Straw update
Sporting skipped Joao Palhinha from their trip to the Algarve, claiming a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers is “very close”.
The 25-year-old has been closely linked to a move to Molineux in the last few months after returning from his loan stint at Braga.
Palhinha impressed in his two appearances against Wolves in the Europa League, in which the Portuguese team won one game and drew the other.
Despite his impressive time at Braga, Sporting are poised to take advantage of the midfielder to fund their own transfer plans.
A report earlier this week suggests the Wolves were on the verge of hitting a deal for Palhinha for a fee of between € 12 million and € 14 million.
While Record suggests that his future is definitely different from Sporting, they describe his next move as “undefined”.
It is claimed that while wolves are a candidate for his signature, they do not have to make an official offer.
Sarr supported Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp has been told that in-demand Watford winger Ismaila Sarr “would be perfect for Liverpool”, with an interest also attributed to the Wolves.
Sarr, who shone for Watford despite his relegation last season, is widely expected to leave Vicarage Road in the current window.
According to the Watford Observer, Wolves are one of three Premier League clubs that have had contact with Sarr’s agents.
Both Wolves and Liverpool are said to be interested in the 22-year-old, and Crystal Palace is said to be chasing him too.
And Kilbane, speaking with BoyleSports, has urged Klopp to take a step for the former Rennes man, suggesting he’s a much better option than Divock Origi.
“You don’t need much, but Divock Origi is not in the top three,” he said. “Ismaila Sarr would be a better option for her, he’s incredibly fast and while he has a lot to improve, Klopp would be the ideal man to get the best out of him. He’s faster and would be perfect for Liverpool. “
Molineux at the latest
Jeff Shi has admitted that all Molineux redevelopment plans are being carried out with a cautious approach to avoid a potential “financial dilemma”.
Since Fosun bought Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2016, they have kept their commitment to developing and updating the stadium with the hope of eventually reaching a capacity of 50.00.
In fact, late last season the club revealed a number of drafts and plans for upcoming renovations.
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With the coronavirus pandemic affecting finances around the world, Wolves’ CEO said it was more important to make sure the product was up to standard on the pitch.
“We have a long-term plan for the stadium,” Shi told the club’s official website. “At some point we’re hoping for a bigger stadium, but we have to be careful to expand it. We don’t want to get ourselves into a financial dilemma by doing too much too soon, because anything can happen in 20 years. We have seen many examples of how a new, bigger stadium can injure and sometimes kill a club.
“What I’m going to do is a step-by-step plan. We’re not going to rebuild the stadium from scratch, we want to expand some of the capacity here and rebuild some parts there. Gradual expansion will be safer.
He added: “The 11 players on the pitch are still more important. A new stadium is nice to have, but it’s a long-term ambition.
Inspires AMN
Tottenham is preparing an offer for Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Speculation links the Arsenal midfielder with a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
According to the Daily Mail, Spurs are preparing to dive into their north London rivals to add Maitland-Niles to Jose Mourinho’s roster.
Signing a new full-back is Mourinho’s top priority this summer to replace Serge Aurier, who is expected to move on.
Maitland-Niles is a midfielder, of course, but he has excelled at both right and left full-backs for Arsenal and the report says his versatility is seen as a “big plus” by Spurs.
This versatility appeals to many and Sky Sports reports that Wolves, Brighton and Newcastle United also have an interest in the former England U21 international.
Maitland-Niles has been a regular at Arsenal for the past three seasons and made his 100th appearance for the club in the FA Cup final win against Chelsea earlier this month.
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