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There was understandable excitement amongst the Wolves fanbase when their club paid just £1m to sign Rochdale sensation Luke Matheson in January 2020 but nearly three years on and it seems unlikely that he will ever feature for the first team.

Jeff Shi sanctioned a move for the 17-year-old who had broken into Rochdale’s first team in League One and made the headlines when he scored the equalising goal against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The teenage right-back also produced a superb performance against Newcastle United in the FA Cup, helping to set up the equalising goal, so it was clear he had a lot of potential.

When he made his debut as a 15-year-old, winning the man-of-the-match award against local rivals Bury, former Dale boss Keith Hill was full of praise for Matheson.

He said: “Luke Matheson – wow. He was outstanding. We know what he can do. It’s not a leap of faith, because we know what he can do.”

After signing in January 2020, Matheson returned to Rochdale on loan, and made 36 appearances in total for the Greater Manchester side, contributing two goals and two assists.

While it was unlikely that the teenage defender would break into Wolves’ side straight away, his loan spells since then have been largely disappointing, as he struggled for game time with Ipswich and Hamilton Academical before being reunited with Hill at Scunthorpe United last season.

There, he would make 13 appearances in League Two, averaging a very disappointing 6.24 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Considering he played in League One as a 16-year-old, it is concerning that he is struggling in the league below nearly three years on. The youngster will turn 20 next month and on current form, it is difficult to see him ever being good enough to feature for Wolves’ first team.

While it is a shame that he is yet to realise his potential at Molineux, it was always going to be a gamble to sign a player so young, and in this case, it seems as if it has sadly not paid off for Jeff Shi.

Newcastle United journalist Mark Douglas has expressed his surprise after Matty Longstaff joined Colchester United on loan. 

The lowdown

Longstaff sealed a Deadline Day-move to the League Two outfit, joining on a loan deal that runs until January.

It’s his third temporary move in the space of the year after he had spells with Scottish Premiership outfit Aberdeen and another fourth-tier outfit in Mansfield Town last season.

Longstaff will be looking to build upon the success he enjoyed at Mansfield, having scored six goals in 18 matches for the Stags.

Isaac Hayden, Jeff Hendrick, Martin Dubravka, Ciaran Clark and Kell Watts have also been sent out on loan by Newcastle.

The latest

Douglas, a northern football correspondent at The I Paper, offered his one-word reaction to Colchester’s announcement tweet.

“Blimey,” he wrote, indicating that he was left somewhat stunned by the development.

The verdict

You could certainly make the case that Longstaff will be indirectly playing for his Newcastle future at Colchester.

The midfielder is into the final year of his contract at St James’ Park, and needs to prove that he’s worthy of a new deal. If he can replicate what he did at Mansfield, then he’ll surely be pretty well-placed.

Now that he’s 22 years old, it’s probably time for the Englishman to kick on and go to the next level. After all, he’s only three years away from the theoretical peak of a player in his position (via The Athletic).

Having played 20 times already for the Newcastle senior team, Longstaff might not have envisaged being in this position at this stage.

Clearly, though, Eddie Howe still needs some convincing.

Aston Villa are back in the race to sign Watford attacker Ismaila Sarr at the 11th hour, according to Senegalese journalist Papa Mahmoud Gueye.

The Lowdown: Villa linked with Sarr move

The Senegal sensation currently finds himself in the Championship, having suffered relegation from the Premier League last season and not yet finding his big move back to the top flight.

Villa are one of those who have been linked with a summer move for Sarr, but their interest had seemingly cooled after their initial move collapsed.

It now looks as though the transfer isn’t dead in the water just yet, however, following a new update.

The Latest: Late twist?

Taking to Twitter, Gueye claimed that Villa’s interest in Sarr has returned on deadline day:

“Aston Villa back in the Ismaila Sarr chase.”

The Verdict: Great for squad depth

Sarr is a proven Premier League player after scoring ten goals and registering eight assists in the competition for a struggling Hornets side, so he could be a shrewd signing for Villa.

While Steven Gerrard may not necessarily see the forward as a regular starter week in, week out, he would be a great squad player, affecting games from the substitutes’ bench when legs are tiring.

Not only that, but Sarr is also still just 24 years of age, meaning he would be considered a long-term addition whose best years are still ahead of him.

West Ham United have been handed the opportunity to sign Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles, according to recent reports.

What’s the word?

As per the Evening Standard, the Hammers have been ‘offered the chance’ to sign the 24-year-old this summer by the Emirates outfit, with Mikel Arteta’s side said to be keen to ‘offload’ the Englishman before the window closes.

The report suggests that the east Londoners are now ‘keeping tabs’ on the five-cap gem – who is keen on a move with just a year remaining on his existing deal – although he is not a ‘priority’ as things stand.

The report goes on to add that David Moyes and co would prefer a loan deal if they are to swoop in the coming days, albeit with the Gunners looking for a permanent exit amid the risk of losing the 5 foot 11 machine for nothing next year.

Huge signing

While West Ham’s head of recruitment Rob Newman has already wrapped up seven major deals so far this summer, the Englishman could well secure another notable coup with the addition of Maitland-Niles, having effectively been handed the player on a plate by those in north London.

Arsenal’s loss could well be the Irons’ gain with the club able to bring in an asset whom Arteta previously described as a “huge talent”, with the versatile gem potentially set to be a real astute piece of business for GSB.

Comfortable in a variety of roles – namely at full-back and in central midfield – the £9m-rated ace would certainly tick a lot of boxes for Moyes, with the player’s ability to also play in a wing-back role offering the Scotsman greater flexibility with his tactical set-up.

While it hasn’t quite worked out at his current side for the £35k-per-week man after rising through the youth ranks, he remains a “tremendous” talent nonetheless – according to pundit Peter Crouch – and has still managed to rack up 132 appearances for the Gunners to date.

Even amid a difficult spell on loan at AS Roma in the second half of last season, the Three Lions international still recorded some eye-catching statistics, notably winning 89% of his aerial duels from his eight Serie A outings for Jose Mourinho’s side – a record far better than that of Vladimir Coufal (49%) and Aaron Cresswell (57%) for instance.

While he featured as a central midfield, with pundit Martin Keown previously lauding him as a “Rolls-Royce of a player” in that role.

With West Ham currently devoid of quality depth beyond Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek in the centre of the park, Maitland-Niles could well provide both cover and competition for the pair, as well as offering an added bonus due to his adaptability to feature elsewhere.

It may not be the most high-profile addition of the summer, but it could prove to be a ‘huge’ signing if Newman can pull it off.

Aston Villa have had a rather disappointing start to their latest Premier League season from a defensive point of view.

With four games played, the Villans have lost three and won one, scoring three goals and conceding seven in the process.

One figure that has been heavily involved for the Midlands club at the back so far is Ezri Konsa.

In fact, the one game that Villa won is the only match that Konsa didn’t start and play the full 90 minutes of.

With the end of the current summer transfer window in sight, the next few days could give the Villans the chance to not only bring in a new defensive figure to help strengthen their squad at the back and replace the injured Diego Carlos, but it could also give them the opportunity to find a potential upgrade on Konsa.

One player that has been linked with a move to Villa Park that could fit the bill is West Ham United defender Craig Dawson.

To compare the two players from their previous league campaigns, the West Ham figure won more tackles (21 v 14), made more successful pressures (67 v 64), blocks (66 v 43) and clearances (145 v 81) than the 24-year-old.

Dawson’s performances on the European stage last season also proved how impressive he is as journalist Roshane Thomas lauded his display against Olympique Lyon in the Europa League as “superb.”

With 238 Premier League appearances under his belt, this sort of experience would make it easy for him to settle into Villa if they were to secure a deal.

Taking all of this into account, it’s clear that the 32-year-old has what it takes to be a solid addition to Steven Gerrard’s squad. He’s someone that could teach and guide a player like Konsa to become a better defender while replacing Carlos throughout his injury.

Bearing in mind the defensive situation that Villa find themselves in, securing a deal for the £42.5k-per-week earner could be just what the Midlands club need on a short-term basis to ensure they don’t keep leaking goals and dropping points.

Therefore, it should be the club’s top priority to sign him before the summer transfer window shuts.

Celtic are interested in Hajduk Split defensive midfielder Jani Atanasov, according to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph.

The Lowdown: Out of favour last term

The North Macedonia international fell out of favour at Hajduk Split towards the end of last season, starting just eight league games throughout the campaign.

However, the 22-year-old has started the current season strongly, having featured three times in the Croatian first division and three times in the Europa Conference League qualifiers.

Since arriving at the club in 2020, Atanasov has made 59 appearances for Hajduk, contributing five goals and two assists as a holding midfielder.

The Latest: Joseph’s news

After sharing an update on Celtic’s pursuit of Rubin Kazan winger Sead Haksabanovic, Joseph revealed information about Ange Postecoglou’s next transfer target.

Taking to Twitter, the journalist claimed: “@SkySportsNews understands the Hoops are also interested in Hajduk Split defensive midfielder Jani Atanasov – though, no formals talks have taken place at this stage.”

The Verdict: He’d add welcome depth

After allowing Ismaila Soro to go out on loan to Arouca, the Hoops have been looking at a number of holding midfielders to add depth to Postecoglou’s squad.

According to journalist Izak Ante Sucic (via Glasgow Times), Atansov would be allowed to leave should the two clubs agree upon a fee.

Described as a powerful, 6 foot 1 defensive midfielder, the 22-year-old would have plenty of time to adjust to life at Parkhead, given his tender years.

Therefore, his prospective arrival at Celtic would add some welcome depth to Postecoglou’s defensive midfield options as the Hoops embark upon the busy season ahead.

Bruno Lage’s decision to bring Hwang Hee-Chan to Wolves on a permanent basis has massively backfired, as the South Korean is one of several attackers to woefully underperform in the Old Gold’s side so far this season.

After a promising loan spell from RB Leipzig last term, which saw the striker contribute five goals in the top flight, Wolves decided to exercise their option to make his move permanent in a deal worth £14m, with that move becoming official on the 1st July after his loan spell ended.

Since he officially became a Wolves player in the summer, his form has fallen off a cliff, as he has been limited to just two starts and eight substitute appearances in the top flight, which have returned no goals and no assists.

Even with the Old Gold’s dreadful form in front of goal, which has seen them notch just six goals in the Premier League so far this season, the South Korea international has still rarely been trusted to play, which is perhaps a damning indictment of what his future looks like at the club.

Sadly, he has failed to perform on his rare opportunities, registering just three shots on target in the Premier League this season, which suggests that the club have paid close to £5m for each shot on target in the top flight so far this campaign.

Hwang’s 6.12 average rating in the Premier League also ranks him as the second-worst player in Steve Davis’ squad of those to make at least one start this season, which emphasises just how poor he has been.

With Wolves’ injury and suspension issues, which sees Raul Jimenez, Sasa Kalajdzic, Pedro Neto and now Diego Costa all likely to miss the next three games, perhaps Hwang will get more of an opportunity to show what he can from the start but in truth, he looks unlikely to be the man to solve the Old Gold’s problems going forward.

Sadly, it seems as if the decision to sign him permanently will have to go down as another big mistake by Lage.

Leeds United could reignite their interest in Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins, but he won’t come cheap, according to The Daily Express.

The Lowdown: Watkins links

The Whites were linked with a move for Watkins following their promotion to the Premier League in 2020 before bringing in Rodrigo.

Leeds were once again rumoured to make a move for the England international over the summer, with journalist Ben Jacobs reporting the club were monitoring Watkins’ situation.

As we know, a move never materialised, but Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta could well look again in the New Year.

The Latest: January rumours

The Daily Express looked at four potential attacking additions at Elland Road after Jesse Marsch admitted he plans to discuss January targets in the coming weeks when asked about signing a striker.

Their report name-checked Watkins, saying that Villa ‘might consider a transfer to a Premier League rival’, adding that ‘the Elland Road hierarchy would likely need to come up with a huge sum of money to tempt Villa into selling Watkins’.

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The Verdict: Possible?

Sunday’s defeat to Arsenal proved to everyone at Leeds that signing a new forward in the New Year may now be a necessity.

Rodrigo’s first-half error led to the Gunners’ opener, while Patrick Bamford would have had a hat-trick if he had his shooting boots on.

Bamford has also had plenty of injury issues in the last 12 months and looks like he’ll need time to get back up to speed, so bringing in someone like Watkins could be a smart idea.

He has plenty of Premier League experience, and although he isn’t firing during the current campaign, Watkins, labelled a ‘top player’ by Michael Owen, would still provide another high-quality attacking option.

Tottenham Hotspur wing-back Matt Doherty is facing the axe from manager Antonio Conte ahead of their crunch Premier League clash with Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Spurs set for Newcastle battle…

Antonio Conte will be hurting after his side slumped to a 2-0 midweek defeat at the hands of Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Spurs failed to truly exert any serious control over proceedings and lacked a real threat in the final third, with Lilywhites supporters now hoping that the team can put in a much more convincing performance against Newcastle this afternoon.

Eddie Howe’s men won’t be pushovers, though, as the Magpies have conceded fewer goals than any top-flight side and travel to north London unbeaten in their last six outings.

Conte may have a few key decisions to make today, and some of them are certain to revolve around his all-important wing-back roles.

The Latest: Doherty facing Conte axe…

According to reports, it appears that Republic of Ireland international Doherty is facing the axe for Newcastle’s visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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The Evening Standard claim that the defender is ‘likely’ to be dropped to the bench in favour of Emerson Royal, with the Brazilian now coming back from suspension.

Indeed, it appears that the latter could actually come ‘straight back in’ for Doherty.

The Verdict: Right move?

Emerson has shown dedication, with reports suggesting he has significantly invested to become a better player in his personal time during his suspension.

However, there have also been question marks around his suitability for the role, with Doherty earning praise from Conte for his stellar outing against Everton last weekend.

Called an ‘exceptional player’ by former Ireland international Gary Breen, we believe that dropping the 30-year-old would be a questionable call by the Spurs boss.

Glasgow Rangers endured a shambolic night in their Champions League clash at Ibrox on Wednesday night.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side ended up on the wrong end of a 7-1 hammering by Liverpool, despite scoring first through Scott Arfield.

The performance and outcome followed what had occurred in the previous three Champions League matches, a Rangers side who are out of their depth.

There were poor displays all over the pitch, with left-back Borna Barisic enduring a torrid night, receiving a SofaScore rating of just 5.9 as Mohamed Salah tore him to shreds, scoring a hat-trick off the bench.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst must now surely unleash Ridvan Yilmaz in the Croatian’s place against Motherwell on Sunday and give him the opportunity to shine.

Yilmaz joined the Ibrox club from Besiktas for £5m in July but he hasn’t quite made the splash that many were expecting. The Turkish left-back has played just 38 minutes in the league this season, with the manager often placing his trust in Barisic.

After Wednesday’s debacle, though, Yilmaz should start and show exactly why the Dutchman brought him to Scotland in the first place.

Ross Wilson described the 21-year-old as someone with “high potential and high quality”, and he proved that last season with Besiktas. He scored three times and provided four assists in 23 league starts for the Istanbul club, while displaying his attacking abilities by creating a further five big chances.

With Barisic managing just three goal contributions last season (all assists), it’s clear that Yilmaz has a greater attacking impetus than the Croatian.

It will be interesting to see if Van Bronckhorst now gives the 21-year-old a run of games in order to freshen things up at the back, and if the Turk can translate his form for Besiktas last season towards impressing in Scotland, then the Gers might just have another wonderful talent on their hands.

All that is required on Sunday is three points and a chance for the club to redeem themselves following the Liverpool debacle.