All posts by z3u9t.icu

With Odsonne Edouard facing the Parkhead exit door, Celtic will need to find a replacement striker when the summer transfer window opens.

The Frenchman is close to joining a club in England, which will leave the Hoops in the lurch. After all, he is their top scorer over the last few seasons.

What’s the word?

One player who Celtic may target is Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi. The Bhoys were linked with a move for the physical forward back in January but, without a work permit to play in the United Kingdom, a switch wasn’t possible.

However, he has finally been granted a UK work permit ahead of a potential move in the summer months. The Liverpool Echo claimed that Awoniyi may cost any suitor around £8m-£10m and he certainly has plenty of admirers.

If Celtic are still interested, they will face competition from Fulham, West Brom and Stoke City. A trio of German clubs are also pursuing his signature.

Perfect for Howe?

If and when Eddie Howe finally joins Celtic, finding a new striker should be right at the top of his agenda.

Awoniyi might not have the greatest of goal tallies this season but he’s a player who looks as though he’s improving all the time. He has spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Union Berlin in the Bundesliga, where he hass scored five goals in 21 matches.

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The 23-year-old’s start to life in the German capital wasn’t great but, from a period between November and January, he proved his worth by netting five goals in seven games.

Described as a striker with “physical robustness”, he could work well in a Celtic side led by Eddie Howe. When in charge of the Cherries, he had Josh King at his disposal, a player with similar physical characteristics who ultimately scored a goal every 3.4 games with Howe at the helm.

Consequently, Awoniyi could also thrive in Scottish football under the stewardship of the seemingly incoming head coach.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast this year, German football expert Daniel Pinder said: “I haven’t seen much of Edouard play, but looking at his stats, he scores plenty of goals, and I think Awoniyi could get the goals, but he needs the right players around him as he has at Union Berlin this season.”

Pinder added: “If you look at his form for Union Berlin pre-injury, he is a player that could potentially get 15-20 goals in Scotland.”

With that in mind, Awoniyi would certainly be a valuable addition to Celtic. They must aim to take advantage of his situation this summer.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Turnbull: Celtic fans must be buzzing if Hoops sign “dazzling” 12-goal beast…

According to a report by Goal, Tottenham Hotspur are now keen on signing Crystal Palace dynamo Wilfried Zaha alongside Everton – with the report revealing chairman Daniel Levy ‘will look to pursue a deal’ this summer. 

The Lowdown: Zaha wants out…

The 28-year-old is said to be eager to exit Selhurst Park once again over six years after the Eagles re-signed him from Manchester United.

Zaha has been one of Palace’s key players for a number of seasons and has continued that form sporadically over 2020/2021, scoring 11 goals in 29 Premier League starts (WhoScored).

This has reportedly prompted interest from opposing clubs as Goal lift the lid on this development in the Zaha saga.

The Latest: Spurs now keen…

As reported by Goal, Spurs are now keen on signing Zaha alongside Everton with Levy aiming to rebuild the squad and compete over 2021/2022.

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Their new interest in the Ivorian star may have been prompted by his hesitation over signing a new deal.

His current deal expires in 2023 and the clock is ticking for Palace to sell Zaha for profit.

There is also a belief that he could be available for less than £40 million – arguably an attractive incentive for Levy to consider a deal with Spurs now keen.

Indeed, Tottenham will apparently ‘look to pursue a deal’ this summer and are currently monitoring his situation amid after this possible price drop.

The Lilywhites will especially have the means to make a move if superstar striker Harry Kane departs this summer.

The Verdict: Time to strike…

Signing Zaha for a fee below £40m comes as a real opportunity for Spurs to inject some much-needed creativity going forward.

As well as this, his arrival would provide Tottenham’s new manager with an alternative to Son Heung-min and more strength in depth overall.

Scoring 47 goals and assisting 41 others in 245 Premier League appearances overall (Transfermarkt), the attacker is currently in his prime and could really shine for Spurs.

Lauded as an ‘outstanding talent’ by Martin Keown (talkSPORT), fellow pundit Tony Cascarino told the same outlet that Zaha can be ‘nearly unplayable’ when at his very best.

The only caveat could be Zaha’s £130,000-per-week wages and whether he could demand more if Spurs come calling, with the Lilywhites’ financial problems well documented (Evening Standard).

If Spurs manage to pull off a deal, however, he certainly has the ability to justify every penny.

In other news: ‘I hear from a reliable source’…Journalist drops major Harry Kane claim, find out more here.

According to a report by Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Tottenham Hotspur have actually held talks with Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte over the Lilywhites vacancy – with the outlet describing them as ‘fruitful’ and ‘interesting’.

The Lowdown: Conte enters the fray

Links with former Chelsea manager and Premier League title winner Conte are fairly new and have emerged over the last two days as Tottenham’s list of managerial candidates grows larger and larger by the day.

The 51-year-old has been added to the bible of names alongside fellow Serie A boss Gian Piero Gasperini recently (Corriere della Serra) as Levy scours the market for prestigious and affordable heirs to Jose Mourinho.

Previously, the likes of Julian Nagelsmann and Erik Ten Hag were seen as top targets for Spurs (The Telegraph), but with the former agreeing to join Bayern Munich and the latter signing a new deal at Ajax, Spurs seem to have turned to other options.

The Latest: Levy holds talks for Conte

In an arguably unexpected development, Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness) claim that Tottenham have held ‘positive’ and ‘interesting’ talks with the Nerazzurri coach.

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However, there is ‘nothing decided’ yet and there has been no ‘real proposal’ – with both parties agreeing to restart discussions at a later date.

Conte, while seeing Spurs as a ‘stimulating’ challenge, believes his priority is with current club Inter – at least until the end of the season when he will schedule talks with the Serie A side’s owner over his future.

The Verdict: Conte emerges as mixed bag for Spurs

It has been widely reported by the media that Spurs have two main requirements above all for the managerial position, firstly that their next boss must possess an attack-minded philosophy (The Guardian).

Secondly, as pushed by technical performance director Steve Hitchen, they must be ‘young’ and ‘dynamic’ (Daily Mail) – and it’s debatable whether Conte falls into these categories as a manager.

However, he has just clinched a Serie A title with Inter whilst ending Juventus’ decade-long dominance over the division.

Conte also possesses Premier League experience, having won the title with Chelsea in 2016/2017 and the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge a year later.

There has been no shortage of praise by certain players, either, with Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni dubbing Conte ‘the Messi of coaches’ in 2019 (La Gazetta via Goal).

Emanuele Giaccherini also called the Italian a ‘perfectionist’ of his craft (La Gazzetta via Football Italia), but Levy may also have to worry about the potential cost of his appointment given his reported €20 million-per-year (£17.3m) salary. 

In other news: Tottenham make inquiry to sign this colossus, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur need a clear-out, whoever is in charge next season.

The Lilywhites have regressed drastically since making the Champions League final in 2019 and a lot of the same players that let Mauricio Pochettino down in his final six months in charge are still at the club today.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy must help his next manager by offloading deadwood. By doing this, he could well raise some extra funds for a much-needed freshen-up to the squad.

One name who appears to be most at risk is Erik Lamela.

A lot has been made about his future but most recently, respected Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla hinted that a return to the Serie A could be on the cards.

Speaking to Arena Napoli last month, he said:

“Lamela and his wife have the same desire: to return to Italy. Lamela, in all likelihood, at the end of the current football season, will leave Tottenham to try a new experience. He wants to join an important club.”

Whilst back in March, the Evening Standard reported that Bologna were hot on his case and would look to sign him in the summer.

The 29-year-old winger will enter the final year of his deal and it’s hard to envisage him getting an extension, nor does he deserve or warrant one.

It’s rather hilarious that he was signed as Gareth Bale’s replacement for €30m (£26m) back in 2013, yet the Welshman has since come back and done more than he ever has for the club.

Bale has bagged 14 goals and three assists despite largely playing a bit-part role – in fact, he’s directly contributed towards one goal every 90.4 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

In 177 appearances, Lamela has only scored 17 times for Spurs and has never delivered more than five assists in any Premier League campaign. He has probably spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch, too.

As of last month, the Argentine was said to have missed 135 matches through injury, including a hip problem that kept him out for 13 months.

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Considering he’s earning around £85k-per-week, you could argue that he’s stolen a living from the North London outfit for the majority of his career here.

To put it into context, Bale has returned for one season and is only three goals off Lamela’s total tally for Spurs. He has also spent 43% of his time out injured.

Check out the latest transfer news on Lamela via the GMS Live football Transfer hub

We’ve seen moments of sheer brilliance from him, bagging that sensational rabona goal against Arsenal but also moments of absolute stupidity. He again tried the trick but this time it was with his team 3-1 down against Leeds, leading to BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand slamming him (via football.london).

“The goal against Arsenal was fabulous and we were all drooling over it. But you’re 3-1 down at this moment, he tries this pass,” he said. “But the more important thing was the reaction from all the players in Spurs shirts. I was looking for somebody to get onto him, to say: ‘What the hell are you doing? We’re 3-1 down. Play normal’, that tells me a lot.”

It’s not the first time Lamela has been blasted for his actions either.

Earlier this season, Graeme Souness labelled him “pathetic” live on Sky Sports for his role in getting Antony Martial sent off during Spurs 6-1 whitewash at Old Trafford.

Now valued just shy of £14.5m by Transfermarkt, this could well – and should be – the final few games that we witness Lamela in a Tottenham shirt.

Whatever Levy can get this summer, he should take it and run.

AND in other news, Forget Parker: Levy could win back Spurs fans by hiring 53y/o dubbed a “master” by Pep…

Fans of Southampton have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which Jack Rosser relayed an article of his regarding Saints’ interest in a summer move for left-back, Rico Henry.

According to Rosser’s report for the Evening Standard, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are one of many Premier League club’s interested in a move for the Brentford defender this summer, for whom the west London side are thought to be demanding a fee of around £12-15 million.

Southampton, in particular, are said to be keen on a move for the 23-year-old as the club are planning for the departure of their current first-choice left-back, Ryan Bertrand, at the end of the season, with the England international being linked with a move to Leicester City.

And, after Rosser relayed his report on Twitter, fans of Southampton flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing delighted at the prospect of their side landing Henry this summer.

So, what exactly did these Southampton fans have to say regarding their club’s reported interest in a move for Rico Henry?

“This makes sense. A good player already, bags of potential, young, English and would flourish at Saints. Hopefully, 1 year for him to be tutored under Bertrand, though Berty wants a longer contract. Interesting.”

@saintbannerman

“Makes perfect sense, a typical Saints signing. Been on the radar a while methinks.”

@john_lush

“Make this happen!!!!”

@rxdmond

“Perfect replacement. I’d take him in a heartbeat.”

@WillsfcMitchell

“Back up in short term. Bertrand is going nowhere.”

@Golacticos2

“Replacement for Bertrand? Bertrand’s still one of our best players – we’ve been lucky to have him all these years. Cover for him would be good though.”

@FrankLopezCoach

In other news: ‘I hope so’ – Southampton’s £21m summer target dropped a huge hint on a potential Premier League move – find out more here!

Having signed a goalkeeper in five out of the last six summer transfer windows, Crystal Palace could be set to repeat that trend once again in 2021.

According to Turkish outlet Takvim, the Eagles have been scouting Fenerbahce goalkeeper Altay Bayindir ahead of a potential move.

Steve Parish must make sure that Palace secure the stopper.

Whilst Vicente Guaita is the Eagles’ indisputable No.1 at Selhurst Park at the current time, the Spaniard is now at the age of 34, with the likes of Wayne Hennessey and Stephen Henderson both also over 30.

Jack Butland is also seemingly not a viable option having made just one appearance for Palace this season so Bayindir could be the perfect successor to Guaita.

The 22-year-old, who is rated at £12.5m, is enjoying an impressive season in the SuperLig with Fener. He has made 34 appearances for the Istanbul outfit in all competitions and has been a key reason behind the team keeping 12 clean sheets.

As a matter of fact, he has also been praised by former Arsenal man Mesut Ozil, who thanked the young Turk for a brilliant performance on his debut for the club.

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Intriguingly, whilst 12 years Guaita’s junior, Bayindir is outperforming the Spaniard this season.

He has conceded just 0.9 goals per game in the league whilst the current Palace stopper’s rate sits considerably higher at 1.7 according to SofaScore.

Meanwhile, Bayindir also has a very impressive save percentage. Whilst Guaita has produced more saves per game – 3.1 to 2.6 – that is surely a natural statistic considering that Fenerbahce are towards the top of their respective league whilst Palace find themselves firmly marooned in mid-table.

Bayindir saves 73% of the shots he faces, whilst Guaita can only prevent 65% of the shots he faces finding the back of the net.

Considering those performances then and his immense potential, he is a stopper that Palace simply must secure.

AND in more news, take a look at which Palace star could have his Selhurst Park career ended by a current World Cup winner…

A number of Liverpool supporters have been reacting to Fabrizio Romano’s update on the Reds potentially signing Aaron Ramsey this summer.

The next transfer window could be a lively one at Anfield, as Jurgen Klopp looks to make additions to his squad.

In truth, not too many tweaks are required, despite Liverpool’s struggles this season, but certain areas of the pitch need reinforcements.

The Reds’ midfield is arguably their most well-stocked position, however, with Klopp having a plethora of options to call upon in the middle of the park.

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The likes of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum, Thiago, Naby Keita, James Milner and Curtis Jones are all strong players, so there doesn’t appear to be a great need for additions there.

Wijnaldum could move on, however, and Ramsey has recently been linked with a move to Liverpool, having only made 12 Serie A starts for Juventus this season.

Romano has downplayed those claims, though, taking to Twitter on Friday to confirm that no talks have taken place over a move.

Liverpool fans react to Ramsey update

These Liverpool fans have been giving their thoughts on the update on Twitter, with one supporter claiming the Wales international is ‘horrendous’.

“Phew hope not”

Credit: @KashLfc

“Keep it that way…..”

Credit: @EthanDavies_99

“We’ve enough crocks in the squad”

Credit: @LesF80

“No LFC fan in their right mind would believe there was. His wages, then his age followed by his appalling injury record means it was just paper talk”

Credit: @Olakunle73

“Thank Lord”

Credit: @Road2MerseySide

“Thank God man he’s horrendous these days”

Credit: @F9Txrres

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to a shock transfer report. Read more about it here.

Speaking exclusively to Transfer Tavern, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie believes Dean Smith will be delighted after a successful international break for his players.

The Villans have no real injury concerns following the latest round of international fixtures, while the likes of Ollie Watkins and John McGinn were able to steal the headlines during their time with England and Scotland.

Watkins capped off his Three Lions debut against San Marino with a goal, helping his country to a 5-0 win. As for McGinn, the 26-year-old put himself on the back pages in Scotland with an incredible overhead kick, before netting twice against the Faroe Islands on Wednesday.

The above, and the fact that both players have returned to Bodymoor Heath injury-free, would have delighted Smith, according to Hendrie.

Discussing the recent heroics of Watkins and McGinn, the ex-Villa player told TT:

“It’s massive, you know, when players go out on international duty the first and foremost thing that Dean will want is to make sure that his players are coming back in, they’re fit and ready for the weekend’s game. That’s the only worry for managers, that the players go away and you don’t see them for a week or two.”

On the same topic, Hendrie added:

“Dean will be over the moon. Ollie had his chance where he came on and scored his goal. John’s obviously a key fixture in the Scotland squad at the moment, so he had plenty of minutes. But I think Dean will just be happy that he’s got his two players back through the door and they’re fit and ready to go for the weekend.”

Smith and Villa will also be boosted by the return of captain Jack Grealish, who is now training again following a leg injury.

Former Liverpool player Stan Collymore has said that Jack Grealish could be part of a summer ‘overhaul’ at Anfield.

Collymore told Birmingham Live that Grealish, Erling Haaland, Ansu Fati and 20-year-old AZ Alkmaar forward Myron Boadu were all ‘on a list’ of potential signings.

He seems to be putting his links with the club to good use. Amid Liverpool’s desperate struggles in the Premier League this season, there have been calls for the team to evolve, and there may well be a changing of the guard in the Reds’ frontline.

Why Grealish is in demand

Grealish is one of the most coveted players in the country given his heroic exploits for Aston Villa. The Englishman has racked up 10 assists so far this season, putting him third in the league rankings (via Premier League). He’s level with Bruno Fernandes for 2020/21 and only one shy of Kevin de Bruyne, one of the most prolific creators in the league’s history.

Grealish has another four years left on his deal at Villa Park and is valued at £45m, so he wouldn’t come cheap (via Transfermarkt). However, that didn’t stop many Liverpool fans from begging for the club to have a go at signing him.

These Liverpool fans are desperate for Grealish

“I’d sell my soul for Grealish”

Credit: @qaisarrrr

“What I would do for us to sign Grealish. He is exactly what we need”

Credit: @lfc_futbol

“Grealish-Jota-Elliott front 3 for the future? Why not”

Credit: @Barentra

“Jack would be a wonderful signing for us. I’m down for that, Jota up top and Jack/Harvey on the wings.”

Credit: @AddybYNWA

“I’m on my knees”

Credit: @beamerrrrrr

“GET. IT. DONE.”

Credit: @CeeDeeLambTime

“I swear I would do anything, anything to get this guy at our club”

Credit: @ttmokgaotsane

In other news, Liverpool’s interest in one player is seemingly over.

With Gareth Southgate’s England squad close to being announced, one Aston Villa man who the Three Lions boss should absolutely be bringing into the fold, is Matty Cash.

England have got three World Cup qualifiers to come at the end of this month, and reports in recent days and weeks have suggested that out of Villa’s English contingent, the main two new boys could well be Ezri Konsa and Matt Targett.

All three of Villa’s defenders, and of course the already established Tyrone Mings, should be names Southgate surely has to be familiar with given the Midlands club’s outstanding performances in the Premier League this season – Dean Smith’s side currently lie in ninth in the table.

Speaking just back in January, Gabriel Agbonlahor lauded the £17m-rated Cash, urging the England boss to be keeping an eye on him and the others. He said: “I just hope Gareth Southgate is getting to see as many Villa games as he can because I feel Konsa, as well as Matty Cash and Matt Targett, are going under the radar a little.”

As per Whoscored, Cash has averaged an impressive 2.6 tackles and 2.3 interceptions per game in the Premier League this campaign, both of which rank him first among all of Villa’s players – and by quite some distance too.

But he’s not just a reliable force defensively either, also progressing as an attacking outlet for Smith too. His average of 0.8 key passes per game ranks him seventh for Villa, and is fourth on the list for crosses per match with 0.7.

And, when you compare those numbers to a couple of England’s other mainstays at right-back over the past couple of years, the Villa man does come out looking good.

The likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker have all averaged significantly fewer tackles and interceptions per match than Cash, while the Villa man also favours better offensively compared to the Man City full-back.

It’s no surprise that former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips has dubbed him “sensational”, while adding: “Cash has come in and he has been flawless. He has taken to the club like a duck to water. You have to give credit to the player and the recruitment department. They have obviously done their homework. He has been one of their shining lights this season.”

So while Konsa, and even Targett, seem to be at the forefront of a potential call-up to the England squad, Southgate should seriously consider bringing in Cash and unleashing him on the international scene.

Meanwhile, Marlon Harewood’s claim could be good news for Ollie Watkins…