All posts by z3u9t.icu

Celtic have rejected an offer for Stephen Welsh.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Anthony Joseph, with the Sky Sports journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that Celtic have knocked back an offer from Udinese for the 21-year-old centre-back.

Joseph goes on to state that the Serie A side had enquired about taking the Scotland U21 international on an initial loan deal with an option to buy, however, Ange Postecoglou rejected the bid as he is keen to keep the defender – who only signed a new four-year deal with the Bhoys last year – at Parkhead.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “Celtic have knocked back an approach from Udinese for defender Stephen Welsh. It’s understood the Serie A club enquired about taking the 21-year-old on loan, with an option to buy. But Celtic are keen to keep the centre-back, who signed a new four-year contract in April 2021.”

Disaster for Celtic

While it does not appear as if Postecoglou has any intention of parting with Welsh this month, should the club go on to be tempted into the sale of the centre-back as a result of a sizeable offer, the youngster’s departure would undoubtedly be something of a disaster for the Bhoys.

Indeed, over his nine Premiership appearances so far this season, the £1.35m-rated defender has been in exceptional form for the Hoops, helping his side keep three clean sheets and registering one assist, as well as making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 0.8 tackles, 85.9 passes, 2.2 clearances and winning 5.1 duels per game.

These returns have seen the player who Greg Taylor dubbed a “superb” talent average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as Postecoglou’s 10th-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football – of players who remain a part of Celtic’s first-team squad.

However, it is not only domestically that Welsh has impressed, with the 21-year-old scoring one goal and averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.07 over his three outings in the Europa League this season.

As such, it is clear for all to see that the defender is a player with an incredibly bright future at Parkhead, which is exactly why losing his services so soon into his Hoops career would be a nightmare for the Postecoglou and the club.

In other news: Ange could repeat Stokes masterclass as Celtic plot offer for “outstanding” £3m dynamo

Liverpool are still without midfielder Curtis Jones ahead of this weekend’s trip to Wolves. 

Neil Jones, the club’s correspondent for Goal, wrote on his Facebook page that the 20-year-old still needs to ‘be patient and wait for his eye issue to fully clear up’.

Jones hasn’t featured for the Reds since the 2-2 draw with Brighton on 30 October. He was on a run of four starts in five Premier League matches before he sustained the issue.

The midfielder joins Roberto Firmino on the team’s injury list in a period of the season which sees them play nine games in 31 days.

Better LFC injury news elsewhere

The journalist reported that the Brazil striker may return to the grass at the AXA Training Centre next week, but wasn’t so optimistic about the English midfielder.

Joe Gomez and Naby Keita are further down the line in their respective recoveries, having returned to training in recent days.

Twitter fan feed Anfield Edition relayed Jones’ fitness update, and here’s what some supporters made of it.

Liverpool fans bemoan Jones’ continued absence

“Still don’t understand how he did that to his eye. Definitely need more details…”

Credit: @seyjith

“That must’ve been one bad eye injury”

Credit: @Kieran_Reid99

“What happened to his eye?”

Credit: @Kiels695

“Unbelievable that is”

Credit: @Royston679

“How can Firmino play with a pirate patch and CJ can’t ?”

Credit: @thebigguy86

“Who sparked him? I need to know”

Credit: @_LFConnor_

In other news, a number of Reds fans erupted over this transfer update

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard provided numerous injury updates on Friday ahead of this afternoon’s game with Burnley.

Gerrard revealed that Ashley Young is ‘50/50’ for the meeting with Sean Dyche’s men, while Keinan Davis, Morgan Sanson and Anwar El Ghazi, Leon Bailey and Bertrand Traore are all out.

He then shared details regarding surgery for defensive midfielder Marvelous Nakamba, which had a number of Villa fans talking on social media.

The 27-year-old injured his knee against Liverpool last weekend and is now facing a minimum of three months out.

Gerrard admitted that the Zimbabwe international, who missed the 2-0 win over Norwich City on Tuesday, could be back in 12 weeks if his recovery is ‘fantastic’, however, it could stretch to four months out if things don’t go to plan.

Villa fans react

Villa shared the multiple injury updates on their official Twitter page. This is what these fans had to say on the update with Nakamba…

“Honestly better than I feared. Really gutted for him missing AFCON and the need for a CDM in January has increased but otherwise, could have been a lot worse.”

Credit: @rad_nauseam

“Real shame for Marv. Never seen him play better. Realistically it will be next season before he gets back to that level. So unlucky for him and for us.”

Credit: @stevesanderstax

“Wow we’re actually getting updates on injuries instead of “yeah he’ll be back in a few weeks” and not see the player for 3 months”

Credit: @Callum0715

“Marvelous out until at least March, probably April. Real shame as he was looking very very good.”

Credit: @Lee_Jackson_92

“Such a shame. He was growing so strongly into his role this season. But all the best for a swift recovery, Marvelous – we’ll be waiting for your return with anticipation. Go well.”

Credit: @Andyphilipday

“It feels great having accurate injury news after the absolute waffle Deano used to put out”

Credit: @avfc_jf

In other news: ‘A wind up?’ – Many Villa fans flock to ’embarrassing’ official news. 

West Ham United could seal themselves an absolute bargain as they look to put an end to their search for a new frontman this winter…

What’s the word?

According to Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet (via Sport Witness), mooted Irons target Jonas Wind could leave Superligaen giants Copenhagen should they receive a bid in the region of £10m to £11m for him in January.

David Moyes was said to be ‘closely interested’ in a move for the 22-year-old striker only last month.

The aforementioned report suggests that only Premier League clubs would be able to afford Wind in the near future, thus opening the door for head of recruitment Rob Newman and co to strike.

Bargain swoop

For just £10m, the east Londoners could stumble across a steal in their quest to find the perfect foil to Michail Antonio in attack.

The 31-year-old cannot be relied on throughout the whole season, particularly with Europa League matches to come, and not to mention his poor injury history. He’s out of form too, having scored just once in his last eight appearances, and the lack of competition isn’t going to help matters there.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-west-ham-news-transfer-updates-gsb-kretinsky-moyes” title=”Read the latest West Ham news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

It’s going to be hard enough to find a player willing to be a second fiddle and it would be an even bigger risk to splash the cash on such a signing, so Wind makes a ton of sense this winter.

He ended the 2020/21 season with 17 goals and eight assists as the Danish outfit finished third in the league and he has continued his form into the current campaign, with ten goals and six assists across the Superligaen and Europa Conference League – he’s on course to eclipse his impressive year.

In the past, his upward career trajectory has been backed to replicate that of Erling Haaland, who impressed at Norwegian top-flight side Molde before making his mark at Salzburg and now Borussia Dortmund, whilst also being compared to Edin Dzeko in terms of playing style, being 6 foot 3.

Wind has been dubbed the “future of Danish football” as he’s a “good and complete forward”, according to football scout Jacek Kulig.

Newman must look to seal this move when the New Year swings around. He could be a cheap and effective option alongside Antonio as the season rumbles on.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee delivers David Moyes update at West Ham…

Taking to Patreon, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has shared some ‘great news’ for West Ham, with an announcement expected in January.

The Lowdown: West Ham making behind-scenes changes…

Over the last few months, the Hammers have seemingly been undergoing somewhat of a staff overhaul behind the scenes, right down from the very top of the club.

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

Indeed, their biggest announcement recently is arguably the acquisition of former chief Manchester City scout Rob Newman, who will now play a big part in the facilitation of transfers alongside David Moyes in a new head of recruitment role (whufc.com).

More recently, West Ham overhauled their under-23s setup, with former head coach Dmitri Halajko being replaced by former midfielder Mark Robson (whufc.com).

The Latest: Ex shares ‘great news’ for West Ham…

Sharing news on his ‘The West Ham Way’ Patreon channel, the Hammers insider has shared a development from his ‘sources outside of the club’.

Indeed, it was claimed that former defender Kenny Brown Jnr should now also be returning to Rush Green in an academy coaching capacity and is expected to leave his similar post at bitter rivals Millwall.

Ex claims that this is ‘great news’ for West Ham as Brown Jnr is a ‘very highly rated’ coach, not to mention a respected former Irons player.

He also believes this shake-up could be announced in January as Brown Jnr looks set to replace current academy coach Jeremy Sauer – who is expected to depart over the next month.

The Verdict: Great move…

Judging by recent events, it appears that the club are nurturing a somewhat holistic feel at West Ham, with the return of many former faces in coaching roles.

As Moyes seeks to build his long-term vision for the club, a goal which he has publicly stated in the past, one big part of this may well be his staff in east London set to play an underrated role.

Another academy shake up could feed into the Scotsman’s previous admission of wishing to develop plenty of young talent at West Ham, leaving little surprise there has been a fair few changes at that level over these past months.

It appears he may well be serious about building a successful project at the club over many years and not just for the short-term, a prospect which should delight supporters.

As Ex shares this ‘great news’ of another highly-rated figure coming back to the club in a coaching role, this may well come as another small cog in Moyes’ masterplan for the Irons.

In other news: ‘Announce the league’, ‘Christmas sorted’…ExWHUemployee’s ‘fantastic news’ has many West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.

Manchester United’s problems appear to be mounting by the second at this moment in time as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure seems destined for an unsavoury ending.

The Norwegian tactician has come under intense pressure in recent weeks as United have continued to put in underwhelming performances, and Sunday’s humiliating 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool may have served as his final warning.

However, if Solskjaer manages to turn things around at Old Trafford, then there could be a bright future ahead for the 20-time English champions.

Although major doubts remain over the 48-year-old’s ability to guide the 20-time English champions to major silverware, there’s no questioning his eye for a talented youngster and willingness to reward him with an opportunity in the first team.

And 20-year-old full-back Ethan Laird could be the next academy graduate to benefit from the Scandinavian’s bravery if he remains in the United hot seat.

The youngster rose through the ranks at his boyhood club before experiencing senior football for the first time last season, joining MK Dons on a short-term loan spell back in January.

Laird impressed throughout his 24 League One appearances for the Dons, providing four assists and catching the eye of captain Dean Lewington.

Lewington spoke to MK Citizen about Laird, saying: “It’s a different dynamic on the right. It’s a bit more direct with Ethan, using his raw pace. I’m still getting used to playing with him, but it’s working pretty well.

“He just needed a bit of encouragement and the freedom to express himself. I try and do as much of his defensive duties as I can to help him express himself.

“He’s really improved since he first came here, he’s come on leaps and bounds. It’s just a shame we won’t get to keep him,” the experienced campaigner concluded.

And Laird has carried his solid form over into the Championship this season after joining Swansea City for the entirety of the 2021/22 campaign.

As per SofaScore, the former England Under-19 international has already created four big chances for his teammates, averaged 1.4 key passes per game, 2.2 successful dribbles and 1.7 tackles, highlighting his effective displays in south Wales.

United’s desire for a more attack-minded upgrade on Aaron Wan-Bissaka was an open secret over the summer, with Atletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippier their no.1 target.

A deal couldn’t be reached between the two clubs, though, and with Trippier now 31 years old, Solskjaer may turn his attention to a young prodigy already within United’s ranks over the coming months.

And, in other news, Report reveals concerning update over “quality” Man Utd maestro, fans may be worried…

Paulo Fonseca, who has held ‘informal contact’ with Aston Villa, is also open to talking with Newcastle United regarding their vacant managerial position, according to Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Villa contact Fonseca

Dean Smith’s position at Villa Park is thought to be in ‘serious jeopardy’ following four defeats in as many games in October.

The Daily Mail revealed earlier in the week that Villa have made initial contact with Fonseca, who has been out of work since the end of June.

A defeat to Southampton on Friday will reportedly lead to a review by the Villa board, but they now may have to act even faster if they want Fonseca.

The Latest: Sky Sports claim

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie made an live-on-air claim regarding Fonseca on Wednesday afternoon.

Cited by Football Daily, Downie told Sky Sports that a ‘source close to him has told us’ that he’d be keen to speak with Newcastle.

This will be a blow to Villa fans, who were delighted on social media when the Portuguese tactician was linked with a move to the Midlands.

He went on to add that it has been a ‘bonkers 24 hours’ after Unai Emery decided to stay at Villarreal, with Roberto Martinez and Eddie Howe also linked with a move to St James’ Park.

The Verdict: Smith hoping a move goes through?

Smith may well be hoping the Portuguese coach makes the move to the north east, as it may keep him in a job a little longer – if the Villans can’t obtain their ideal replacement, perhaps the former Brentford boss will get time to turn things around.

However, results need to improve regardless of what happens with Fonseca and Newcastle, starting this Friday, otherwise, you’d expect Villa will look at a number of other candidates to replace Smith.

He can start to build bridges with a win at St Mary’s, but it’ll be interesting to know what Villa’s stance is on Fonseca and a potential move to the Magpies – perhaps the Toon’s interest may even force NSWE into quicker action.

In other news: ‘Welp’ – Many AVFC fans erupt as Preece shares ‘terrible news’ on Leon Bailey. 

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has revealed that Aston Villa were open to selling Douglas Luiz in the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Reports over the course of the summer suggested that Serie A giants AS Roma were interested in signing the Brazil international, but a move failed to materialise.

Now, Evans has delivered an update on what went on behind-the-scenes at Villa Park.

He said: “They expected more interest in Douglas Luiz, too. Strong messages that Manchester City were ready to activate a buy-back clause found their way to members of the Villa hierarchy, and for some time they were preparing for such an outcome.

“Villa were also open to moving Luiz on elsewhere and at the right price, but there wasn’t enough interest. Roma continue to be linked with Luiz and if they come in strong during the January window, Villa will be in a good position to get a higher transfer fee should his form remain at this high level.”

Then, in response to a question from a fan, Evans added: “Multiple sources confirmed that Villa would have listened to offers for Luiz at the right price. They would have had to move on a midfielder if Ward-Prowse arrived.”

Villa fans will be worried

While last season was a bit of a difficult one for Luiz – as per Whoscored, his average match rating of 6.67 was only good enough to rank him 15th in the entire Villa squad – his start to the current campaign has been outstanding.

In fact, his average rating of 7.08 is the best of any Villa player, and he continues to be a cornerstone of Dean Smith’s midfield. – last year saw him play 33 out of the possible 38 Premier League games last term, as the Midlands club finished just outside the top ten.

As Evans himself suggests, given the kind of “high level” his form is at right now, it would surely be ludicrous from Villa to be selling him in the January transfer window, even if his market value would be at its highest.

In fact, in a recent poll done by FFC, 73% of Villa fans who answered said that they would not sell Luiz this summer (1180 votes to 66) – an indication of just how concerning it would be were the Brazilian to make the move to Roma or somewhere else.

Evans’ latest update is sure to have Villa fans worried about Luiz potentially making an exit in January.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has delivered an Aston Villa update on Emi Martinez…

Flocking to Twitter, many Manchester United fans have flocked to a transfer claim involving AS Monaco hot shot Aurélien Tchouaméni.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have started 2021/2022 in solid fashion as they aim to win their first Premier League title in just under 10 years.

Right in amongst their fierce contenders, it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for The Red Devils in recent weeks – having dropped points at home to the likes of Aston Villa and Everton.

Solskjaer will be aiming to return to winning ways as soon as possible or risk potentially coming under more fire.

Sporting director John Murtough, assisting off-field and overseeing transfer activity, is reportedly looking at possible reinforcements already as a claim emerges involving exciting prodigy Tchouaméni.

The 21-year-old, who recently started France’s UEFA Nations League final win over Spain, has been turning heads in Ligue 1 and averaged an incredible 3.5 tackles per 90 over 36 top flight starts (WhoScored).

One of the most promising youngsters in world football right now, it is believed that United, and by extension Murtough, are now keeping tabs on the defensive midfielder – becoming ‘attentive’ to his situation, according to Le Parisien (via Sport Witness).

Flocking to this claim, many Red Devils fans have erupted and it’s say they want Tchouaméni at Old Trafford.

Man United fans flock to Tchouaméni claim…

“For the love of god in January this would be incredible”

Credit: @MG11szn

“praying”

Credit: @pastaccino

“Class”

Credit: @CloutCo13a1n

“Bring him home”

Credit: @spencer_mwenda

“Just buy the kid”

Credit: @KekNze

“Get him in”

Credit: @ZackMullerr

“PLEASEEEEEE”

Credit: @__AMAD__

“Get this lad signed up ASAP. Seriously this lad is the real deal an incredible talent. Would fit into our midfield perfectly. Hope we make our move considering the mounting interest in him from rival clubs”

Credit: @ChrisSilveste14

“I hope we make a move in January, would be an incredible signing.”

Credit: @UtdFaithfuls

In other news: ‘Oh boy’, ‘We’re doomed’, ‘Relegation incoming’…Man United fans erupt over another ‘massive blow’ pre-Leicester, find out more here.

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Graham Roberts believes that Kyle Walker-Peters has found his level at Southampton.

The right-back departed Spurs for St Mary’s in 2020 and has gone on to impress under the management of Ralph Hasenhuttl.

Walker-Peters went on to make 30 appearances in his first full season at the club, laying on three assists along the way, and has played twice in the Premier League this term.

Reports claimed that Spurs were interested in bringing the defender back to the club in the summer, before deciding to sign Emerson Royal from Barcelona instead.

Roberts, though, believes that the former England U21 international is at the ideal club, where he will continue to play, and make an impact.

Asked about his performances on the south coast, the former Tottenham ace told Football FanCast: “I think that’s his level. We’ve got a player who’s played at Barcelona so he’s a top-notch player, but I thought Kyle Walker-Peters did very well at Southampton.

“But don’t forget, we scored five goals down there against them. He’s had a decent season but, for me, I think that’s his level, I think Southampton is as high as he will go.”

Walker-Peters made a total of 24 senior appearances for Spurs but was never really trusted to complete a season in his position, unlike he has been at Southampton.