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Burnley have confirmed the signing of former Arsenal academy talent Ismaila Diallo via their official website, with one of his new team-mates playing a part in convincing him to join.

The 18-year-old midfielder teams up with the Clarets’ under-23 setup ahead of their Premier League 2 campaign, which begins this coming weekend; and he claimed that Josh Benson, who made a similar move from north London, had helped to sell the club to him.

Diallo said: “When Burnley came in, I spoke to him [Benson] about it. He was very supportive and telling me it was a good club. He told me how high the standards are and what they expect from you. He said ‘whatever you do. Make sure you work hard and be respectful’.

“I have kept track on how he’s been doing at Burnley and that he went on loan to Grimsby, playing in the first team and scoring goals. I was so happy for him when I saw that and when I saw his pathway he said it could be a similar thing for me.

“That was another reason to come. He told me anything I need, just to let him know. He’s been really good to me.”

Guinea-born midfielder Diallo spent eight years in Arsenal’s youth setup and briefly played alongside Benson in the Gunners’ academy before being let go by the north London club.

His chances of a move elsewhere had been impacted by a lengthy knee injury and the outbreak of the global pandemic, but he has now joined up with the Clarets and was among the substitutes for the first team’s training ground victory over Mansfield last Saturday.

Diallo can now look to Benson as a role model as he sets out on a path which will hopefully lead him to Burnley’s first team. The 21-year-old spent time on loan at Grimsby last season to gain senior experience, scoring twice in 11 games, and made the bench for the final six matches of the 2019/20 Premier League, albeit without getting on for his senior Clarets debut.

Arsenal’s academy has produced some exciting young talents in recent times, with Bukayo Saka becoming a first team regular at the Emirates Stadium last season, Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson also getting first team chances and Ainsley Maitland-Niles emerging from the youth ranks to become a full England international.

Diallo has slipped through the Gunners’ ranks but has now resurfaced at Burnley, where hopefully he can progress steadily at under-23 level and ultimately graduate into an established member of the Clarets’ senior squad.

Burnley fans, are you excited by the signing of Diallo from Arsenal? Comment below with your views!

Wolverhampton Wanderers have one man to thank more than any for their recent successes, and that man is Jorge Mendes.

The Portuguese super-agent has brokered some unbelievable deals for the Midlands club over the past few years due to his close links with the Fosun group.

He’s been responsible for the likes of Ruben Neves, Nuno Espirito Santo, Joao Moutinho and Rui Patricio turning up at Molineux, but as with any ‘quid pro quo’ agreement Wolves eventually have to give something back.

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Of course, Mendes has benefitted himself from these deals, with his players’ moves earning him a nice sum of money, but agents have a reputation for being untrustworthy for a reason, and now we’re starting to see the brutal trade-off Wolves have to make.

Matt Doherty became a Mendes client not too long ago, and he moved this summer for a cut-price deal to Tottenham, to work under another of Gestifute’s clients, Jose Mourinho.

Wolves then paid a club-record £35m for Fabio Silva, with Mendes personally pocketing over £6m upon the completion of that deal, while Diogo Jota is also set to depart for £45m.

Players moving is a part and parcel of football, and a club that aren’t challenging on the European stage will struggle to keep hold of these ambitious stars, but everything Mendes has brought to Wolves has been positive so far, but now we’re starting to see negatives as he works towards his clients’ gains rather than the club’s.

Nobody can really blame him, and he’s still done far more good than bad for the Fosun-owned entity, but now we’re learning that you have to take the rough with the smooth and that this recent rapid growth may not be exponential.

Leeds United could land Marcelo Bielsa one of his top targets but only if certain things fall into place in the next week…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, Manchester United are willing to sanction Dan James’ loan move to Elland Road but only if the Red Devils secure Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho.

It’s claimed that the Argentine chief has been in regular contact with their Premier League rivals over a potential move, and clearly has kept tabs ever since his move to Leeds fell through in January 2019.

The 22-year-old is currently the second choice behind Mason Greenwood and would fall down the pecking order with the arrival of any new right-winger.

Bielsa to finally get his man?

With the transfer deadline merely five days away, this is something that could well run down to the wire, which would leave Bielsa’s plans rather last-minute.

It’s no secret that James is hugely admired by the Whites boss, so perhaps it’s time he finally got his man? It could be a benefit for both clubs as there’s surely no one better to develop under than Bielsa.

Just look at Jack Harrison, Kalvin Phillips and even Ben White from last season.

The United winger has only played 46 minutes this season after appearing 33 times during the 2019/20 campaign where he provided three goals and six assists, also averaging 1.3 shots, 0.8 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

Old Trafford legend Peter Schmeichel claimed that James was a “fantastic signing,” claiming the £17.1m-rated star was “unbelievable, chasing every ball, he was in every counter-attack” against arch-rivals Man City.

Whilst a scout report from The Coaches Voice on the 22-year-old describes the Welshman as an “extremely agile and explosive footballer” but does note his lack of end product.

Which is something Bielsa would soon sort out.

If he’s to finally land James, the Leeds boss better hope Ed Woodward pulls his finger out soon. Although, the domestic window closing two weeks later provides some added hope.

AND in other news, Whites consider move for “unbelievable” 132 PL app man…

Manchester United’s mad scramble to salvage the summer transfer window has left the Red Devils with more questions than answers. Their last minute-swoop for former Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani has not gone unnoticed.

What’s the word?

Harry Redknapp, who has never been one to mince his words, launched a scathing attack on United’s transfer strategy. The former Tottenham boss wrote in his column for The Sun on Sunday that “signing Cavani, 33, on over £200,000 a week on the final day of the transfer window did smack of desperation to me.”

The stakes have arguably never been higher for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after his side slumped to an embarrassing 6-1 defeat at the hands of Jose Mourinho before the international break.

Big gamble?

Whether or not United have made the right decision remains to be seen but all the signs seem to suggest it is a big gamble which could backfire. The 116-cap Uruguay international is PSG’s record scorer but he was released by the French giants amid fears over his long-term fitness.

Despite the fact that Cavani arrived as a free agent, the veteran will earn mega wages worth £200,000-per-week, which has made him one of the highest paid players at Old Trafford. By comparison Bruno Fernandes earns £100,000 a week and Paul Scholes has criticised the club’s “very strange” decision to sign the striker on the transfer deadline day.

The United legend is in full agreement with Redknapp that the forward may be past his best. He said “Five, six years ago, yeah he’s a great signing, he’ll take us onto that next level possibly. But I just don’t think he’ll take us to the next level now.”

Cavani only played 14 Ligue 1 games last term, with a significant amount of his appearances as a substitute, and he scored four goals and supplied one assist, whilst he averaged two shots and completed fewer than one key pass and one dribble per game, via WhoScored.

One thing is for sure, Ed Woodward will want to avoid another Alexis Sanchez situation at all costs. He will not want to pay out huge sums of money if Cavani is forced to spend a lengthy spell on the sidelines, which is always a risk with any aging player.

Some supporters have even accused the board of papering over the cracks. Would they have been better off focusing on all of their efforts on signing Jadon Sancho instead? Only time will tell.

AND in other news, Marcus Rashford’s performance highlights why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a problem at Man United…

According to Spanish reports (via Sports Mole), Tottenham have entered the race to sign Rennes youngster Eduardo Camavinga.

Camavinga on Mourinho’s radar

Spurs were busy during the summer transfer window, adding a number of top quality players to their squad. One of those was Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who made the switch from Southampton to north London.

Despite bringing in one central midfielder, though, it seems Tottenham are now looking at another player in that position. It is being reported that they are eyeing 17-year-old Camavinga, who is said to be valued at €80m (£73m) by his current club. Football.london, meanwhile, have added he could be a part of a £100m spending spree by Mourinho.

Potential star for Tottenham

There are very few players who are as promising as Camavinga. The teenager has already made 50 appearances for Rennes despite his young age, whilst he already has three caps to his name for France. World Cup winner Paul Pogba has lavished praise on his young compatriot, claiming he “reminds me of me”.

It is defensively where he stands out – he averaged 4.2 tackles per games in Ligue 1 last term – but his 90.3% passing accuracy this term shows he is also comfortable in possession. At £73m, he would represent a huge outlay, but this is a player who could be a star for the Lilywhites for years to come.

Spurs fans, let us know what you think in the comments below!

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League goalkeeper Chris Kirkland has revealed his shock at Aston Villa’s decision to sack Steve Bruce back in 2018.

The now Newcastle manager was removed from his duties at Villa Park by Christian Purslow, Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens after going on a run of just one win in his previous nine league games, leaving them in 12th in the Championship table, and still smarting from a dramatic 3-3 draw with bottom club Preston North End.

Despite Villa’s struggles towards the end and subsequent rise under Dean Smith, Kirkland has admitted that he was left incredibly surprised that the Midlands club took the decision to sack someone with Bruce’s “record”.

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Speaking to FFC’s James Beavis, he said: “When he got sacked at Villa they were two points off the playoffs. They sacked him, and yes they’ve got up since then, but it was just absurd.

“Why would you sack somebody who’s got a record like he has in the Championship? He gets teams promoted and then when they go up to the Premier League, with Wigan he took them to a 10th-placed finish which was the best they’ve ever had.”

Whilst Kirkland may be right to point out Bruce’s tonne of experience managing at Premier League and Championship level, Villa’s wretched run of form at the time surely warranted a change in direction.

With football requiring immediate results and little time for patience, even someone like Bruce with his wealth of knowledge isn’t going to be afforded the time to try and ride out the wave.

Many Villa fans had lost their patience in the veteran boss, with that Preston game of course seeing one particularly angry supporter throw a cabbage in Bruce’s direction. That’s not to mention the kind of volatile atmosphere that was developing within the crowd at games, and supporters calling for him to be gone.

And when you look at how Villa have soared since they got rid of their former manager, then it’s absolutely clear that they made the right call.

Smith has led them to promotion from the Championship, made sure they didn’t get relegated in their first season back in the Premier League, and has been the architect of an impressive start to the new campaign that has even seen them thrash current champions Liverpool, 7-2.

Everything has turned out well for Villa, so fans may not be totally on board with Kirkland’s verdict.

West Ham United must act fast as David Moyes reportedly enters the chase for Reading’s in-demand sensation Michael Olise.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Irons have entered the clutch of sides keen to sign Olise in the upcoming transfer market after Moyes began targeting midfield reinforcements.

The Scottish coach is eager to utilise the mid-season window to strengthen the core of his line-up at the London Stadium, and has instructed the Irons’ team of scouts to keep tabs on Olise amid doubts over his long-term future at Reading.

Leeds United have been paying close attention to the 18-year-old’s situation since August after a deal for Michael Cuisance collapsed, and could strive to acquire Olise through an £8million release clause in his current terms at the Madejski Stadium.

Olise is currently set to be out of contract in the summer of 2022 but Reading are vulnerable to losing the talented youngster early, as the Championship side are cash-strapped and may need to rely on the growing interest in their academy graduate.

The Royals held firm in retaining Olise this summer after approaches from Leeds, Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers, with two of those outfits understood to have seen offers worth in excess of £5m rejected.

Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Everton have also been touted as potential suitors in the former Chelsea trialist, also admired by Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, AS Monaco and SSC Napoli.

Bowen 2.0

West Ham emerging on top in the ever-growing race for Olise’s services could see the east London outfit acquire a second Jarrod Bowen type within a year, having signed the winger from Championship side Hull City for £22m last January and reaped the benefits ever since.

Bowen accounts for three of the Irons’ 13 Premier League goals this season – the joint-most alongside Michael Antonio – while also offering their third-most shots (12), accurate crosses (five) and fourth-most successful dribbles (six), per WhoScored.

Olise, meanwhile, is currently lighting up the Championship with his performances for table-toppers Reading, having provided two goals and three assists from a central or attacking midfield position, while also recording an average of 0.8 shots, 1.2 key balls, 5.3 duels won (60%), 1.2 tackles, 0.8 interceptions and 29.3 accurate passes (84%) a match over his 10 outings, per SofaScore, and is yet to miss a big chance to score.

The Irons would likely have to trigger Olise’s alleged release clause in order to sign the talented teen in January given the ever-increasing interest, but in doing so David Sullivan would offer Moyes someone who Reading boss Mark Bowen believes has the world at his feet.

“He is such a talented player and he can do anything in his career,” Bowen told the Royals’ official website in January, following Olise’s first Championship start of the season against Nottingham Forest.

“I said to him after the game that I’d probably done him a disservice by not using him more before now. I have to trust them to put in the work – not trust them with the ball, because Michael is a massively talented player – but trust him to do the job out of possession.

“I said to him at the final whistle: ‘I know I can trust you now’, because of the shift of work he put in. Defensively, he showed he was years ahead of his time. That’s not just what he does on the ball, but also his work-rate and intelligence.”

It remains to be seen if Olise stays with Reading come next February or who out of his many admirers is willing to pay his £8m release clause and land a highly-sought-after rising star.

AND in other news, a West Ham calamity saw David Moyes miss out on an easy deal to sign a £25m titan this summer.

Jose Mourinho has confirmed Tottenham Hotspur will be without defender Toby Alderweireld for Thursday night’s Europa League tie with Ludogorets Razgrad after sustaining a muscular injury against Manchester City.

The issue forced Mourinho to substitute the centre-half off in the 81st-minute of last weekend’s 2-0 win and now expects to be without him for two to four weeks, but is relieved the issue is not as bad as first feared.

Tottenham continue to wait on further news of Matt Doherty’s fitness after he was forced to miss the Premier League clash with Pep Guardiola’s Citizens after testing positive for coronavirus, while Erik Lamela will not be available to face Ludogorets or Chelsea on Sunday due to a foot issue.

Alderweireld and Doherty’s absences for the midweek UEFA affair will force Mourinho into changes from the side which beat Ludogorets 3-1 earlier this month, keeping Spurs top of Group J on goal difference to Royal Antwerp and Linz ASK in a three-way tie on six points.

So, with changes on the cards, here’s a predicted XI the Portuguese tactician could favour…

Mourinho has thus far called on summer arrival Joe Hart to start in goal for two of Tottenham’s three Europa League Group Stage ties this term, and would be expected to stick with the former England international at home to Ludogorets in order to afford Hugo Lloris a rest between key Premier League tests with Manchester City and Chelsea.

But the former Blues boss will need to turn to Davinson Sanchez to partner Eric Dier in defence without the injured Alderweireld and with Joe Rodon ineligible in Europe, offering the Colombian what Paul Robinson believes will be a “big chance” for him to impress after being frozen out this season.

Mourinho has also confirmed that Doherty will fall to the bench after only returning to training earlier this week, allowing for Serge Aurier to return to the matchday squad after being omitted from the 18-man teamsheet when Spurs visited Ludogorets.

Harry Winks will be hoping that Mourinho opts to name a repeat midfield unit from the side which beat their Bulgarian opposition at the start of the month, with the England international concerned by his lack of game time yet a 100% member of Spurs’ Europa League Group Stage efforts to date.

No player for either side registered more touches (101) of the ball in the previous meeting between Tottenham and Ludogorets than Winks, with the 24-year-old enjoying an 8.1% share of the possession and playing the highest number of accurate passes (81), per WhoScored.

Giovani Lo Celso also registered a team-high three key balls at the Huvepharma Arena and netted his side’s third before being replaced in 72nd-minute, but has not opened a Premier League match since his sole start in September’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

With Ludogorets bottom of Group J and without a point after three games, Mourinho may feel safe in rotating his starting forwards from this month’s 3-1 win and resting captain Harry Kane ahead of Sunday’s derby clash with Chelsea.

The England international had featured for just 32 minutes over Spurs’ opening two Group Stage ties, though is an integral aspect of Mourinho’s league plans with nine starts in nine and only trails Heung-Min Son (9) for goals scored (7) in the top-flight.

Mourinho has options to turn to in favour of resting Kane, though may favour a central role for Lucas Moura, having been full of praise for the winger’s previous efforts at striker and with the £80,000-per-week Brazilian boasting two goals and an assist in the Europa League this season.

“Lucas is probably one of the few players that was here the day I arrived and never stopped, apart from some extreme fatigue he had because he was playing every match,” Mourinho told the official Spurs website this summer.

“He did everything for us during the season. He played in every position. He played as a striker when we had no strikers. He had no rest, he had to play every match in every competition. It’s really amazing and shows the team player that he is a team player, a consistent player, a player who sacrifices himself for the needs of the team.”

Moving Lucas into a central position for the first time this season – and handing him his first start since October 26 – will open the door for Mourinho to hand Steven Bergwijn a second chance to impress after his struggles against Manchester City at the weekend.

The Dutch forward was invisible before his early withdrawal and would have been frustrated with himself for failing to impress, given Mourinho had only awarded the 23-year-old one Premier League and one Europa League Group Stage start prior to the visit of the Sky Blues.

AND in other news, an £80k-p/w Spurs man’s struggles may have re-opened the door for a “perfect” outcast to return.

It has been a contrasting 18 months for Tottenham Hotspur winger Lucas Moura.

His 96th-minute, and third, goal against Ajax at the Johann Cruyff Arena sent the north London outfit into the Champions League final for the first time in their history.

But things have not gone to plan for the Brazilian since, even despite a fresh contract extension in the summer.

Moura has signed until at least 2024, though chairman Daniel Levy ought to consider cashing in on him in the near future.

On Thursday night during Spurs’ 3-3 thriller against LASK Linz in the Europa League, he was found wanting again as he rated out as one of their worst performers. It was so poor that Mourinho hooked him well before the end of the match.

Indeed, the 27-year-old made fewer passes than stand-in goalkeeper Joe Hart, on top of winning just 36% of his duels – it’s not as if the Austrian Bundesliga outfit are any true match for a team like Spurs, so it was a shocking night for Moura.

And that’s been an all too familiar story in the Premier League since last year.

He failed to score in the top-flight after the 22nd of December, assisting just three goals in 20 appearances, while this term, Moura has bagged just one goal in nine outings, per Transfermarkt.

To reiterate, in nearly one whole year – or 29 appearances – the €40m-rated (£36m) ace has scored just once.

Moura has, however, delivered in the Europa League with four goals and two assists, but these are all against sides that are barely a match for a top-flight English team.

His teammate Eric Dier recently claimed Moura was a “nightmare” and that there was “no one worse” to play against in training whilst James Dickens of the Last Word on Spurs podcast (via This Is Futbol) believes the wind man is “generally poor.”

Considering he’s earning a whopping £110k-per-week in N17, he must be doing better in Spurs’ bread and butter. In fact, he’s unlikely to break into the starting XI with them sat top of the table with the likes of Heung-min Son, Gareth Bale and Steven Bergwijn breathing down his neck.

The former PSG man is even earning more than Dier (£85k-p/w), Moussa Sissoko (£90k-p/w) and skipper Hugo Lloris (£100k-p/w).

That is simply robbing Levy blind right now, so it may be wise to cash in whilst they still can.

AND in other news, Forget Hojbjerg, another Spurs sensation has been Mourinho’s unsung monster…

There’s currently a huge question mark above Neil Lennon’s future as head coach of Celtic. The manager of the Glasgow giants has endured a poor season which currently sees the Hoops an alarming 13 points behind arch rivals Rangers in the league.

The reigning Premiership champions are also struggling in Europe and have managed to bank themselves just one point from five games played. Because of their disappointing form, they are now mathematically out of the competition and will more than likely watch Steven Gerrard and the Gers break their nine-season winning streak in the league.

Celtic are currently backing Lennon to remain as the manager, but if the poor results continue, the board will be left with no choice but to give him his marching orders. Whilst his players have also been coming under fire, some his recent team decisions have been questionable.

Lennon making mistakes

In Celtic’s last two matches, Lennon opted to drop Mohamed Elyounoussi, despite him being the club’s leading scorer for this season. The Southampton loanee has made a huge impact at Parkhead since joining in the summer.

But despite outscoring Odsonne Edouard, Lennon has left him out of the starting lineup recently. Elyounoussi came on as a substitute against St Johnstone and needed just two minutes to find Celtic’s equaliser which salvaged a point for the Bhoys. His influence in attack is unquestionable and he has already proven his worth as part of Lennon’s squad.

With the Europa League already lost, the manager is likely to play a weakened side against Lille in order to rest up some players. But the Hoops will face Kilmarnock at Celtic Park on Sunday which Lennon must be prioritising.

If he doesn’t recognise that his attack is limp without the influence of Elyounoussi, then he is just short of signing his own sentence for a one-way ticket out of his job.

In other news, Shane Duffy tipped for early exit after disappointing loan spell…