All posts by z3u9t.icu

Southampton have recently been linked with Everton midfielder Tom Davies recently but he would be a poor addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Southampton have reignited their interest in the 22-year-old midfielder, having failed to sign him last year, and they will move for him this summer if they are given any encouragement by Everton.

The report suggests that Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti is a big fan of the England U21 international, which suggests that the Toffees would not be willing to part ways with the youngster for less than his current market value of £14.4m.

Would he be a good signing?

Davies’ performances in recent seasons do little to suggest that he would be a good signing at Southampton this summer.

This season saw the Englishman make 25 appearances in the Premier League, in which he failed to contribute a single goal or assist, averaging a woeful 6.46 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This would rank him as the 17th-best performer in Everton’s side this season, whereas if he had produced the same level of performance at St Mary’s, he would’ve been ranked as the 15th-best player this season.

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Considering Hasenhuttl has suggested that Southampton will target players under £10m this summer, it is difficult to see the Austrian shelling out more than that on a player who would surely struggle to oust Oriol Romeu and James Ward-Prowse in the Saints midfield.

Earlier in the season, Sky Sports journalist Alan Myers was full of praise for Davies, saying:

“Tom Davies has been a player who’s increased performance-wise incredibly over the last few months. He’s had a lot of stick from fans and other areas, and he’s come back really well and is playing really well, so I’m glad to see him back.”

However, it is difficult to see how he would be an improvement on the options currently available to Hasenhuttl in midfield and considering how much he would likely cost, this is a transfer that the Austrian should definitely avoid this summer.

And, in other news… Hasenhuttl could evolve his Saints attack with swoop for “unbelievable” star

Manchester United have appointed Erik ten Hag as their new manager to join the club this summer, and with a new manager, there will likely be new signings with speculation already mounting on who the Dutch coach will bring in to start his revolution at the Premier League club.

The Red Devils have struggled this season and become the centre of a media frenzy with the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer and reported dressing room leaks constantly hitting the headlines amongst poor form in all competitions on the pitch with the side entering their longest trophy drought in 40 years and looking unlikely to secure a top-four finish in the few remaining games.

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With that being said, Ten Hag has clearly been brought into the club to reinstate the identity and to improve the mentality amongst the players, something he can achieve by bringing in new players to begin a new era and a fresh start at Man United.

The midfield is one of the key areas that has been targeted for desperate improvement, and one player who has been linked to the club this week that would drastically improve the centre of the pitch is Frenkie de Jong.

The £164k-per-week ace who was hailed “amazing” and a “genius” by his manager Xavi, would be a huge upgrade in Man United’s midfield next season to replace Scott McTominay when you compare the pair on effectiveness for their respective teams.

For Barcelona, De Jong has scored two more goals and assists, completed over 300 more passes, has a better pass accuracy, completes more take-ons and has a higher ground duel success rate (64.2%) compared to Scott McTominay at United in the Premier League this season, per Squawka.

Manchester United will reportedly (via Sport) give ten Hag £210m to spend this summer, and the 24-year-old has become a prime target for the Ajax boss who will have full involvement in the transfer dealings at Old Trafford during his three-year contract.

Ultimately, the Dutch tactician will have a large workload when it comes to reviving the club from its current state, and along with identifying new signings will also need to make the right decisions when it comes to replacing and moving on players this summer to give Manchester United the best chance next season.

AND in other news: Man Utd plot bid for “special” 52-goal “wizard”, it’s an instant ten Hag masterclass

Ever since Leeds sold one of the club’s brightest young starlets in Ronaldo Vieira, Marcelo Bielsa has no doubt been keen on trying to unearth another midfield gem at Elland Road.

At the time of Vieira’s move to Sampdoria, Andrea Radrizzani made it clear that it was a deal just too good to turn down considering the financial situation.

He said: “He was one of best players to come from our youth but I cannot put the club in danger in the future. Unfortunately to sustain a club in this league, we need to sell one or two players each year. We’ve invested a lot and it’s not enough to break even, so we had to manage the club and look at the future, not just today.”

While Kalvin Phillips has grown into a bona-fide star and England international, the potential signing of Ainsley Maitland-Niles may be the closest Leeds get to replacing the talented Vieira.

Reports in recent days have suggested that Bielsa’s side are interested in signing the £16.2m-rated Arsenal star, who is currently on loan at fellow Premier League side West Brom.

The Baggies have been utilising him in central midfield this season, while the Gunners opted to field him in both full-back positions and even further forward too.

That ability to play in multiple roles and positions is something Chris Sutton has previously hailed, saying: “The young man’s versatility is a weapon. He is such a versatile talent – a diamond.”

But at Leeds, Maitland-Niles could develop into a real star in the middle of the park just like Vieira promised to be in his break-through season at the club.

Just like the former Whites starlet, the 23-year-old reads the game particularly well, and has averaged an impressive 2.2 tackles and 0.9 interceptions per game in the Premier League since joining West Brom in the January transfer window.

Compare that to Vieira’s break-out campaign at Leeds during the 2016/2017 season, when he averaged 2.1 tackles and one interception per game in the Championship – remarkably similar defensive numbers compared to Maitland-Niles.

The England international also has that comparable ability to cover the ground well, with his former teammate at Arsenal, Sead Kolasinac, hailing his pace, saying: “He’s so quick and he reads the game well, so he knows what to do before the ball arrives. When you’re that quick, it’s difficult to stop someone.”

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If Leeds do manage to pull off a deal for Maitland-Niles in the summer, then they could well finally replace Vieira.

Meanwhile, Leeds must make a ruthless call on this “massive flop”…

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly now in a ‘strong position’ to sign Danilho Doekhi in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Souttar in

It has now been confirmed that John Souttar has signed a pre-contract agreement with the Ibrox faithful from Hearts, and he may even be able to play from this month if a further agreement can be made.

A few central defenders for the Teddy Bears are facing uncertain futures, and so bringing in a new centre-back was vital.

In truth, they could do with another one as well, given that both Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun’s contracts are up in the summer, with no sign of them renewing as of yet.

The Latest: Doekhi next?

As per The Athletic journalist Jordan Campbell, the Light Blues are now in a ‘strong position’ to sign Doekhi, after confirming Souttar’s signing.

The Dutchman is also a player whose contract is up in the summer, and so he could also be very attainable this month.

The Verdict: No-brainer

Assuming both Goldson and Balogun leave, it would be a no-brainer to sign Doekhi up alongside Souttar.

He has been described as having ‘all the ingredients’ for a good centre-half by Dutch football agent Freddy van der Hoorn, as he is ‘aggressive’ being six-foot-three, but also ‘very comfortable’ on the ball as well (Rangers Review).

Doekhi has also hinted himself that he would like the move, claiming that he is ‘flattered’ by the Gers’ interest, and that they are a ‘very beautiful’ club (de Gelderlander).

Nonetheless, to play under Dutch legend Giovanni van Bronckhorst could well be a match made in heaven.

In other news, find out what transfer update has Gers buzzing here!

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.

Serie A giants AC Milan could move for West Ham defender Issa Diop if they lose Alessio Romagnoli, according to Italian journalist Salvatore Cantone of La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Romagnoli’s future is said to be far from certain, prompting Milan to draw up contigency plans.

Diop is a potential replacement for Stefano Pioli’s men, who finished 2nd in the league last season.

Could Diop be frustrated at West Ham?

The Frenchman was limited to 15 Premier League starts last season under David Moyes.

He averaged 1.3 successful aerial duels, 1.1 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 1.2 blocks and 3.2 clearances per 90 minutes (via WhoScored).

Diop has already been the subject of interest this year, with The Athletic reporting in January that Liverpool have made an enquiry about signing him on loan.

The 24-year-old has two years left on his contract at the London Stadium but West Ham have the option to extend it for a further 12 months.

He’s valued at £16.2million by Transfermarkt.

Twitter news feed West Ham Central relayed the AC Milan report, and here’s what fans made of it.

These West Ham fans fret over Issa Diop rumour

“We need more players not less”

Credit: @whuchr

“In tears”

Credit: @jackcoyi

“But we don’t have many players. We’ve got no confidence the ££ will be reinvested in the team.”

Credit: @joncantdance

“One player we shouldn’t even think about selling”

Credit: @WestHamFan987

“I get if you don’t rate him but why would we sell, we’d be left with two cbs”

Credit: @NoContextWalker

“I wouldn’t, we’re going to be playing Thursdays & Sundays and our squad depth isn’t even good enough for 1 game a week”

Credit: @williebeau18

In other news, Roshane Thomas has provided the latest on this international’s future. 

Celtic are interested in a swoop for Sheffield United right-back George Baldock as they step up their summer recruitment drive [Daily Record].

The Lowdown: Celtic get busy ahead of the 2021/22 season

Moving into 2021/22, fans up and down the country will be fascinated to see how the Hoops assemble a side capable of regaining the Premiership title at the first attempt.

Already engaged in transfer activity in this window, the Scottish giants have tied up deals for former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Liam Shaw and ex-Scunthorpe United striker Joey Dawson.

Looking ahead, could the Celts be set to raid the English Football League again for their third acquisition in a short space of time?

The Latest: Hoops eye Baldock as part of Parkhead summer overhaul

Celtic are said to be pursuing 28-year-old defender Baldock as they eye reinforcements for a problem position at Parkhead [Daily Record].

Ange Postecoglou is rumoured to have cultivated a list of right-sided defensive targets, with the Sheffield United man high up on the list due to his suitability as a player within a high-octane style of football [Daily Record].

Of course, this is not the first time Baldock has been linked with a move to Glasgow. Known well by Hoops scouts, he was heavily touted with a potential move north of the border two years ago after the departure of Swedish icon Mikael Lustig at the end of 2018/19 [Daily Record].

The Verdict: Baldock would be a good addition to the Celtic fold

Upon reflection, the 5 foot 10 ace would be an astute capture for Postecoglou’s men as they build for the forthcoming campaign.

In desperate need of depth on the right-hand side of defence, Anthony Ralston is currently the only right-back with first team experience on board at Celtic Park [The Scottish Sun].

In 2020/21, Baldock was a near ever-present for the Blades and made 32 league appearances, registering two assists [Transfermarkt]. Showing his prowess at the back, he averaged 1.9 clearances per match across the campaign [WhoScored].

Most interestingly, his contract at Bramall Lane is set to expire in just 12 months’ time [Transfermarkt], which could provide scope for a deal to be done. Once labelled as ‘great’ by his former boss Michael Appleton [Eurosport], Celtic should be doing everything they can to eventually finalise a deal for the Sheffield United man.

In other news, a Celtic defender is linked with a Turkish exit.

Pundit Kevin Campbell has heaped praise on Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi for his impact at Parkhead, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: With and without Furuhashi

Ange Postecoglou has been able to call upon the 26-year-old prior to the international break, with Furuhashi signing off with a first-half strike against Aberdeen in a 2-1 win.

He also featured against Bayer Leverkusen, but prior to that, had missed five games with a knee injury.

The Hoops lost to Livingston and failed to beat Dundee United without the Japan international, and the £4.86m summer signing has clearly impressed Campbell.

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The Latest: Campbell reacts

Celtic TV shared a ‘unique angle’ on Monday following the win at Aberdeen, which included Furuhashi’s smart finish.

Campbell, who regularly appears on Sky Sports, was asked by Football Insider for his thoughts on the goal, to which he said:

“Wow, what a phenomenal impact he is having on that football club.

“When a player has confidence he can produce goals like that.

“Let’s be honest, he has been the difference for Celtic this season. They are a different team when he plays. They need him fit and available every week.

“He can carry the team and that is what he has done. He has been nothing short of awesome since he has signed. You have to give Postecoglou credit.”

The Verdict: Kyogo key?

Celtic showed signs of promise against Aberdeen, with Furuhashi netting his eighth goal in 11 games for the Hoops.

His versatility has helped Postecoglou already this season by turning out as a left-winger and through the middle, and he appears to be a key figure in Glasgow already.

The Hoops managed just four points from a possible nine in the Scottish Premiership without him recently, and you could argue that if he was fit, it may have been nine from nine.

In other news: Coach with 17-honours may be open to replacing Postecoglou; he’s a Celtic fan. 

Paul Stewart thinks that now is the perfect time for Erik Lamela to end his eight-year affiliation with Tottenham.

Lamela, who’s contract in north London expired next summer, has joined Sevilla in a permanent deal, with highly-rated young winger Bryan Gil coming the other way to link with Nuno Espirito Santo’s men.

Lamela’s move to La Liga brings down an eight-year reign for the Argentine following his move from Roma in 2013 which was a club-record at the time.

His first campaign was overshadowed by a long-term back problem, which saw him miss the final four months of the season.

That quickly became a reoccurring theme during Lamela’s time at the club. He missed 133 matches in total, including 57 in a row when he spent 13 months on the sidelines with a hip injury.

And whilst his commitment and work-rate won’t be forgotten in in north London, his goal and assist return wasn’t what many were expecting when he came on the back of a scintillating season in the Italian capital.

Stewart exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“Lamela, for me, is too inconsistent. He looks like a world beater sometimes, and you feel like you’re carrying him other times. I genuinely believe that it’s the right time for him to move on.”

Former Premier League footballer Carlton Palmer believes Manchester United re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo is a “great bit of business”.

The Red Devils confirmed that they had reached an agreement with Juventus to bring the Portuguese superstar back to Old Trafford subject to agreement of personal terms, visa and medical.

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo returns to Manchester United after spells with Real Madrid and Juventus. In his previous spell at Old Trafford, Ronaldo scored an unbelievable 118 goals in all competitions and provided a further 69 for his teammates.

Throughout his career, Ronaldo has scored 674 goals and provided 229 assists in all competitions and Palmer believes it’s a great bit of business by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to bring him back as the club look to challenge for the Premier League title and in the Champions League.

He told Football FanCast: “Trust me, there is no danger he scores goals in the Premier League, no danger whatsoever so it’s a great bit of business. 

“He can play in the number nine role, you can play him out wide, you can play him off the top, you know, he’s an unbelievable fit player.

“It’s just a magnificent bit of business, a feelgood factor. I went for Man United before the league started, I went for them to win it and I’m still sticking with that, if they can get the Pogba deal done which I’m sure they will do, I think they’ve got a great chance this season.”

Solskjaer’s team have made an unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign heading into the international break. The Red Devils opened up with a 5-1 thrashing of Leeds United at Old Trafford, before drawing 1-1 with Southampton at St Mary’s and then beating Wolves 1-0 at the weekend.

Alongside Ronaldo, Solskjaer has also made three additional signings in Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Tom Heaton this summer, and will be hoping that his side can remain undefeated and challenge for major honours this season.