All posts by z3u9t.icu

Liverpool are interested in a swoop for Barcelona wonderkid Pedri, as they look to bolster their ranks ahead of next season [Mundo Deportivo via Daily Star].

In need of midfield reinforcements as Dutch midfielder Gini Wijnaldum gets set to depart for Paris St Germain [BBC], the Reds are reportedly keen on acquiring the 18-year-old as a long-term replacement for the former Newcastle United man.

The Spaniard is rumoured to have a release clause of around £70 million built into his contract [FanNation], sparking rumours that Liverpool could make him the most expensive acquisition in the clubs history after the arrival of Virgil Van Dijk in 2018 [Transfermarkt].

Enjoying a strong first season in La Liga, Pedri made 52 appearances for La Blaugrana in 2020/21 pitching in with 10 goal contributions; four goals and six assists [Transfermarkt].

Upon hearing the news, loads of Liverpool diehards took to Twitter to revel in these latest developments.

Liverpool fans react:

Replying to LFC Transfer Room, here is how some Reds fans summarized their feelings surrounding this latest update:

“Omg please”

Credit: @JakobMardon”Would be a great deal”Credit: @Waleedd_0380″Insane if true”Credit: @beamerrrrrr”Best youngster in world football. . Get it done”Credit: @Thejackallllll”Ayoo get him”Credit: @shivanesh__”My dream midfield signing but his release clause is nuts, not a chance”Credit: @9squeeze”give him the 8″Credit: @misterearnhardtIn other news, Liverpool fans react to some Gini Wijnaldum comments.

Manchester City edged an exciting contest as they beat Newcastle United 4-3 at St James’ Park on Friday evening, with a goal from Joao Cancelo and a hattrick from Ferran Torres sealing the win for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Despite a dominant start, Emil Krafth headed Steve Bruce’s side in front from a corner, before Cancelo’s deflected strike brought City level.

Torres put the Citizens in front with a superb flick from Ilkay Gundogan’s free-kick but it would be 2-2 just before half-time, as Joelinton smashed a penalty past City debutant Scott Carson.

Another penalty in the second half put the hosts back ahead, as Joe Willock scored the rebound after Carson had saved his initial shot but a quickfire double from Torres sealed his hattrick and was enough to seal the win for Guardiola’s side.

Although City produced some superb attacking play at St James’ Park, one man who was barely involved and struggled throughout the game was Raheem Sterling.

As per SofaScore, the England international would earn a disappointing 6.3/10 rating for his performance, which was the worst of any City player to feature in the game.

Despite Guardiola’s side having nearly all of the possession on Friday evening, Sterling was seemingly doing his best to lose it, as he would concede possession on 20 occasions during the game, which was the most of any City player.

The former Liverpool man had no shots, would complete just two out of six of his dribbles and managed just one key pass during the game, which is below his Premier League average of 2.3 shots, 2.2 dribbles and 1.2 key passes per game this season.

The “special” 26-year-old was regularly pushed off the ball and didn’t look up for the game, as he won just 4/14 of his duels at St James’ Park, which is a disappointment for someone who should be pushing for a starting spot ahead of the Champions League final later this month.

Certainly, when you consider the excellent performance from Torres, as well as the impressive recent displays of Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez, it now seems extremely unlikely that Sterling will start the game against Chelsea, and he has likely blown his last chance to impress Guardiola before the final.

And, in other news… Man City set for huge boost with “fantastic” beast, Pep surely buzzing

Celtic are set to recruit two members of Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth backroom team to accompany their prospective new manager, according to the Daily Record.

Dominic McKay could also unveil a new director of football this week to launch a ‘major restructuring’ at Parkhead, with three new faces potentially coming in to supplement Howe.

The lowdown

The Daily Record reported that McKay met with the 43-year-old in London two months ago to hold talks over the managerial position, which has been vacant since Celtic parted company with Neil Lennon at the end of February.

An announcement is expected this week, with Bournemouth’s play-off exit clearing the way for Howe to bring members of his trusted team north of the border.

Celtic are poised to undertake a rebuild this summer after their arch-rivals Rangers halted their run of nine consecutive titles. The Gers wound up finishing a full 25 points clear at the summit of the Premiership.

The latest

The report names Stephen Purches and Simon Weatherstone as the two coaches Howe wants to bring with him to Parkhead, with both men now free to focus on their own future following the end of Bournemouth’s campaign.

Whilst resolving the managerial uncertainty ‘has been the club’s priority’, McKay is also ‘closing in’ on a new director of football. An official announcement is unlikely to arrive on Monday, but there is confidence that Howe will be presented before the end of the week.

The verdict

In many ways, the timing makes sense here. Whilst Howe could have been announced prior to the end of the season, he needed to be sure that he could truly put his stamp on the club, and that meant bringing the coaches that he wanted with him.

Had Bournemouth been promoted back to the Premier League via the play-offs, Purches and Weatherstone may have been tempted to remain at the Vitality Stadium.

It is also crucial for McKay to finalise the Celtic director of football appointment as soon as possible in order to add further clarity to the long-term running of the club. They need to get this revamped unit up and running as quickly as possible.

In other news, read this pundit’s surprising claim about Celtic’s summer rebuild.

A hat-trick from Gareth Bale fired Tottenham Hotspur back into top-four contention on Sunday night.

Spurs ran away with a rampant 4-0 victory over Sheffield United in north London to move to within five points of local rivals Chelsea and that was largely down to the Real Madrid loan star.

And whilst he deserves plenty of plaudits for his goalscoring display, there was another Lilywhites man that merits just as much praise as he was arguably Ryan Mason’s unsung hero at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Assisting two of Bale’s three goals was right-back Serge Aurier, who put in a phenomenal showing along that flank alongside the Welshman.

On top of two simply sublime balls, the Ivorian was one of Spurs’ most influential players, recording a match-high 111 touches, which was more than the central midfielders who usually dictate the tempo of their game, including Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (106), Giovani Lo Celso (89) and Dele Alli (83), as per SofaScore.

The £18m-rated dynamo could’ve capped off a wonderful performance with a hat-trick of assists late on but his cross was tipped before Harry Kane could get a firm head to it. That would’ve been worthy of the match ball, too.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-managerial-update-transfer-rumours-levy-mourinho-sacked-gossip” title= “Read the latest Spurs manager updates, transfer news, gossip and more!”]

In total, Aurier provided a whopping four key passes, including one big chance created, which was only bettered by Heung-min Son (six) and was just one less than the remainder of the squad combined (five).

Usually, he only averages one of these each match, so it goes to show just how good he was from an attacking sense. He also made 95% of 86 passing attempts, which was a feat only bettered by Hojbjerg (97%) and Son (96%).

It didn’t stop there either as he was just as industrious defensively, where he registered two tackles and a joint squad-high two interceptions, showing that he can actually defend and read the game well at times.

The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick waxed lyrical over Aurier’s display, claiming both assists were “brilliant moments of creativity” and similarly, Alasdair Gold at football.london was also hugely impressed grading him a 9/10 in his post-match ratings column – a rare sight, indeed.

Bale may have fired Spurs back onto the right path this weekend, but without the former PSG man, there may not have been such quality service and that’s exactly why he deserves to reap the rewards, too.

AND in other news, Levy could seal Spurs their next Dembele in bargain swoop for “explosive” 22 y/o beast…

Manchester City fans love the club’s reported new away kit, which was leaked on Twitter on Thursday.

The Citizens have a big end of the season to look forward to. They are one win away from confirming their status as Premier League champions (Sky Sports), while there is also the mouth-watering prospect of a first Champions League final on the horizon as they prepare to face Chelsea in Istanbul.

Despite plenty still being on the line, though, the club’s hierarchy of course planning for the new campaign behind the scenes. Earlier this week, the club’s third kit was leaked on social media, and that did not go down well at all with the fans.

However, The white away shirt is clearly a far bigger hit, and the supporters are giddy with anticipation of the players wearing this next term.

The leak was shared by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the Etihad Stadium faithful. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the Man City fans had to say below

“Unreal”

Credit: @Tom72ii

“Stunning. Yes please!!!”

Credit: @Record_Peddler

“Absolutely mint, I’ll be having that.”

Credit: @Boyraceruk

“Looks fantastic. The color scheme is phenomenal.”

Credit: @abellwillring

“This is beautiful tbh, can’t wait for it to drop and cop”

Credit: @Just_Leeds

“This is the best kit I have ever laid my eyes on. Gorgeous.”

Credit: @majorramblings

In other news, Man City fans slammed this man against Crystal Palace.

Jurgen Klopp has provided a slightly worrying injury update on Jordan Henderson, suggesting the Liverpool captain’s return is not yet close.

The Reds are back in action after almost three weeks away on Saturday night, with the Premier League champions making the trip to Arsenal.

Liverpool will have to make do without Henderson for the game, however, as he continues to recovery from a groin injury that required surgery.

The 30-year-old has been absent since the 2-0 defeat at home to Everton last month, acting as the latest in a string of injuries for Klopp this season.

Klopp provides Henderson injury update

Speaking to reporters on Friday, with quotes provided by journalist David Lynch on Twitter, the Liverpool manager discussed his skipper, worryingly admitting he doesn’t yet know when he will be fit:

“No, not really. He is not here in the moment, he cannot train.”

Klopp added that he hopes Henderson will return to training in a few weeks, but admitted he doesn’t know for sure: “The problem is, I’m not a doctor, so it’s just about time.”

Transfer Tavern take

Henderson’s return still seems to be a while away, meaning the midfielder may be sweating over his participation at Euro 2020.

He faces a race against time to prove himself, in what could possibly be the last major tournament for England, considering he turns 31 in June.

From a Liverpool perspective, they need him back as soon as possible, given the leadership, energy and quality he provides in the middle of the park.

In other news, Liverpool reportedly want to sign a former rival player this summer – find out who it is here.

Numerous fans of Manchester City have been reacting to a post on Twitter which relayed an article regarding the wage demands of reported summer transfer target Erling Haaland.

According to David Ornstein’s article for The Athletic, Manchester City – as well as other interested clubs – have been informed that signing the 20-year-old Borussia Dortmund centre-forward this summer would “break wage structures across Europe”, with salary demands way in excess of what City’s top earners currently take home being communicated.

The £99 million-rated striker is undeniably something of a generational talent, having already scored a quite astonishing 49 goals and providing 13 assists over his 52 appearances for Dortmund.

However, after City Xtra relayed the news of Haaland’s reported wage demands on Twitter, some Man City fans flocked to have their say on the matter, with many feeling that the Norway international should not be signed this summer if the reports regarding his demands are indeed true. One irate supporter even blasted the Norwegian as an “overrated fraud” despite his exceptional goal return.

So, what exactly did these Manchester City fans have to say in reaction to the report regarding Erling Haaland’s wage demands?

“Really wanted him but if that’s the case all of a sudden Isak and Ings and Andre Silva are looking really great players.”

@resanemi

“Bro he can rot at Dortmund then.”

@oilfc96

“We’re good. He can go wherever.”

@ngozulumatondo

“We don’t want this overrated fraud.”

@not_aguero

“Honestly don’t want him. Don’t want to sign mercenaries – you can never truly attach yourselves to such players.”

@ManCityKD

“Let’s be real, it is not happening. Andre Silva would be a better option in our budget.”

@SadlyIoan

In other news: Lots of MCFC fans flocked to one recent transfer report – find out more here!

According to Bristol Live, Southampton are said to be interested in Bristol City goalkeeper Daniel Bentley.

Saints eye Bentley

The Saints are believed to have been scouting three Robins players in Bentley, Antoine Semenyo and Tyreeq Bakinson.

However, Ralph Hasenhuttl is interested in the former in particular as he reviews his goalkeeping options ahead of next season.

Cheap option

Valued at £3.6m (Transfermarkt), Bentley would likely be a cheap option for the St. Mary’s Stadium outfit. That, though, does not mean he would be a poor purchase for the club. He has been close to an ever-present for Bristol City this season, appearing in 36 of their 38 matches in the Championship. Despite a couple of recent mistakes, he has still been reliable between the sticks for much of the campaign, and he was labelled as “incredible” by Dean Holden earlier this term (via sportsmole.co.uk).

At the moment, Hasenhuttl appears to be undecided on his goalkeepers. In recent weeks, he has chopped and changed between Fraser Forster and Alex McCarthy, even though the former’s time on the south coast appeared to be up after spending last season on loan at Celtic. Could Bentley be the man to resolve the boss’ dilemma? That remains to be seen. Southampton, though, could do an awful lot worse than the 27-year-old shot-stopper.

In other news, Sevilla eye this Southampton ace.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting after it emerged that a couple of billboards celebrating the club’s 55th Premiership title have been damaged.

The Gers are still basking in the glory of their latest trophy. It has been a dominant campaign for the Ibrox outfit – they have already won the league with five games remaining and are currently 20 points clear of their closest rivals in the table, Celtic (BBC). It has been a season that Rangers fans will never forget.

To celebrate the success, billboards were erected in Glasgow displaying messaging in support of the Rangers squad. However, photos have now emerged showing those billboards to have been damaged (via Vital Rangers). Clearly, there are some in the city who are far from happy that the Gers have won the title.

The photos of the damaged billboards attracted plenty of attention on Twitter, and these fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the matter. Indeed, they managed to see a positive side to the vandalism.

Let’s see what these Rangers fans had to say below

“It’s only a game….”

Credit: @fumefox

“superb”

Credit: @ThomasHannigan9

“55 has destroyed them”

Credit: @TheBluezulu2

“That makes them even better”

Credit: @geomac24

“Lovely to see, it means they’re hurting!”

Credit: @BFPO107

“Makes it all the better ,shows how much its hurting them”

Credit: @1873Rickster

In other news, some Rangers fans rage at this official club release.

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur recently had a bid rejected for AS Roma centre-back Roger Ibanez.

The report by Voce Giallorossa (via Sport Witness) claims that Ilario Di Giovambattista revealed both Tottenham and Leicester City made recent offers of €30m (£25.7m) for Ibanez, who just signed a permanent deal with Roma having initially been on loan from fellow Italian outfit Atalanta.

According to Di Giovambattista, both Jose Mourinho and Brendan Rodgers have been tracking the £18m-rated centre-back for some time and will continue to do so despite the 22-year-old officially becoming a Roma player in recent weeks.

Transfer Tavern Take

Considering that Ibanez has impressed over his 22 Serie A appearances for Paulo Fonseca’s side this season, with the defender’s average WhoScored match rating of 6.92 ranking him as the club’s sixth-best performer in the Italian top flight, the claim that Spurs have been keeping tabs on the Brazilian is not overly surprising, considering Mourinho’s desire to sign a new centre-back last summer.

However, it is more difficult to believe that the club would have offered a large sum of money for Ibanez in the January transfer window, as the Tottenham manager himself stated the club would not likely be doing any business in the winter market.

Indeed, Sport Witness suggested that Di Giovambattista’s claims could well be an attempt to make Roma’s business appear in a better light with the club’s supporters, which seems a much more plausible scenario.

In other news: Tottenham are also monitoring this attacker, find out more here.