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Wolverhampton Wanderers look to have sold Helder Costa at the ideal time as the Angolan winger is now struggling in Saudi Arabia.

The Old Gold originally signed the 28-year-old winger from Benfica in a club-record deal in 2017, after he impressed in a loan spell at Molineux the season prior.

During his time with the club, Costa would make 109 appearances, contributing 19 goals and 19 assists, the majority of which came in the Championship as he struggled to adapt to the Premier League, where he scored just one goal in a Wolves shirt.

A £16m move to Leeds United would follow after a year-long loan spell at Elland Road and, considering his career since, the Midlands outfit did superbly well to receive such a fee for a winger who was inconsistent at the best of times.

Costa managed just eight goals and 11 assists in 71 appearances for the Whites and repeated his trick of struggling in the Premier League with the Yorkshire side, losing his place in Marcelo Bielsa’s side for the 2021/22 campaign.

He was sent on loan to Valencia where he failed to score in 27 appearances before agreeing on a loan deal with Al Ittihad this summer, where he will link up with former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

After he joined Valencia, former Leeds man Noel Whelan summed up his time at Elland Road, and perhaps at Molineux as well.

He said:

“He’s got everything in his makeup. He’s got all the ability, the pace, the skill, but we just didn’t see it enough at Leeds.

“That inconsistency in his performances was frustrating for a lot of the fans because we know what he can do on his day.”

Since his summer switch, Costa has featured three times for the Saudi side, failing to score or assist in any of those appearances, which perhaps emphasises how far he has fallen since leaving Wolves.

While he was a good player for the Old Gold in the Championship, selling him for as much as £16m was excellent business by Wolves, as he clearly was never good enough to be a first-team regular in the top-flight, and his disappointing performances since leaving emphasise that.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has shared that Wolves have ‘less chance’ of signing reported summer target Mohammed Kudus in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Summer target

It was reported that the 22-year-old was a target for the Molineux outfit right up until the end of the summer transfer window.

Fellow Premier League club Everton were thought to be interested as well, but Ajax did not sanction a sale in the end.

The Latest: January move unlikely

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has shared that Bruno Lage’s team now have ‘less chance’ of signing Kudus in January, due to his recent great run of form.

The reporter said: “Even throughout the links in the summer, I was told that Ajax just didn’t want to lose him. Now we’re seeing why.

“It was a great performance from him against Rangers and, at this rate, there is even less chance now of Wolves or Everton signing him than there was at the end of the last window.”

The Verdict: It’s a shame

It would certainly be a shame if Wolves were to miss out on Kudus in January as well.

Hailed as a ‘complete’ player with ‘electric pace & acceleration’ among other key attributes by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, the Ghana international is capable of playing in many different positions across the pitch; and at 22 years of age, he is already showing a lot of potential.

Given his impressive start to the season, having managed a total of five goals and one assist in his first eight matches across all competitions (Transfermarkt), Kudus’ stock is only going to rise until January comes along.

That will inevitable make it more expensive to prise him away from Ajax, especially midway through the campaign.

Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz is eyeing up an exit from the club during the January transfer window, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Luiz stays put

The Brazilian was constantly linked with a move away from Villa Park throughout the summer, with Arsenal showing the most interest in acquiring his signature.

Thankfully, Luiz ended up staying put at Villa for the time being, and the hope is that he remains at the club long into the future, but his contract situation means he could leave for free next summer.

A fresh update suggests even that may not be the case though, as he could now depart sooner.

The Latest: Luiz keen on January exit

According to Il Milanista [via Sport Witness], Luiz is ‘increasingly attracted’ to leaving Villa in January, liking the thought of enjoying a new challenge in Italy.

Serie A giants AC Milan, Roma and Juventus are all mentioned as potential suitors.

The Verdict: Matter of time?

In truth, it does feel like a case of when Luiz leaves Villa rather than if, with his current deal expiring at the end of the current campaign.

Steven Gerrard did well to keep hold of him beyond the summer and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him depart in January, which would clearly be a blow, considering he has been described as ‘outstanding’ by Gabby Agbonlahor.

Whatever happens, it is essential that Luiz continues to show a good attitude in a Villa shirt, knuckling down and giving his all, ensuring Gerrard’s men don’t face a possible Premier League relegation battle.

Leeds United are likely to dip back into the transfer market when the January window opens, according to a fresh claim by Sky Sports journalist Tim Thornton.

The Lowdown: Productive summer at Leeds

Jesse Marsch will likely have been happy with his business in the summer transfer window, despite losing key duo Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha.

Leeds used that money wisely, bringing in a host of new players in key positions, whether it be Brenden Aaronson, Luis Sinisterra or Tyler Adams, among others.

It looks as though further reinforcements could be made soon, however, following a new update.

The Latest: January business likely, says Thornton

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Thornton claimed that Orta would give the green light for January signings to come in:

“There’s a philosophy at Leeds and Victor’s very much a central figure in that, so he’ll already be planning for the next transfer window. That’s the way that he works.”

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The Verdict: Key to continue building

While Leeds certainly don’t need major additions in January, it is vital that Marsch has a squad that is comfortably capable of avoiding relegation from the Premier League.

In what is a relentless season, with the World Cup awkwardly getting in the way, legs could tire as the campaign goes on, highlighting the need for new faces.

The key for Leeds is to keep steadily improving and not go backwards and top-quality new signings can only be hugely beneficial, in that respect.

Everton are in a great position in the Premier League, currently sitting 11th in the table after going unbeaten in their last six outings in the top flight. However, there is still work to be done to get the Toffees back to their best.

Frank Lampard and the powers at Goodison Park worked well together to bring in eight signings over the summer to drastically improve the squad ahead of the new season following a difficult relegation battle at the bottom of the table and it has really paid off.

New signings James Tarkowski and Conor Coady have formed a formidable centre-back partnership in their short time with each other which has led to Everton becoming the team with the best defensive record so far in the Premier League with just seven goals conceded.

That said, the team have only scored as many goals as they have let in with a drop-off in goal contributions expected due to Richarlison’s exit in the summer and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s continued injury struggles, with no like-for-like replacements brought in to carry a goal threat.

Indeed, Everton did sign Neal Maupay and Dwight McNeil to strengthen the final third, however, McNeil did not score a single goal for former club Burnley last season and although he did find the net at the weekend for the Toffees against Southampton, finishing isn’t one of his strongest attributes.

As a result, Richarlison’s finishing expertise and hunger for goals are sorely missed and the right replacement could’ve put Everton in an even stronger position over the season ahead, with Steven Bergwijn one of the players heavily linked with a £35m move to Merseyside last summer.

The former Tottenham Hotspur winger ultimately joined Ajax and is already impressing for the Dutch side, which will surely frustrate Lampard when you take a closer his output compared to McNeil so far.

Bergwijn has already scored eight goals in just 12 appearances, and is outperforming McNeil in many attributes including shot accuracy (58.8% v 25%), crosses completed (13 v 6), pass completion (87% v 79%) and successful dribbles completed (60% v 48%).

Not only that, but the £26.4m forward, who was dubbed “special” by journalist Nathan Clark, is currently the top goal-scorer in the Eredivisie for non-penalty goals and fourth for goals per 90 minutes.

With that being said, it was certainly a transfer howler from the recruitment team at Goodison Park not to push harder for Bergwijn’s signature this summer as he would’ve been the perfect Richarlison replacement.

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has shared a transfer admission involving midfielder James Maddison, amid interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.

The Lowdown: Conte’s interest

According to football.london, Spurs manager Antonio Conte was in the market for a no.10 this summer.

Whilst Christian Eriksen and Jesse Lingard were of interest, the Lilywhites were keen on a move for Maddison.

However, the north London club were unwilling to match the Foxes’ £70m valuation of the 25-year-old. Consequently, the former England international remained at the King Power Stadium.

The Latest: Rodgers’ comments

Rodgers has accepted the fact that Premier League teams will reignite their interest in the attacking midfielder in January when the transfer window opens.

Consequently, football.london expect Tottenham to be back in for Maddison again this winter.

Speaking to the media about the speculation ahead of Leicester’s 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth, Rodgers claimed:

“I would think (there would be interest). My job is to coach him every day and make him the best he can be.

“What we’ve seen in the past is, sadly, players are linked with all sorts of clubs because an agent has to create a market, and then when it doesn’t come off, you see the player disappointed.

“It’s never been like that and James has been linked with loads of clubs. But he’s a realist. He also knows he’s in a good place to develop and learn, and he knows he can focus on day-to-day life and improve. What will be in the future will be, but it will only be on the back of playing well.”

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The Verdict: Great signing

When looking at Maddison’s underlying stats, it could be argued the Leicester playmaker would make a brilliant no.10 in Conte’s starting XI.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the midfielder ranks in the 96th percentile for non-penalty goals, in the 89th percentile for assists and in the 86th percentile for shots total.

Having been hailed as an ‘extraordinary’ creative outlet by Match of the Day host Gary Lineker, Maddison would certainly fit the profile needed in Tottenham’s squad.

Therefore, it is likely we will see Spurs reignite their interest in the 25-year-old in January.

Glasgow Rangers continued to pile the pressure on their rivals at the top of the Premiership with a 4-0 win in the Scottish top-flight on Saturday.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team swept St. Mirren aside with ease and remain two points off the top of the table after nine league outings.

Antonio Colak was the star of the show yet again as he found the back of the net twice in that thrashing. He reacted quickly in the box to tap in from close range after a shot hit the post and then brilliantly dribbled past a defender before finding the bottom corner for his second goal.

The Croatian centre-forward is now on 13 goals in 16 matches for Rangers in all competitions since making the move from PAOK in the summer. He has scored ten times and provided two assists in nine Premiership games as he has hit the ground running at Ibrox this season.

Alfredo Morelos was the club’s top goalscorer in the league with 11 strikes last term and this illustrates how impressive Colak’s tally of ten with 29 matches left to play is.

He has been the star of Rangers’ season so far but another player who deserves praise for his performances on the pitch is left-back Borna Barisic.

The defender has been an unsung hero for the Light Blues at the back as he has been in sublime form in the Premiership throughout the campaign so far.

He may not be scoring every week like Colak but he has been putting in consistently strong performances week-in-week-out and has established himself as the first-choice in his position. Ridvan Yilmaz was brought in from Besiktas for a reported fee of €4.5m (£3.9m) and has been unable to push Barisic out of the team.

The Croatian, who former Gers winger Neil McCann previously compared to a “train” in attack, has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.38 in the Scottish top-flight and has started eight of the club’s nine league matches, playing a part in every single game.

Only Colak (7.62) and captain James Tavernier (7.78) have averaged higher scores than him within the Gers squad, which shows that the 29-year-old has been one of van Bronckhorst’s top performers.

Barisic has been solid at the back for the Light Blues and has caused problems for the opposition when he has bombed forward to support the attack.

Defensively, he has made 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game and won 70% of his ground duels in the Premiership, something that shows he has been able to dominate attackers out of possession.

On the ball, the £18k-per-week full-back, who has had 828 touches in the Premiership, has created 1.8 chances per game – only Tavernier has managed more this season – and created four ‘big chances’ in total.

They are some eye-catching numbers that show Barisic has been incredibly impressive this term. He deserves just as much praise as Colak for his performances.

Everton were left to rue a handful of gilt-edged chances in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, with the Toffees having slipped to a second successive Premier League defeat after a previous six-game unbeaten run.

That clash in north London had seen both Demarai Gray and Amadou Onana inexplicably fire over inside the first half, before the visitors were made to pay for their wastefulness as England skipper Harry Kane converted from the penalty spot following a somewhat contentious spot-kick decision.

The Spurs talisman had softly gone down under contact from compatriot Jordan Pickford – with pundit Chris Sutton dubbing the striker the “King of the divers” as a result – albeit with the former Sunderland ‘keeper having done himself no favours after failing to adequately deal with the initial effort on goal.

Antonio Conte’s side went on to clinch the points late on through midfield maestro Pierre-Emile Hojberg, ensuring a frustrating journey home to Merseyside for manager Frank Lampard and his side.

For all that disappointment, however, the away side’s overall performance had come in stark contrast to their most recent trip to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, with Lampard’s men having shipped five in what was arguably the nadir of last season.

One notable difference from the horror show of last term was the new faces in the backline, with the presence of summer arrivals Conor Coady and James Tarkowski ensuring a far more solid display this time around, with the defensive unit having been dubbed “Championship level” following that 5-0 embarrassment by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.

The former Liverpool stalwart had dubbed the Goodison Park outfit “weak” after being simply bullied by Conte’s relentless outfit, although it was a wholly different story on Saturday, with the performance of Tarkowski, in particular, proving just what an inspired signing the former Burnley man truly was.

The free transfer arrival from Turf Moor had been a far from glamourous addition in the recent window, although has gone on to swiftly become an “immense” presence for his new club, alongside the aforementioned Coady, according to writer Peter Guy.

The 29-year-old has started all ten top-flight games so far this term – conceding just 11 goals in that time – having provided far greater solidity in the heart of the backline, notably completing seven clearances, five blocks and three tackles yesterday.

An old-school defender who is willing to put his body on the line for the cause, the £100k-per-week ace also won 83% of his duels on the day, including four of his five ground duels, with his match rating of 7.7, as per SofaScore, by far the highest of any of his teammates on the day.

Such a performance was lauded by Liverpool Echo’s Chris Beesley, who awarded the two-cap colossus an 8/10 rating and stated: “Relished the physical battle against Kane and got in several timely blocks on his fellow England international in a game that the teak tough centre-back had to be at his best.”

That display was a far cry from the ‘weak’ showing of Michael Keane and co back in March, with Tarkowski having once again proven just what a stunning impact he has made to a previously floundering side.

Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita will miss the Reds’ Premier League clash with Leeds United, journalist James Pearce has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Must-win for Reds

The Reds are back in action on Saturday evening, looking to build on Wednesday’s impressive 3-0 win away to Ajax in the Champions League.

Despite Liverpool’s patchy form, they will be the undoubted favourites at Anfield, as they take on a Leeds side wallowing in the relegation zone.

While some injury problems have eased for Jurgen Klopp, including Thiago, one key figure remains absent.

The Latest: Keita still injured

Taking to Twitter on Friday, The Athletic‘s Pearce confirmed that Keita would play no part in proceedings on Saturday:

“No Keita v Leeds.”

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The Verdict: Frustrating ongoing problem

Keita’s Liverpool career has been such a deeply frustrating one, with the Guinean clearly a talented, effective footballer – Virgil van Dijk has called him ‘world-class’ – but someone who just can’t stay fit.

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The 27-year-old is still yet to play a single minute of league action this season and Klopp has badly needed him while other midfielders have struggled, from Fabinho to Jordan Henderson.

It does at least feel as though Keita is nearing a return to action but the next six months or so are crucial for him, in terms of whether or not Liverpool retain his services.

Celtic’s European dream, or lack of, is finally over as Ange Postecoglou’s men bailed out of the Champions League in torturous fashion.

This has not been a good campaign on the continent for either Scottish club, but the Hoops can at least take comfort that it’s their rivals and not they, who will go down as the worst team in group stage history.

That said, their defeat to Real Madrid on Wednesday evening was a battering and one that summed up how Celtic and Rangers have fared in Europe this term; a leaky backline and a lack of goals.

A 5-1 score line was fully merited for the hosts in midweek, with three penalties awarded during the course of the game. One of those was missed by Josip Juranovic but he was among a host of Bhoys who failed to perform in the Spanish capital.

One of the chief among them was Kyogo Furuhashi, who badly let his manager down on the night. The Japanese striker has endured a rough week, perhaps surprisingly being left out of Japan’s World Cup squad and it got no better for him inside the Bernabeu.

He was given a bizarre yellow card for an incident with Real defender Eder Militao while his finishing deserted him again.

So often ruthless in the Premiership, his form in Europe has been decidedly toothless.

He failed to score in the Champions League this term and his only goals in continental action came in the Europa League again with Ferencvaros at the beginning of last term.

For a man with 29 goals in his Hoops career, it is puzzling that he can’t find the extra quality against sterner opposition.

Jota has previously described the Japanese forward’s movement as “world-class” and that it may. His finishing at the elite level, however, is anything but.

As Kyogo toiled and ultimately failed to have an impact in Spain, he managed fewer touches (12) and passes (7) than goalkeeper Joe Hart (31 & 14).

Typically for the competition, he missed a gilt-edged chance he should have scored too.

It was an all-round poor evening for the forward who also lost 100% of his physical duels throughout his 62 minutes of the contest.

Kyogo has largely been excellent in Celtic colours but there is now a feeling that if they are to ever go deeper in Europe’s elite competition, they will need someone better, someone with a meaner streak inside the opposition’s half.

Giorgos Giakoumakis has already achieved something his Japanese colleague hasn’t, a goal in the aforementioned competition, so perhaps he is where they need to turn to in the future.