All posts by n8rngtd.top

Liverpool have had their worst start to a Premier League season in the Jurgen Klopp era and it is looking like the club are taking no chances with transfer targets already being identified for the winter transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to 90min, Liverpool are now interested in signing Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk in January.

As per the report, the Reds are the latest side to express an interest in the player who is set to become available for £50m when the transfer market reopens in a few months’ time.

Sadio Mane replacement

Although Liverpool did sign Luis Diaz last January there is no doubt that Klopp will want to continue to strengthen his out-of-sorts forward line after Sadio Mane made the move to Bayern Munich this summer.

Although Mane wasn’t always in his best form over his last few seasons at the club, he could always be relied upon to deliver goal contributions when it mattered the most, scoring 120 times and delivering 49 assists over his time with Liverpool, tallying up a goal or assist every 127 minutes.

Last season the Senegalese winger was an important part of the team’s progression to their third Champions League final in five years, with three goals scored in the knock-out stages of the prestigious European competition which led to him breaking the record for the most knock-out goals scored by an African player.

As a result, replacing Mane was never going to be easy and Klopp will be hoping that securing a deal for Mudryk could put them in a great position to push on in the second half of the season to encourage further successes for Liverpool.

The 21-year-old Ukrainian winger was hailed a “serious talent” by Shakhtar chief Darijo Srna who gave a glowing reference to the young talent in an interview with CBS Sport:

“Mudryk is a serious talent. After Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr, he’s the best player in Europe in his position.

“If someone wants to buy Mudryk they must spend a lot, a lot, a lot of money and respect our club and our president.”

Despite not being given too many opportunities to display his clear ability in front of goal the rising star has scored four goals and delivered 12 assists, with a goal contribution every 87 minutes played since breaking through into the first team with Donetsk.

This season Mudryk has been proving his worth over the Champions League campaign so far with the youngster dominating games as a standout performer on the European stage, tallying up two goals and two assists already in the group stages. He found the back of the net against Celtic and had three direct goal involvements against RB Leipzig in Donetsk’s opener.

With that being said, there is nothing more that Klopp loves than taking raw talent and turning them into superstars so the signing of Mudryk could be the German coach’s next opportunity to polish up another young up and coming player at Liverpool.

Despite having only joined Leeds United from Feyenoord Rotterdam in what was a £21m deal this summer, Luis Sinisterra already appears to have been something of a bargain for the Whites.

Indeed, the 23-year-old was in sensational form over his 30 Eredivisie appearances last season, scoring 12 goals, registering seven assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.6 shots – 1.2 of which hit the target – making 2.0 key passes and completing a whopping 3.6 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the Colombia international average a simply breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.51, not only ranking him as Feyenoord’s second-best performer in the league but also as the joint sixth-best player in the Dutch top flight as a whole – level with €40m (£35m) Leeds target Cody Gakpo and one place ahead of Manchester United’s £86m summer signing Antony.

As such, when taking into account Sinisterra’s metrics last season, coupled with the fact he cost the Whites £65m less than the Red Devils paid for Antony and £14m less than PSV Eindhoven were demanding for Gakpo, it would indeed appear as if Orta secured something of a bargain when landing the £35m-rated Colombian for the price he did.

Furthermore, while a hamstring injury has limited the 23-year-old’s game time so far this season, the attacker has nevertheless started to catch the eye at Elland Road, having already scored two goals in two Premier League starts, as well as bagging a goal and assist in one Carabao Cup fixture – averaging a direct goal contribution every 60.5 minutes so far in his Leeds United career.

Thus, it is not difficult to see why journalist Josh Bunting appeared extremely impressed with Orta’s signing of the winger, stating in a post on Twitter back in August: “Luis Sinisterra is a frightening player, Leeds have pulled off a real masterstroke in signing him. The scary thing with him is he’s so good but nowhere near full fitness just as yet.”

As such, with Sinisterra having already seen his valuation climb a massive 67% from the £21m the Whites paid for his services just 10 weeks ago, as per CIES Football Observatory, it is evident that Orta did indeed hit the jackpot when landing the 23-year-old this summer – as the Colombian sensation will not only prove to be one of Leeds’ main goal threats this season but he could also represent a huge payday for the club further down the line.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ goalscoring woes that held them back last year have yet again reared their head during the first seven Premier League matches of this campaign.

Having scored only 38 league goals in 2021/2022, the Old Gold have managed a paltry three efforts so far and this is despite having signed Goncalo Guedes and Sasa Kalajdzic (although he will miss most of the campaign having been injured on his debut).

This prompted Bruno Lage to delve back into the market, with the club announcing the signing of Diego Costa to provide cover for the injured Austrian last week. The 33-year-old might not be in his prime, but it was certainly a better option than another face who was looked at by the club.

Lage avoided a howler

Wolves were linked with a shock move for Andy Carroll before Costa joined, and this would have been a disaster, as he could well have potentially been a worse signing than that of Willian Jose two years ago.

The Brazilian centre-forward joined on loan from Real Sociedad in January 2021 until the end of the season, but the move turned out to be a nightmare for both parties.

In the end, he managed a solitary Premier League goal in 18 appearances in all competitions, with Wolves unsurprisingly not exercising their option to buy.

Carroll, who is of similar stature, would likely have had an impact comparable to that of Jose, with the 33-year-old scoring a total of just six goals in the previous four years. Indeed, it is evident that both players are not exactly prolific inside the opposition area.

The Englishman’s career hasn’t exactly taken off since he made a £35m move from Newcastle United to Liverpool in 2011 and overall, has scored just 54 top flight goals in 248 matches, hardly setting the world on fire.

His injury record was also a major cause for concern, thus rendering him worse than Jose who was, at least, available during his time at Molineux. The former England international has had 23 separate incidents throughout his career where he was injured and Lage certainly dodged a bullet over the former West Ham hitman.

Karen Brady once dubbed Carroll as a “behemoth from ages past” due to his poor attitude during his stint in the capital, and this is another reason why he was best to be avoided.

The jury is out on Costa, but one thing is for certain, he will be a far better option to call upon than Carroll.

Tottenham Hotspur, and club director Fabio Paratici by extension, ‘tried to sign’ colossal 6 foot 3 defender Kim Min-jae before his move to Napoli, according to a close contact.

The Lowdown: Spurs enjoy busy summer…

The Lilywhites completed a plethora of astute deals over a memorable summer transfer window.

Indeed, the likes of Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie put pen to paper on moves to N17, with star defender Cristian Romero also completing a permanent transfer following his loan spell.

Antonio Conte’s side have also started this 2022/23 Premier League season in fine fashion, remaining unbeaten over their first six league games.

However, a ‘close collaborator’ of Kim has now revealed that Paratici was looking to strengthen Spurs’ options further as he attempted a move for the South Korea colossus.

The Latest: Paratici ‘tried to sign’ Kim…

As shared by Calcio Napoli 24, Spurs attempted a coup for the centre-back before his move to Napoli in Serie A.

Of the interested teams, a Jose Mourinho-lead AS Roma were also eyeing a move, along with Conte’s former team Inter Milan.

Ho Lee, a source close to the player, made some statements in a documentary about South Korean players before the winter World Cup in Qatar, saying:

“Inter, Juventus, Tottenham, Rennes and Roma have tried to sign Kim, and many clubs have held meetings on video, but we wanted Kim to be able to play in a good team with a certain continuity, and that team was Napoli.”

The Verdict: Big miss?

Judging by Clement Lenglet’s start to life in north London, it’s very debatable as to whether Kim will end up being a source of regret for Tottenham.

One thing that’s incontestable is the player’s quality, as evident by his WhoScored numbers so far this season.

Indeed, the 25-year-old is starring defensively at his new club overall – averaging among the highest rate of clearances per 90 in their squad (4.2) whilst also ranking as one of their top performers by average match rating (7.48).

Spurs coming back in for Kim in the next few years may well be one to keep an eye on, especially given his ‘monster’ reputation.

Everton could reportedly still sign FC Porto attacker Goncalo Borges after making a bid for the player.

The Lowdown: Attackers wanted

It seems as if the Goodison Park outfit still want to bring in a new attacker before the deadline, having recently been linked with moves for Watford’s Joao Pedro and Villarreal’s Samuel Chukwueze.

They have recently confirmed the signing of Idrissa Gueye from PSG, and their business may not be done there given the need for more firepower up front.

The Latest: Borges bid

As per Portuguese news outlet O Jogo (via Sport Witness), the Merseyside club have made a €12m (£10.3m) bid for Borges, which has been rejected by Porto.

The Portuguese giants are holding out for a transfer fee closer to €15m (£12.9m), and Frank Lampard’s team face competition from Estoril for his signature.

Porto intend to try and keep hold of Borges in the last hours of the window, but a number of clubs in Portugal are thought to be keen, and the Toffees could still raise their offer.

The Verdict: Time running out

If the Blues are serious about wanting to sign Borges, then they need to put in an improved offer fast that matches Porto’s valuation of the player.

Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig claims that he is a ‘similar’ player to Bayern Munich and Germany star Serge Gnabry, reporting his strengths in pace, dribbling, technique, ball control and creativity.

The 21-year-old is clearly very talented, having scored ten goals with six assists for Porto at youth level, as well as making three appearances for the senior team (Transfermarkt).

Borges also actually shares the same agent as four EFC players, and so this could help push a last-minute deal through before the deadline.

West Ham United are ‘in contact’ to sign free agent Adnan Januzaj, according to reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano. 

The lowdown: Moyes favourite

Handed a Manchester United debut under current Irons manager David Moyes back in 2013, the Belgian burst onto the scene, scoring twice on his first competitive start for the Red Devils, and he appeared to have every chance of becoming a smash hit at Old Trafford.

However, the 27-year-old was sent out on loan to Borussia Dortmund soon after and then reunited with Moyes at Sunderland for another temporary spell away from Manchester.

Januzaj then signed for Real Sociedad, where he directly contributed to 44 goals in 168 outings before being released as a free agent this summer…

The latest: Another chance under Moyes?

Taking to Twitter, Romano has claimed that West Ham are ‘in contact’ with the 15-cap ace regarding a move to east London, with the player waiting on a decision from the Premier League club.

Alongside detailing a possible swoop for Lucas Paqueta deal, the Italian stated: “West Ham are also in contact with Adnan Januzaj – but he’s waiting for club decision.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-updates-2/” title=”West Ham latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The verdict: No-brainer

Signing a player of Januzaj’s proven quality for nothing – with nearly 300 senior club appearances encompassing the Premier League, Bundesliga and La Liga along with the Europa League – is a no-brainer for the Hammers, particularly with Moyes clearly in need of additional strength in depth within the squad ahead of another European group stage campaign.

Last season, the skilful Belgian – who was hailed as a ‘very special’ performer by reporter David Cartlidge – earned a 6.81 SofaScore rating whilst winning 3.8 duels, completing 1.4 dribbles and making one key pass per La Liga outing, highlighting impressive recent form at the highest level.

His dribbling average matched that of the Irons’ three best performers for that metric in 2021/22, which suggests that Januzaj would make the team even more adept at beating opponents one-on-one. Indeed, it places him in the top 7% among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months.

Sharing similar stylistic traits to the likes of Raphinha, Lucas Moura and Cengiz Under (FBRef), landing the £10.8m-valued man for free could prove to be one of the deals of the summer should GSB get it over the line.

Arsenal’s interest in Wolves winger Pedro Neto ‘is real’, the reliable Steve Madeley has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Neto linked with move away

The Portuguese maestro is one of the most exciting players at Molineux, providing huge quality down the flanks when fully fit and firing, registering 23 goal involvements (11 goals and 12 assists) in total for Wanderers.

Unfortunately, Neto has been linked with a summer move to Arsenal in recent times, with Mikel Arteta perhaps seeing him as the final piece of the puzzle after their red-hot start to the season.

Bruno Lage’s side are already seriously lacking in attacking firepower, so to lose their up and coming superstar would be an enormous blow.

The Latest: Madeley confirms interest

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, The Athletic‘s Madeley confirmed that Arsenal want Neto but did add that they may not be able to sign him this summer:

“Arsenal’s interest in Pedro Neto is real and understandable. But it’s hard to see how they get him in this window.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“398117″]

The Verdict: Big loss if it happens…

Neto would be a huge loss for Wolves, with Premier League legend Alan Shearer describing him as a ‘huge talent’ and Lage surely desperate to keep hold of him.

[freshpress-poll id=“399044″]

Goals are already coming at a premium for Wanderers, with only one scored in the league this season, so losing one of their biggest attacking threats is far from ideal.

Should Neto end up leaving this summer, it is essential that the funds are used to replace him immediately – if not, it is hard to see Wolves threatening the European places or even the top ten.

Nottingham Forest have already made 16 signings this summer but they are showing no signs of slowing down in the remaining days of the transfer window, with the club set to reignite their interest in a player.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist Alan Nixon on Patreon (via Nottingham Forest News), the newly-promoted club are preparing a £2.5m bid for Blackpool winger Josh Bowler.

As per the report, Bowler is a player Nottingham Forest have held a long-term interest in and they could now be making a move for the player, who is currently in the last year of his contract, to complete their new-look Premier League side.

Cooper could land his next Johnson

Steve Cooper has added a large number of new players to the squad at The City Ground but one player who has remained and maintained his spot since the club levelled up to Premier League football this summer is Brennan Johnson.

Born and bred in Nottingham, Johnson became one of the rising stars of the Forest academy but went on loan to Lincoln City to hone his craft back in 2020/21 where he scored 14 goals and delivered 13 assists before returning to his boyhood club in the summer of 2021.

Former manager Chris Hughton instantly deployed the 21-year-old into his Championship team but struggled to get results and was sacked in late September, with Cooper taking the reigns at The City Ground to turn not only Forest into a Premier League team but Johnson into a top-flight goal-scorer.

As a result, Marinakis could now land Cooper his next Johnson with the signing of Blackpool’s wing wizard Bowler after the 23-year-old displayed his outstanding talent and potential in the Championship.

Over 42 appearances last season, Bowler scored seven goals, delivered three assists and created seven big chances, while taking 1.7 shots and successfully completing 2.5 dribbles per game.

This season so far, just like Johnson, Blackpool’s number 11 has already picked up his first goal of the campaign and has had 1.8 shots on target per game, proving that he is a reliable goal threat that could now continue his development in the Premier League under Cooper’s wing.

The English forward who was dubbed “magic” by journalist Sean McGinley has not had his ability and talent go unnoticed with Forest turning their attentions to Bowler, and Blackpool manager Neil Critchley has addressed the potential move:

“Wingers who score goals and get assists and the things Josh can do will attract attention.

“I don’t see any other wingers in the Championship doing what Josh can do, so he’s a prized asset for us. If there are people watching him, then great because he’s doing something right.”

With that being said, if the Tricky Trees can land a deal for Bowler it could well be a great piece of business, as it would give Cooper another EFL prodigy to develop into a Premier League starter, just like Johnson.

Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett has revealed that Everton’s ‘first choice’ striker target is Armando Broja.

The Lowdown: Talks ‘ongoing’

Talks are believed to be ‘ongoing’ with Chelsea over a potential move for Broja, although it is not clear whether that would be for a loan or a permanent deal.

The Albania international impressed while at Southampton last season, scoring a total of nine goals in all competitions, with six of them coming in the Premier League (Transfermarkt), and Everton are as we know desperate for a new centre-forward.

The Latest: ‘First choice’

Taking to Twitter, Dorsett has revealed that among the Goodison Park outfit’s list of striker targets, Broja is their ‘first choice’:

“#efc interested in #rovers Ben Brereton Diaz. Armando Broja still Everton’s first choice, but with little progress with #cfc they’re now widening the striker search. Neal Maupay and Viktor Gyokores also on the list of possible targets.”

The Verdict: Get it done

The Merseyside club are in desperate need of a new striker to hit the ground running after the injury to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and given his top-flight experience, Broja would certainly fit the bill.

Hailed as ‘devastating‘ by Albania assistant coach Sergio Porrini, and a striker with ‘incredible pace and strength’ by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, the six-foot-three colossus has the ability to really intimidate defenders and also stretch the game with runs in behind.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-7/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

He is also still only 20 years of age, and so has the potential to become one of the best strikers in the Premier League, given the right coaching and regular game time.

Newcastle United are also thought to be interested in Broja, so the Toffees may need to act fast in order to secure his signature.

Scottish football journalist Bill Young claimed that Ryan Jack did not look fit as Glasgow Rangers cruised to victory in the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox.

The Lowdown: Thumping win

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team enjoyed a thumping win in front of their own supporters, with new signings Malik Tillman, Antonio Colak and Tom Lawrence all among the scorers.

There may have been some nerves in the stadium with the Gers only 1-0 up at half-time, but a second-half flurry saw them ease to all three points in the end.

The Latest: Jack not fit?

Taking to Twitter, Young claimed that Jack ‘doesn’t look fit’ upon observing him during the game against St. Johnstone.

He has a long history of injury problems during his time at the Light Blues, and so it is always a worry when he does not look fully sharp.

The Verdict: Worrying

Given Jack’s injury history, it is certainly a sore sight to see that he may be struggling with his fitness.

The central midfielder lost out on four of his duels, while he also failed to record a single clearance, interception or tackle, losing the ball 13 times in total (SofaScore).

Of course, given that he missed the majority of last season through injury, it will take Jack some time to get back up to full match sharpness, and the Teddy Bears will be hoping that this is just a minor issue.