feeling elated as this news suggests that the club will be able to snap Doekhi up on a free transfer in the summer.

If the earlier report is to be believed then the defender may be keen on a move to the Gers and a late deadline day pre-contract deal could be on the cards. Although, it remains to be seen whether or not Ross Wilson will look to strike an agreement now or wait until the end of the season when he officially leaves Vitesse.

Either way, supporters will be buzzing with the prospect of him arriving at the club as he could be an excellent addition to the squad. He is enjoying a fine season with the Dutch club in the Eredivisie, with an average SofaScore rating of 6.99.

The Dutchman has won an impressive 66% of his duels, making 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game. This shows that he is strong in his individual battles and capable of regularly winning possession back for his side, which is why he could be a solid player to add to the Gers squad.

He could also be a fantastic piece of business for the future. At the age of 23, van Bronckhorst could work with him in training to help him improve over time, making him a shrewd signing in the short and long term for the Gers.

It is now down to Wilson to take advantage of this boost that he has been given by Zagreb’s offer being rejected. He must swoop in on Doekhi and close out a deal for the defender.

AND in other news, Rangers suffer key transfer D-Day “knock back” that’ll leave fans devastated…

Manchester United star Marcus Rashford has told those close to him that he wants to quit Old Trafford over the coming months, Football Insider have reported.  

The Lowdown: Barcelona and Liverpool links

The 24-year-old has struggled this season under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, scoring just four Premier League goals.

He was recently labelled ‘absolutely shocking’ by talkSPORT pundit Micky Gray and is thought to be ‘concerned’ over his lack of playing time.

Barcelona and Liverpool have both been linked with a move for the forward this year, with Rashford out of contract in 2023.

The Latest: Source drops update

Football Insider shared a major update regarding Rashford after being informed by a source with knowledge of his situation.

They claimed that the Englishman has told friends that he wants to quit Old Trafford and a new challenge could be the best option.

The Verdict: Big…

It looks as if Erik ten Hag could come in to replace Rangnick in the Old Trafford dugout after ‘positive talks’ last week, but it seems as if Rashford will still want out regardless.

This summer may well be the last chance for the Red Devils to receive a respectable fee for the 24-year-old’s services, so an exit and a fresh start could be best for all parties.

Plenty of change off the pitch looks set to materialise over the coming months, and Rashford leaving could be a big part of a summer shake-up at United.

In other news: ‘Agreement in place’ – Fabrizio Romano drops huge Man Utd news after Old Trafford ‘breakthrough’

With Sheffield Wednesday currently sat ninth in the League One table, 13 points away from Rotherham United and Sunderland at the top of the pile, the January transfer window could give the Owls the best opportunity to strengthen their squad so that they can make a strong push towards a play-off place.

However, it seems as though Wednesday fans may have to sit tight for the time being when it comes to seeing any potential new players come into the club.

What’s the latest?

In a recent online Q&A for Yorkshire Live, Howson was asked if there are currently any new signings in the pipeline for Darren Moore’s side.

In response, he said: “As things stand, there is nothing close. I am not expecting a new player to come in before Plymouth. Wednesday are working hard behind the scenes on a number of deals. DM has a few irons in the fire.

“The issue is clubs are hoarding players. They are worried about the possibility of being hit by a [virus] outbreak. Clubs don’t want to leave themselves short in the second half of the season.”

Sheffield Wednesday fans could be sweating

With just three centre-backs, one left-back and two right-backs in their squad at the moment according to Transfermarkt, it seems as though the Owls could do with adding some defensive reinforcements to their ranks at some point this month.

Given how Moore’s side have conceded six goals in their two previous league outings, this only highlights the need for some extra stability and strength at the back if they are to have any chance of making their way up the table in the coming weeks and months.

Moving forward, with just over two weeks left until the January transfer window closes, Wednesday will need to ensure that the “irons in the fire”, as Howson put it, will materialise into one or two new recruits at Hillsborough, particularly in defence. Otherwise, Owls fans could well be sweating over the possibility of facing up to another season in League One.

In other news: Howson drops transfer claim on “key component” at Hillsborough which will have fans buzzing