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Sunderland failed in what could have been the perfect chase of an “aggressive” defender this summer, leaving Chief Executive Officer Jim Rodwell to surely rue missing out on Charlie Goode.

What’s the word?

According to The Northampton Chronicle, Sunderland were one of many sides to have held an interest in Goode this year, with his future at the Black Cats’ League One rivals Northampton Town in doubt following an outstanding campaign.

Championship duo Queens Park Rangers and Middlesbrough were also thought to be keen, though refused to pay the Cobblers a rumoured £750,000 with Boro at most presenting an initial bid worth in the region of £500,000.

Ultimately, neither returned with a larger sum and Goode departed Northampton for Brentford in a club-record deal, said to be worth seven-figures rising up to £1.5million in various add-ons.

Sunderland matching that fee would have seen Goode become the Black Cats’ most-expensive purchase since the £4m arrival for Will Grigg in 2019, while also coming during a window where all other incoming players were signed as either free agents or on loan.

Nonetheless, Rodwell will be disappointed to see Goode now go on and thrive in the Championship with promotion-hopefuls Brentford after establishing himself under Thomas Frank at the 2019/20 Play-Off Finalists.

A solid start

Goode had to wait for his chance to feature for Brentford with Frank retaining Pontus Jansson, Ethan Pinnock and Mads Bech Sorensen from last season’s defence, with the 25-year-old not earning his Championship debut until October’s 3-2 loss at Stoke City.

Frank swiftly reverted back to his more-favoured options against Norwich and Luton Town, but recalled Goode against Swansea as the Bees were held to a 1-1 draw through Andre Ayew in the 77th-minute.

The Carabao Cup was were Goode first made a name for himself with the Bees through three outings from three in the early rounds, while assisting Emiliano Marcondes’ initial equaliser against Premier League West Bromwich Albion before the tie headed straight to penalties.

Frank knew what sort of player he was signing in Goode before the defender had kicked a ball for the Greater London outfit, noting via quotes by The Northampton Chronicle in August: “Charlie is a player I really like.

“He is an aggressive defender and a big aerial threat in both boxes, which is a big thing for us. He has good quality on the ball, which we feel we can develop further within our style of play.

“I feel Charlie can add something to the team, especially given his leadership qualities. We are sure that he will grow and develop further with us over the coming years and that, in turn, he will help us go forward as a club too.”

Goode may be yet to win a Championship game, but in his two second-tier displays to date he has proven worthy of Frank’s praise with an average of nine duels won each match through five ground battles and four aerial contests, per SofaScore.

The towering 6 ft 5 gem has won 91% of his ground duels, too, while averaging 94 touches, 69 accurate passes with an 88% completion rate, 2.5 clearances and 1.0 tackles.

Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson would surely have loved to have worked with Goode this season, but Chief Executive Officer Rodwell will know the deal was always out of reach.

AND in other news, Sunderland have the ideal chance to sign a modern-day gem for free.

An MP has made a claim on the proposed takeover of Newcastle United which involves fans of the Tyneside club.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Wansbeck MP Ian Lavery said with regards to the prospective £300m deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) group:

“We could [alternatively] raise it with the DCMS Select Committee. So, this might just be the catalyst which means that football supporters nationwide might be invited in through the doors to be involved in the decision-making process.”

Indeed, if Lavery as well as the other 40 MPs who wrote to the Premier League last week do not get a reply from the top flight or its chief executive Richard Masters, then they could well go to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to raise the issue.

Lavery argues that fans from around the country may then get an invite to be involved in the decision-making process.

The Saudi-led consortium, consisting of the Middle Eastern crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), his country’s Public investment Fund (PIF), businesswoman/head of PCP Capital Partners Amada Staveley and the London-based billionaire Reuben brothers, officially withdrew their own bid after growing increasingly frustrated with just how long it was taking for the Premier League and its CEO to come up with their final decision.

However, if supporters were potentially to get involved in the process, then it may well be accelerated and perhaps make it easier for the Premier League to arrive at their final decision.

Nevertheless, the league will surely have to give more clarity as to how exactly their process works in order for this to happen, in addition to giving their full cooperation to the parties involved in the deal.

Geordies, would you get involved in the takeover process if given the chance? Comment below with your views!

Former Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur midfield player Michael Brown has hailed Newcastle United for the signing of Callum Wilson from EFL Championship club AFC Bournemouth.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Brown claimed that the £20 million spent on getting his signature over the dotted line, coupled up with agreeing a four-year deal with a £100,000-a-week wage for Wilson, is money well spent by Steve Bruce as the English boss looks to strengthen his forward line going into the new 2020/21 term.

The former Premier League man also felt sorry for the Cherries for not being able to keep hold of the 28-year old but praised the Magpies for being able to acquire his services:

“Well, top of the pitch, Newcastle do need a bit of help and that would be the perfect type of player that Steve Bruce would have been looking for.

“Poor Bournemouth, as a team, Richard Hughes is head of their recruitment, they’ve really got their work cut out trying to hold onto players, trying to strengthen as well.

“For Newcastle United, it will be a very good signing.” 

Indeed, Wilson may well turn out to be a top addition if he can replicate the goals that he has scored throughout his career so far.

In 250 matches across club level and England’s under-21 and senior sides, the centre-forward has scored a relatively impressive 92 goals, according to Transfermarkt, meaning that he finds the back of the net every two to three games on average in what is a rather impressive scoring ratio.

Wilson may well be the perfect player for the Tyneside club as he carries a goal threat may be vital at St. James’ Park going into the new campaign, as supporters of the Magpies will be hoping that the England international can hit the ground running straight away.

Nonetheless, Brown is perhaps right to suggest that he will be a very good signing for NUFC considering his scoring pedigree.

Geordies, will Wilson hit the ground running? Comment below!

Plenty of Everton fans have been drooling over the latest news that Hayley Raso has signed a new deal with Everton Women that will keep her with the Merseyside club until the summer of 2021, as per the Toffees’ official website.

The 25-year old joined the Blues from Brisbane Roar in last winter’s transfer window but is yet to make her first-team debut because she had been struggling with an injury problem added to the fact that the Women’s Super League was stopped due to the global pandemic outbreak that swept across the footballing world.

Raso began her career at Canberra United in her native Australia before moving to Brisbane Roar in 2013, and she has also played in the United States of America with Portland Thorns.

The winger made her senior international debut at just 17 years of age and featured heavily for her country in the 2019 Women’s World Cup, where she helped the Matildas make it into the round of 16.

These EFC supporters drooled over the news on Twitter, as they hope that Raso will play a key part next season:

Evertonians, do you follow the women’s game? Comment below!

Celtic are seemingly after a striker this summer.

The Bhoys have been linked with a plethora of forwards, but two that seem to be at the forefront of the rumour mill at the moment are Steven Fletcher and Ivan Toney.

These are two very different types of forward, with Fletcher being the experienced 33 year-old who is proven at the top-level, while Toney is the 24-year-old gamble who could be the next big thing.

Neil Lennon has a tough decision to make when it comes to choosing between the pair, but in our eyes, it should be a straightforward decision.

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This season is one of Celtic’s biggest in recent history with the milestone of 10 league titles in a row within touching distance for the Hoops, and while Toney could end up being the better long-term acquisition, Fletcher is the man they need to go for right now.

Toney has only ever scored at League One and League Two level, meaning that he’s not guaranteed to be able to do the business in Scotland.

Meanwhile, Fletcher remains one of the Championship’s deadliest marksmen, netting at a rate of one goal every 156 minutes this term – a better rate than Premier League target Ollie Watkins.

Add into this the fact that Fletcher is available for free and Peterbrough want £10m for Toney and it’s a no-brainer.

The 33-year-old would not only be a more effective goalscorer than Toney at a higher level, but he’ll also save Celtic a lot of money, that can then be in turn spent on other areas of the squad that need bolstering.

Right now, Celtic need to have one goal in mind, and that’s getting their 10th consecutive league title, and it’s clear for all to see that Fletcher is the better striker option when you have such an important short-term target.

Following the news that Allan Saint-Maximin will miss the remainder of the month and beyond with a hamstring injury, Newcastle United supporters have been pondering who they will play in his stead – with the likely option dissatisfying a few fans in the build-up to a challenging away trip to Burnley. 

The Magpies travel to Turf Moor on Saturday in a bid to continue their fine run of form that has lifted them to 10th in the Premier League table – with an impressive draw at home to Manchester City capped off by crucial victories at the expense of Sheffield United and Southampton.

However, following news that their player will be out for the next month, manager Steve Bruce and supporters have had to ponder a crucial decision over how they replace his influence.

The most likely answer, it appears, would be to play Christian Atsu in his place – with some fans praying that doesn’t happen and Bruce instead opts for another approach.

Here’s what they had to say on Twitter.

Mohamed Salah has been snapped at a petrol station in Liverpool where he reportedly paid for everybody’s fuel.

As if fans weren’t already on the Egyptian’s side after his contributions in a Liverpool shirt, he has now pulled on the heartstrings of many supporters with his recent classy gesture (via The Mirror).

A picture of Salah at a petrol station in the Old Swan area of Liverpool is doing the rounds on Twitter after it was said he footed the bill for every customer’s fuel at the time.

The winger will be looking to kick on from another impressive season where he is very much in touching distance of this campaign’s top scorer Jamie Vardy. Salah is currently on 16 goals in the Premier League so far and another Golden Boot win would be his third in a row (via BBC Sport).

Many Liverpool fans are gushing over the photo of the 27-year-old and have taken to Twitter to show their appreciation for his kind-hearted nature. One Red has commented ‘legend status achieved’ whilst another has asked ‘can he get any better?’

Scroll down to read further reaction from some of the Anfield faithful:

Liverpool fans, describe Mohamed Salah in just one word in the comments below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith is willing to sell Jonathan Kodjia during the January transfer window, according to Football Insider.

What’s the story?

Their report suggests that Smith will allow the Ivory Coast international to leave Villa Park if he is able to find a replacement to offer cover for Wesley.

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The club are said to have rejected a £7m bid from Qatari outfit Al-Gharafa in the summer, as the Premier League transfer window had already come to an end.

However, they are now ready to listen to offers for the 30-year-old, with Cardiff City among those interested in signing him.

An end to his obscurity

Kodjia has been a figure firmly stuck in the background at Villa Park this season, having played just 20 minutes of Premier League football across two substitute appearances – he also came off the bench once in the Carabao Cup.

Injuries have played their part in this low number, but it still doesn’t make for good reading when compared to Keinan Davis’.

The Villa academy product has made six substitute appearances in the Premier League and three Carabao Cup starts, scoring once.

It seems as though Kodjia has a fight on his hands to even be Smith’s second-choice striker, so leaving the club could be a necessity if he is to begin getting regular game time.

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Southampton travel to Tyneside this Sunday to take on Newcastle, in a game that would see Southampton make up further ground on their relegation rivals having beaten Watford before dismissing Norwich by a 2-1 scoreline on Wednesday evening.

Newcastle, despite their decent form of late, are still very much in a relegation battle with Steve Bruce at the helm, so this is a game that has huge significance for Ralph Hasenhuttl and the Saints in their battle against the drop.

We have already outlined a couple of Magpies players who could pose the south coast side some problems on Sunday, and seeing as Southampton have conceded the most goals in the Premier League, Hasenhuttl must get his line-up right in order to prevent more defensive issues.

Here’s the XI that we think the former RB Leipzig manager should deploy at St James’ Park this weekend…

As you can see, there aren’t too many changes from the lineup that beat Watford last week – in fact, there’s only one.

We think that Hasenhuttl must bring Sofiane Boufal into the side in place of Nathan Redmond, following the Moroccan’s impact from the bench against the Hornets after replacing the former Birmingham forward.

Boufal inspired a five-minute turnaround with five successful dribbles and one key pass in just 34 minutes on the field, putting Redmond to shame after he managed just one dribble and no key passes.

We outlined how Allan Saint-Maximin might cause Southampton’s weak full-backs some problems due to his mesmeric dribbling ability – only Lionel Messi, Wilfried Zaha and Eden Hazard average more dribbles than the Frenchman.

While that is very much the case, Hasenhuttl doesn’t really have any other options who are good enough to dislodge Ryan Bertrand and Cedric, so the Austrian will simply have to hope his problem areas are not an issue this Sunday – a report from The Mirror (print version, November 12, page 53) states that a new right-back is a priority in January.

In other Southampton news, these 11 words from Hasenhuttl may have pinpointed why one Saints player doesn’t start many games…

After Giovani Lo Celso joined Tottenham Hotspur on loan from Real Betis, 11 Premier League games went by without the Argentinian starting a single one of them.

This was down to a mixture of injuries and Mauricio Pochettino’s reluctance to play him, with fans beginning to question why he was being used so sparingly in recent weeks.

However, having made his full debut against Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday, a game in which he opened his goalscoring account for the North London club, the 23-year-old finally made his first league start against Sheffield United:

The decision to start him left plenty of Spurs fans gushing, especially as it also meant that Christian Eriksen was taking a place on the bench, with that also having been the case in Belgrade.

In addition to that, Tanguy Ndombele starting for the third game in a row added an extra layer of enthusiasm before kick-off, offering a sign that Spurs’ summer arrivals could now be about to get closer to making their utmost impact for the club.

A selection of Twitter reaction to the announcement, including posts from excited Spurs fans, can be seen below: