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Sunderland have received a definitive blow in their pursuit of striker Joe Pigott as the 27-year-old completed a move to Ipswich Town on Monday.

The Lowdown: SAFC eye Pigott

The Black Cats were one of several clubs interested in signing Pigott from Wimbledon this summer (The News).

He enjoyed a fantastic campaign last term, netting 20 goals and providing five assists in 45 matches for the League One side (Transfermarkt), and could have been the perfect replacement for Charlie Wyke.

The Latest: Pigott moves to Ipswich

However, it has now been confirmed that Lee Johnson and co have missed out on the forward (BBC).

He has instead made the move to Ipswich, one of Sunderland’s rivals for promotion from the third tier, which of course makes matters even worse.

The Verdict: Disappointing

It is quite clear that Sunderland are in real need of signing a new striker. Wyke was their top scorer last season, but he recently left on a free transfer and has now joined Wigan Athletic.

If they are not able to replace Wyke’s goals, they will struggle to compete towards the top of the division.

Pigott has 94 career goals to his name – he clearly knows where the back of the net is. As we edge ever closer towards the new campaign, the pressure increases on the north-east outfit and their recruitment team to find someone who can score prolifically. Unfortunately, that man will not be Pigott.

In other news, Sunderland fans slam this man’s comments.

Speaking live on talkSPORT radio (January 6), via Read West Ham, reporter Alex Crook shared what he knows on the Jesse Lingard transfer saga.

The Lowdown: West Ham chasing Lingard…

As well known, West Ham and manager David Moyes are eager to reunite with Lingard on a permanent deal this month with the irons earmarking him as a top transfer target.

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Club insider ExWHUemployee believes the club are certain to move for Manchester United’s forward whilst reliable journalist Jack Rosser of The Evening Standard backs their interest.

Talks over a new deal for Lingard at Old Trafford recently broke down, with his current deal set to expire at the end of this season, prompting club to take note of his situation – with West Ham among the suitors for his signatures (ESPN).

Sharing what he knows, Crook has now made a live radio claim on talkSPORT.

The Latest: Crook makes Lingard to West Ham claim…

Speaking to the broadcaster (via Read West Ham), the journalist believes a West Ham bid for England’s attacker is ‘inevitable’ as the club believe they can secure him for a ‘fraction’ of what he would have cost in the summer window.

“West Ham United are looking for reinforcements,” he explained.

“One name mentioned to me that won’t come as a big surprise to fans is Jesse Lingard.

“Clearly not happy at Manchester United, out of contract in the summer. West Ham believe they could sign him for a fraction of the fee quoted in the summer.

“I think it’s inevitable that West Ham will try again. He really needs to leave Old Trafford – that would seem a no-brainer to me.”

The Verdict: A must move?

Homegrown and a proven player under Moyes, having bagged a brilliant nine goals and four assists over 16 top flight outings on loan at West Ham last season (WhoScored), signing Lingard would come as a major boost for West Ham mid-season.

Reports have suggested that the Three Lions ace could be available for as little as £10 million this month given his precarious contract situation (The Sun) – a fee certainly affordable and representing good value for money.

Former Tottenham and England goalkeeper Paul Robinson recently claimed he would be a ‘massive signing’ who could gift the Hammers ‘another dimension’ amid their chase for a top four Premier League finish (Football Insider).

Given his numbers over the second half of 2020/2021, with talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham also calling him the best player in terms of league form at one point last year, we strongly advise West Ham to push the boat out for his capture.

In other news: ‘Tears in my eyes’, ‘Finally’…Many West Ham fans flock to ‘very exciting’ transfer development, find out more here.

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has lauded the brilliant Sadio Mane after his influential performance in the Reds’ 3-2 win over Manchester City.

The Lowdown: Reds down City at Wembley

Jurgen Klopp’s side got the better of their Premier League rivals on Saturday afternoon, producing a scintillating performance in the first half of their FA Cup semi-final clash.

Liverpool raced into a 3-0 half-time lead thanks to Ibrahima Konate’s header and a Mane double, with Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva replying for City after the break.

The Reds hung on in the dying minutes, keeping their hopes of an unprecedented quadruple alive in the process.

The Latest: Carragher hails Mane

Taking to Twitter during the game, Carragher paid special attention to Mane, as he produced one of his most impressive performances of the season:

“What a player you’ve been & still are for @LFC Sadio.”

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The Verdict: A true Liverpool legend

There is an argument to say that, at 30, Mane is not quite the all-conquering player he was, but he remains someone who would walk into most teams in Europe, having been hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by Klopp in the past.

He was magnificent against City in a new central attacking role, pressing relentlessly and providing two of the game’s standout moments, charging down Steffen for one goal and volleying home the other.

There is no question that Mane is now a Liverpool legend in his own right, like Carragher, having scored 115 goals in 259 appearances, not to mention winning the Champions League and Premier League along the way.

In other news, a pundit expects a renewal from one Liverpool player. Find out who it is here.

Newcastle United are hopeful they can lure Kieran Trippier to St James’ Park in January, according to The Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson. 

The lowdown

The Magpies are said to be ‘finalising their plans’ for the January transfer window and, in his discussions with head of recruitment Steve Nickson, manager Eddie Howe has identified right-back as a ‘priority area’. Howe’s existing options in the position include Emil Krafth and Javier Manquillo.

Trippier made 107 Premier League appearances before he moved from Tottenham Hotspur to Atletico Madrid in 2019, notching 18 assists in that time.

The 31-year-old, who has been called a player of real ‘quality’ by his manager Diego Simeone, is thought to be earning £77,000 per week in the Spanish capital.

The latest

According to Wilson on Twitter, ‘NUFC are hoping’ that Trippier could be guided by his 2022 World Cup ambitions as he makes a decision on his future.

Marcos Llorente, a rival for the right-back spot at the Wanda Metropolitano, ‘is seen as a coming force’, raising concerns about the Englishman’s game-time ahead of the tournament in Qatar.

Wilson revealed that the Magpies are willing to stump up £25m to make the deal happen.

The verdict

When you consider the extent of competition at right-back for England, you can understand why Trippier might be worried. Gareth Southgate could call upon Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, Kyle Walker, Tariq Lamptey and more.

Leaving the Spanish champions for a relegation-threatened English club does seem quite a step-down, but perhaps Tuesday’s night’s events could be key.

Atletico could yet finish bottom of their Champions League group, leaving them without European football in the spring. In addition, they’re already 10 points off the pace in La Liga, albeit with a game in hand.

All of a sudden, they might be a significantly less attractive proposition. That might yet prompt Trippier to strongly consider a return to his homeland.

In other news, a top Newcastle target has been revealed

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is an injury doubt for his side’s Premier League clash with Liverpool at Anfield.

The Lowdown: Crucial Premier League clash

The Reds return to action on Saturday evening, taking on an Arsenal side who are now fifth in the table and just two points behind Jurgen Klopp’s men.

A big response is needed from Liverpool after the defeat to West Ham and the home draw with Brighton, with more dropped points feeling costly in the title race.

They could face a tough examination from Arsenal, though, who have won their last three league outings and seem to finally be gaining some momentum with their young squad.

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The Latest: Partey could miss out

One player who could be absent for the Gunners is Partey, with Arteta confirming as much in his pre-Liverpool press conference on Friday [via Football Daily on Twitter].

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The Verdict: Good news for Reds

Partey has been a key figure at the heart of Arsenal’s midfield of late, averaging two tackles per game in the league this season, so him being out would be a boost for Liverpool.

Not only that, but the 28-year-old was a dominant force for Atletico Madrid in the Champions League at Anfield in March 2020, receiving a match-high 7.55 rating from WhoScored as Diego Simeone’s side progressed to the quarter-finals.

Arsenal’s midfield would suddenly look more open without Partey in it, especially with Granit Xhaka still injured, so him being fit or not could be key to the eventual outcome.

Paul Scholes has hailed the Ghanaian as ‘brilliant’, which is high praise, and Liverpool could find it easier to create chances without him around to break up their attacks on Saturday.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have reacted to a Reds injury update. Read more here.

Oliver Skipp looked totally out of his depth as Tottenham Hotspur slumped to defeat in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

Nuno Santo’s side were easily brushed aside by an out-of-sorts and under-pressure Manchester United in north London to slip down to eighth place, and that could get worse depending on Monday’s result.

The young 21-year-old midfielder was trusted to marshall the defence alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg but he was completely played off the park and had a role in their downfall.

As explained by the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, the England U21 star was caught in possession for Cristiano Ronaldo’s disallowed strike before repeating the same blunder for Edinson Cavani’s goal in the 64th minute that handed the visitors a two-goal cushion.

‘An afternoon when he looked short of experience at this level,’ he went on to claim.

Indeed, this was certainly the case as Skipp recorded the joint-third worst rating of any Spurs player (6.3) and it’s easy to see why when delving into the specifics behind his nightmare display.

The 5 foot 9 dynamo, who is thought to earn just £25k-per-week in N17, was dominated by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s midfield of Bruno Fernandes, Fred and Scott McTominay.

Per SofaScore, he won just one of his five battles (20%) in the engine room – the fewest of any Lilywhites player to contest three or more duels – whilst he was also dribbled past on three occasions, highlighting just how easy it was for the Red Devils to breach Nuno’s defensive wall.

Elsewhere, the Hotspur Way graduate registered only one tackle, which is below half his average for the current campaign (2.2) and that goes to show just how off the pace he was on Saturday night.

In the end, the Portuguese head coach saw some sense and hooked Skipp in the 66th minute, in favour of the more attack-minded Tanguy Ndombele but that didn’t solve their creative crisis in the final third whatsoever.

Plenty of supporters were left fuming by the performance from Harry Kane once again but he showed glimpses and moments early in the first half and throughout the second, he was starved of service as Spurs failed to register a single shot on target in the 90, nor did they create a single key chance in the final 45.

Whilst the England talisman up top can certainly improve, it was the shocking performance from Skipp that stood out more and as such, his involvement in matches against the big teams must be considered going forward.

He’s still young, learning and will always improve but he looked way off the standard required to stop a side as big as United.

AND in other news, Paratici could finally replace Eriksen in Spurs swoop for £58.5m-rated “elite talent”…

Ryan Sessegnon should consider a loan move away from Tottenham in the January transfer window, according to former Spurs defender Alan Hutton.

The Lowdown: Sessegnon’s struggles continue

Sessegnon joined Spurs in 2019 with a massive reputation after shining for Fulham, but he has struggled in north London, making just 14 appearances to date.

The 21-year-old has suffered from fitness issues and Nuno Espirito Santo confirmed another development earlier this week, with a setback expected to keep the youngster out for ‘a while’.

The Latest: Hutton tips youngster for move

First-team opportunities look sparse for Sessegnon currently, so it could be that a loan move in January is beneficial to him.

That’s certainly the opinion of Hutton, who told Football Insider that a switch elsewhere could be important for Sessegnon following the news on his fitness this week:

“I would want to move out somewhere on loan. He can have a future at Tottenham but it’s a matter of going out and finding out about himself. Where is his best position?

“Playing for a club regularly to come back a better player and then really try and focus on getting into that Tottenham team. I think it would be good for him to go out on loan.”

The Verdict: Makes perfect sense

At 21, Sessegnon is still such a young player and his talent is undeniable, with Jose Mourinho once hailing the left-sided player as ‘fantastic’.

The Englishman needs some luck with injuries and to pick up some playing time and confidence elsewhere – if he can achieve those things he can still go on to reach his potential at Spurs.

Time is still very much on Sessegnon’s side and some players can take longer to fully develop than others.

In other news, three Spurs players struggled in the defeat to Vitesse Arnhem. Find out who they are here.

West Bromwich Albion have been dealt an injury blow ahead of their upcoming Championship fixture.

What’s the latest?

In a statement posted on the West Brom Twitter account, Albion revealed that Callum Robinson will be unavailable for selection for the club’s trip to Peterborough United on Saturday evening, as he is currently self-isolating after falling ill.

Further reports claim that the forward will also be ruled out of the Republic of Ireland’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Portugal and Azerbaijan, and may also miss the fixture against Serbia, depending on the speed of his recovery.

Ismael will be gutted

Considering just how impressive Robinson has been for West Brom so far this season, the fact the 26-year-old will miss the club’s clash with Peterborough United is sure to have left Valerien Ismael gutted.

Indeed, over his four Championship appearances so far this term, the £5.4m-rated man has scored three goals, registered one assist and created one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of three shots and making one key pass per game.

These returns have seen the forward average a rather remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.42, ranking him as the Frenchman’s third-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, it is undeniable that Robinson will be a big miss on Saturday, although, with Albion having recently signed Jordan Hugill from Norwich City on a season-long loan deal, perhaps the former Sheffield United man’s absence will present Ismael with the opportunity to hand the centre-forward his West Brom debut.

Furthermore, with an international break following Saturday’s fixture, Robinson could well be in line for a return to the starting XI for the visit of Millwall on September 11, all being well with his recovery.

However, despite the positives, Ismael will nevertheless have to make do without Robinson for the Posh game, something that will undoubtedly cause a blow to Albion’s chances of securing a positive result from the fixture.

In other news: West Brom confirm transfer development which is sure to have Albion fans buzzing

With Bruno Lage’s Wolverhampton Wanderers side heading into Wednesday evening’s Premier League clash in something of a slump in form, having won just one of their last four league outings and scoring just one goal over these fixtures, the 45-year-old manager would have undoubtedly been hoping for a much-improved result from Wolves’ trip to Brighton & Hove Albion.

And, while it was by no means an all-out attack display from the visitors, Romain Saiss’ superb first-half strike following a delicious Ruben Neves through ball was enough for Wolves to take all three points back to Molineux, with the game ending 1-0.

However, while it is true that both Saiss and Neves were two of Lage’s better performers on the night, it was undoubtedly 26-year-old Daniel Podence who really stole the show against Brighton.

Won 62% duels

Being handed just his third start of the Premier League season, Lage somewhat surprisingly decided to unleash the Portugal international in a central attacking role against the Seagulls, taking the place of the suspended Raul Jimenez at the tip of Wolves’ attack.

And, over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch at the American Express Community Stadium, the £22.5m-rated man highly impressed in an unfamiliar role, hitting the target with two shots, completing five dribbles, making two interceptions and winning eight of his 13 attempted duels – a success rate of 62%.

These returns saw the man who Pedro Neto dubbed a “mini-Hazard” receive a SofaScore match rating of 7.3, the second-highest of any player to feature in the match, while Birmingham Live also awarded the £60k-per-week forward an eight in their own player ratings, stating of the 26-year-old’s performance:

“Podence played as a false nine in Wolves’ fluid front three and popped up all over the pitch in an all-action display. There were lots of delightful flicks and tricks, especially one reverse pass to Marcal. Podence was a huge threat throughout.”

As such, considering how little game time Podence has been given by Lage so far this season, if the fixture against Brighton was the Portuguese dynamo’s big test, there is absolutely no doubt that the former Sporting CP winger passed with flying colours.

In other news: Tim Spiers drops 8-word Wolves injury update that will leave Bruno Lage buzzing

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge is confident that Harry Kane will stay at Tottenham this summer.

Rumours linking the 28-year-old with a move away from the club, and more specifically, Man City, aren’t going away.

Kane first expressed his desire to leave his boyhood club prior to the end of the season, with the striker desperate to play in the Champions League and challenge for major trophies.

He won both the Golden Boot and Playmaker award in the Premier League last term, although his best efforts couldn’t help Spurs qualify for Europe’s elite competition.

Since the season ended, Kane has been strongly linked with Pep Guardiola’s side, although chairman Daniel Levy is expected to demand a Premier League record fee for City to bring the England captain to the Etihad having already knocked back their previous £100m bid.

Despite those claims, Bridge believes that the England captain will still be with the north London giants past August’s deadline.

He told Football FanCast:

“If you’d have asked me at the start of the summer, I would have said he probably would go, but as it’s the start of August and you look at what’s happened over the last few weeks, and even that Sun article, I don’t think it did him any favours, so he will probably stay.”