All posts by z3u9t.icu

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that he’s surprised Leeds haven’t signed another striker to compete with Patrick Bamford.

Marcelo Bielsa has been generally quiet in the transfer window, with left-back Junior Firpo from Barcelona their only notable addition, although Jack Harrison did sign permanently from Manchester City.

Leeds came ninth in their first campaign back in the Premier League and quickly established themselves as one of the most entertaining in the division, with goals a plenty at both ends of the pitch.

Bamford was a key part of their success last season, scoring 17 goals in the league, behind only Bruno Fernandes, Mohamed Salah, and Harry Kane.

Despite Bamford’s heroics in his first full season in the top-flight, though, Windass believes that Leeds need another top striker to compete for European football next term.

They currently have Spaniard Rodrigo, but he managed just seven goals in his debut campaign in English football.

Windass told FFC:

“They need another number nine, a proven 20-goal a season that gets you in the top four or top six.

 “Bamford did extremely well, but I think every football club needs a proven goalscorer. So, I’m surprised Bielsa hasn’t signed another nine to push Bamford.”

Rangers qualified for the knockout stages of the Europa League with a convincing 2-0 win at Ibrox in Gio van Bronckhorst’s first game in charge on Thursday night.

They beat Czech side Sparta Prague in Glasgow, with Alfredo Morelos scoring both goals to seal the three points and progression to the next stage.

The 25-year-old opened the scoring with a calm, first-time finish inside the box after good work from James Tavernier and Ianis Hagi. He was then presented with a golden opportunity to double his tally as a loose pass from a defender allowed him to nod into an empty net.

Forget Morelos

Whilst the Colombian centre-forward may grab the headlines with his match-winning brace, another player stole the show for Rangers with a terrific performance on the pitch, namely Glen Kamara.

The Finland international was sublime and controlled the game for the Gers alongside Steven Davis. He was able to put himself about effectively and win the ball back for Van Bronckhorst’s side on multiple occasions, stopping Sparta’s attacks and creating chances for Rangers.

Neil McCann, his former manager at Dundee United, once told The Athletic that the midfielder is a ‘special talent’, saying: “He isn’t a big, physical lad but he’s made of iron and really strong. I knew immediately that he could handle the ball under pressure and not give it away, so he was perfect. He’s a special talent. He’s lightning-quick but he doesn’t show it. He’s a player who takes instruction well.”

McCann’s comments on him being ‘made of iron’ are particularly pertinent given the nature of his display against Sparta. As per SofaScore, he won a whopping 91.6% of his duels and conquered 11 of his 12 battles on the ground and in the air during the game. He also made one clearance, two interceptions and five tackles as he dominated the midfield for the Gers.

He was solid on the ball. As per SofaScore, he completed 87% of his attempted passes and had 72 touches of the ball, as he also completed two of his three attempted dribbles. In the entire 90 minutes, he only gave possession away eight times in total, showing how composed and assured he was with the ball at his feet.

This highlights how he was able to piece together a brilliant all-round performance and why he was the real star of the show at Ibrox. Van Bronckhorst will surely be hoping that this a standard that Kamara can continue to match throughout the rest of the campaign, as he was brilliant against Sparta.

AND in other news, 129 appearances: Rangers secured dream deal with £0 gem who “embodies professionalism”…

Manchester United take on take on Villarreal in the Champions League this evening in what’s set to be their first encounter since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal.

Securing all three points would be enough to send the Red Devils through to the knockout stages of Europe’s elite cup competition, but interim manager Michael Carrick will have a tricky task on his hands.

Mason Greenwood has tested positive for the pandemic and is set to play no part in this midweek clash, while long-term absentees Raphael Varane and Paul Pogba will once again be sidelined.

Joining them on the treatment table could be Edinson Cavani and Luke Shaw, with the pair believed to be doubts ahead of the tip to the Estadio de la Cerámica.

That means Carrick may have to shuffle his pack slightly, although following the 4-1 defeat to relegation-threatened Watford last time out, he perhaps would have done so regardless.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects the former United and England midfielder to line up in Spain…

David de Gea will keep his place in goal despite conceding four over the weekend, but he’ll be keen to impress the new man in the dugout and maintain his No.1 status.

Ahead of the Spanish shot-stopper is set to be a back four made up Alex Telles, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka due to United’s fitness woes, and Carrick will be hoping for a much-improved showing from his defensive unit.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-manchester-united-news-manager-solskjaer-pochettino-enrique-rodgers-psg” title=”Check out the latest Man United manager news!”]

The engine room could have a fresh face as well, with forgotten man Donny van de Beek coming into the starting lineup at the expense of the £7.2m-rated Nemanja Matic who deserves to be axed. The Dutchman will be one of three changes to the side.

He should partner Fred at the base of midfield, providing a solid foundation for Bruno Fernandes to attack from just ahead of the more defensive-minded duo.

An exciting front three of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Cristiano Ronaldo could complete the starting XI as United go in search of a first post-Solskjaer victory and qualification from Group F.

And, in other news…Carrick could become an instant hit at Man Utd by ruthlessly axing £120k-p/w “problem” 

As per Charlie Eccleshare on Twitter, some Tottenham Hotspur sources ‘close to the deal’ are ‘confident’ an agreement can be reached to sign defender Cristian Romero.

The Lowdown: Spurs in Romero talks…

Tottenham have been in negotiations for Romero over this past week, with Sky Sports claiming that the Lilywhites have in fact stepped up their pursuit of the Argentine.

Spurs also allegedly made an offer of around £34m (€40m) plus £8.5m (€10) in bonuses – but managing director Fabio Paratici will not overpay for his services and has other targets as alternatives (Sky Sports).

A complete agreement is still yet to be reached on price as talks remain ongoing.

The Latest: Sources back agreement…

As per Eccleshare, sharing what he’s heard from some sources ‘close to the deal’, there are those who are apparently ‘confident’ a compromise will be settled when it comes to valuation.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-updates-copy/” title=”Tottenham latest developments…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

As well as this, some of the journalist’s sources believe an agreement is ‘not too far away’, but as it stands, the two clubs remain apart in their price for the player.

Tottenham officially sold Toby Alderweireld to Qatari side Al Duhail earlier this week and need to seal his replacement with the transfer window deadline looming next month.

The Verdict: Get it done…

There are great alternatives to Romero, like Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic for instance, who Eccleshare believes would be a ‘straightforward deal’.

However, these extensive negotiations for the South American colossus could prove to be worth all of this trouble given his unbelievable performances in Serie A.

Romero was rewarded with the title of 2020/2021 best defender in the Italian top flight and has garnered praise from critics, with Serie A expert Conor Clancy calling him ‘phenomenal’ (This is Futbol).

At just 23-years-old, the centre-back also has plenty of years ahead of him, potentially marking him out as a real prime target.

In other news: Spurs receive boost in pursuit of possible Lamela replacement, find out more here.

Crystal Palace are poised to make a bid for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher as the summer transfer window approaches.

What’s the story?

With Palace still to appoint a successor to Roy Hodgson, chairman Steve Parish is overseeing a major squad rebuild, and Gallagher could be the first addition, according to The Sun.

A £15 million offer is set to be tabled by the south London outfit, although the report claims that the England U21 international is keen on staying and fighting for his place at Stamford Bridge.

Palace need him

The 21-year-old impressed throughout a season-long loan at West Bromwich Albion in 2020/21 and has attracted the attention of several top-flight sides in recent weeks.

Gallagher made 30 Premier League appearances for the Baggies last season, scoring two goals and laying on a further two assists but was unable to prevent Sam Allardyce’s side from suffering relegation.

However, his overall performances boosted his reputation considerably, and Palace are thought to see the youngster as someone who can play a pivotal part in their engine room for years to come.

Central midfielders James McCarthy and James McArthur are set to depart Selhurst Park at the end of the month when their contracts expire, meaning fresh legs will be needed ahead of the new campaign.

The report goes on to claim that the capital club could be aided in their pursuit of Gallagher if either Frank Lampard or Swansea City manager Steve Cooper are appointed as Hodgson’s replacement in the coming weeks.

Lampard has experience of managing the box-to-box midfielder during his time at Chelsea, while Cooper has done so in the England youth set-up.

That isn’t the only connection between Gallagher and the former Blues boss, though, after ex-West Brom tactician Slaven Bilic addressed comparisons between the pair.“It isn’t going to help the boy to have so much praise, and I’m not a big fan of that, but you can’t help but notice it,” Bilic said on the Lampard comparison.“He ticks those boxes. He plays in the same position, he has everything, and it’s not a little bit of everything, it’s a lot of everything.”

Bringing in Gallagher would be seen as a significant coup by Parish this summer. Palace need the youngster with players leaving and his arrival could help to retain their Premier League status next season.

And, in other news…Worse than Nuno: Palace must avoid potential Hodgson successor with 42.51% win record 

Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge is shocked that Mikel Arteta and Edu allowed William Saliba to move on loan to Ligue 1 from Arsenal during the transfer window.

Saliba was allowed to join Marseille on a short-term deal in the summer, having spent last season on loan at OGC Nice.

Indeed, since his signing from Saint-Etienne, Saliba has not actually played a single minute of competitive football for Arsenal.

In his three appearances for Marseille thus far this season, Saliba has yet to be on the losing side, with his club beating both Montpellier and Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1 and drawing with Bordeaux.

By comparison, Mikel Arteta’s Gunners are in disarray, and sit rock-bottom of the Premier League table.

They lost their opening game of the season against Brentford 2-0, were then outclassed by Chelsea in a 2-0 defeat, and then lost 5-0 to Manchester City at the weekend.

And Bridge cannot understand why Saliba was allowed to go to Marseille.

He said: “You’ve got William Saliba playing brilliantly in France. People knock France, but I think maybe people are a little bit disrespectful to France. You’ve got Saliba playing excellent stuff over there and you see Arsenal’s defence at the moment, and you just wonder, ‘is Saliba really worse than what we’re seeing right now?’

“Everything going on with Arsenal, you have to question from the top down to the coaching staff.”

Writing for football.london, reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has dropped a behind-the-scenes reveal surrounding those within the club and Moussa Sissoko’s summer exit from north London.

The Lowdown: Spurs mass summer exodus…

In quite an eventful summer transfer window, there were absolutely no shortage of departures from Tottenham as new boss Nuno Espirito Santo and managing director Fabio Paratici undertook a major rebuild.

Indeed, Juan Foyth, Toby Alderweireld, Joe Hart, Danny Rose, Paulo Gazzaniga, Erik Lamela, Serge Aurier and Sissoko all left the club permanently in what you could deem to be a successful clear out (Transfermarkt).

However, Gold has revealed that those within Spurs were left unhappy over one gaffe surrounding the latter man’s move to Watford.

The Latest: Spurs chiefs left seething over Sissoko exit gaffe…

As per the reliable journalist, there were ‘shocked’ and a ‘few angry’ faces inside Spurs when it was announced that the Frenchman was in Xisco’s starting line up to face his old club at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

Apparently, Tottenham’s football administration department assumed Sissoko was not registered in time to face Spurs due to the timing of the deadline – but Watford somehow managed to complete his registration in time to make him eligible for the encounter.

The 32-year-old’s inclusion, therefore, ‘annoyed a number of people’ within the club given it is quite rare that a seller would allow a transfer to go through in time to aid the buyer’s efforts against them.

The Verdict: Interesting claim…

While Sissoko’s contribution didn’t amount to much at the weekend, you can understand why Spurs chiefs weren’t happy with his allowed involvement at the time – especially considering how players can often hurt their old sides.

One interesting aspect of this story is how Watford managed to play the midfielder given new signings must be registered by 12pm on the last working day before a match for eligibility.

As explained by Gold, that deadline was midday last Friday, with The Hornets seemingly unable to officially sign Sissoko until much later that same afternoon.

In full credit to Watford, they somehow managed to get him registered before 12pm even though the full transfer had not been announced at that point.

In other news: Report lifts lid on Tottenham player’s summer exit U-turn, find out more here.

Reputable journalist Ashley Preece has intriguingly suggested ‘Norwich want a deal done early’ regarding interest in Emi Buendia from Aston Villa.

The Lowdown

After a solid second season in the Premier League, the Lions are rumoured to be interested in the Norwich City talisman.

Aiding his team to promotion by winning the Sky Bet Championship, the £30m-rated Argentinian enjoyed a sparkling season in the English second-tier. Statistically, the 24-year-old registered a staggering 32 goal contributions from 41 fixtures; 15 goals and 17 assists [Transfermarkt].

The Latest

As Aston Villa look to build on their impressive 11th place Premier League finish, the former Getafe man could slot in perfectly on the right-hand side of attack. As well as the Midlands club, Arsenal have also been attracted towards his availability [Mirror].

Any deal for the creator will need to be completed swiftly, however Villa may hold an advantageous position in the battle for his signature, with the Gunners probably less likely to offer him a consistent place in the first XI, such is the form of the likes of Nicolas Pepe and Bukayo Saka.

According to Preece, via Twitter: “The added bonus is Norwich want a deal done early to rebuild their squad. It’s clear they’re willing to sell – but only on their terms/right price.”

The Verdict: Buendia would be a monumental Villa signing

Undoubtedly, Preece’s reveal signifies a golden opportunity for Dean Smith to acquire an international class player. Capable of creating and scoring in equal measure, he has registered a whopping 3.1 key passes per 90 minutes for Norwich City in 2020/21 [WhoScored].

To put that into context, no Villa player mustered more key passes than the Argentine this season.

Furthermore, his average of 2.8 shots per game conclude that he is a constant goal threat ready to pounce [WhoScored]. Paired up with attacking talent such as Ollie Watkins, Jack Grealish and Bertrand Traore, Aston Villa could be a force to reckoned with in 2021/22 should this deal come to fruition.

In other news, Aston Villa’s star man has received a prestigious nomination.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is attracting increasing interest ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Mirror, who claim that Newcastle United are now plotting a £30m bid for the 26-year-old at the end of the season, with the Denmark international said to be high on Eddie Howe’s list of transfer targets this summer.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-levy-conte-paratici-thfc” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

The report goes on to state that AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho is also interested in a move for the midfielder in the off-season, with the Serie A side having already failed in a bid to bring Hojbjerg to the Stadio Olimpico last summer.

Disaster

Considering how important a part of Antonio Conte’s Tottenham side Hojbjerg quite clearly is, the argument that Fabio Paratici cashing in on the midfielder this summer would be something of a disaster is an easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 31 Premier League appearances so far this season, the £59m-rated Dane has been imperious in the heart of the Spurs midfield, scoring two goals, registering two assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.9 shots and making 0.6 key passes per game.

However, it is his defensive metrics that are particularly impressive, with the £102k-per-week dynamo making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 2.3 tackles, 1.3 clearances and winning 5.3 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the player who Rob Davies dubbed a “one-man wrecking machine” average a quite sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.16, ranking him as Conte’s second-best performing midfielder – behind only Dejan Kulusevski – in the top flight.

As such, considering his status in the Tottenham squad, his incredibly impressive level of performance on the pitch and the fact that Newcastle’s proposed offer is roughly half of the 26-year-old’s current market valuation, it is clear to see that selling Hojbjerg for £30m this summer would be something of a catastrophic error by Paratici – especially to a team who could well be a top-four contender next time out.

AND in other news: Huge blow: Spurs dealt yet another major injury setback, Antonio Conte will be fuming

Leeds United have been tipped to sign Brennan Johnson from Nottingham Forest and if he joins, he could be the long-term heir to Pablo Hernandez in Marcelo Bielsa’s side at Elland Road.

The Athletic reported earlier this year that Leeds, along with Leicester City and Brentford, were looking at the Nottingham Forest man after his impressive performances on loan with Lincoln City in League One, with a later report claiming that he would cost around £10m this summer.

Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips has recently tipped Leeds to make a move for him this summer when speaking to Football Insider, saying:

“He impressed me when he played in the playoff games against Sunderland.

“Especially in that first game. He looked very direct and got the goal so he’s not afraid to get forward.

“He travels well with the ball and he’s only young. From a Leeds point of view, can you sign him then loan him out?

“He’s definitely got a lot of talent. If he goes to Leeds he won’t be in the first-team plans, I’m sure of it.

“Bielsa can get the best out of players like that, watch this space with that one.”

Last season saw the 20-year-old Johnson play a key role for Lincoln City in League One, as Michael Appleton’s side fell one step short of promotion to the Championship after losing in the playoff final against Blackpool.

He would make 43 appearances in the third tier, contributing an impressive 11 goals and five assists, which helped him average an impressive 6.90 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

WhoScored suggests that Johnson’s main strengths lie in his finishing and dribbling ability, whilst also claiming that he loves to cut inside and offers a counter-attacking threat, which immediately marks him out as someone who could fill the boots of Hernandez at Leeds United in the future.

The experienced Spaniard established himself as a fans favourite during his time at Elland Road, making 175 appearances, in which he contributed an impressive 36 goals and 41 assists, before departing on a free transfer this summer.

If Johnson were signed by Victor Orta this summer, then he would perhaps be sent out on loan, but given time, there seems no reason why he couldn’t become a regular in Bielsa’s side and replace the threat that was offered by Hernandez at Elland Road over the last few seasons.

And, in other news… Bye-bye Raphinha: Orta should seal Leeds summer swoop for “very talented” wonderkid