All posts by z3u9t.icu

Bruno Lage has already made a tremendous start to his first transfer window at Wolves.

The Old Gold manager may have limited funds to spend but he’s finding ways around that difficulty, luring Trincao to the club on a season-long loan deal.

The Portuguese’s arrival from Barcelona was a surprising one but further transfers are in the pipeline.

On the chalkboard

One of the biggest decisions the new boss had to make upon his entry to the Midlands was the future of some of their previous loan players.

Rayan Ait-Nouri looked as though he wasn’t going to return until last week when it was revealed they were close to sealing a permanent deal of £10m for his transfer from Angers.

However, the future of Vitinha remains a little less clear. The attacking midfielder only started five times in the Premier League last season and was relatively inconsistent.

He starred at the U21 European Championships but Lage and Wolves sense they may be able to find better value elsewhere.

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The fee that was being touted for his services was around £18m, a fair whack for a squad player when you don’t have much to spend.

The solution

One player who could be searching for a new club this summer is West Bromwich Albion’s creative magician, Matheus Pereira.

The Brazilian had a wonderful first campaign in the top-flight of English football but was ultimately relegated with the Baggies.

If he stays in the Championship then it would be an almighty surprise for a player who delivered so much in 2020/21.

Kevin Phillips revealed back in April that a Portuguese connection could see him move to Molineux. The player came through the academy at Sporting Lisbon and spent most of his formative years in Iberia.

Although he offers more quality than Vitinha, he would presumably come at a greater cost after such an impressive 12 months.

Speaking about the versatile attacker’s qualities last season, pundit Micah Richards could only find praise. He commented: “I watched him a lot in the Championship last season (2019/20), wondering if he can do it in the Premier League, and he showed me in the last couple of games that he definitely can. He’s just an absolute delight to watch.”

Pereira was simply outstanding for Albion last term, scoring 12 goals and registering six assists. That took his tally in a Baggies shirt to 20 strikes overall as the 25-year-old contributed to around 48% of his team’s goals. For context, only Harry Kane (61%) had a higher percentage in the league last season.

Meanwhile, in 2019/20, only Kevin De Bruyne with 20 assists, created more goals than Pereira (16), in the entirety of England’s top four leagues.

With that in mind, Wolves must surely consider luring him across the Midlands.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Trincao: Wolves must sign “remarkable” 22-goal beast with “magic” feet…

After Ange Postegoclou fielded an extremely young and inexperienced Celtic side in the club’s incredibly impressive 3-2 win over Real Betis last week, it would very much appear as if the future at Parkhead is a bright one.

Indeed, the 56-year-old handed Celtic debuts to both 21-year-old Osaze Urhoghide and 20-year-old Liam Shaw in the Europa League fixture, in addition to awarding first-team minutes to exciting prospects Liam Scales, Adam Montgomery and Ewan Henderson.

However, it is not only on the periphery of Postecoglou’s first-team squad where there are a number of promising talents, the club’s B team side also looks to be littered with up and coming gems – none more so than 16-year-old Rocco Vata.

Vata could be the next Moravcik

Son of Celtic cult hero Rudi Vata, Rocco put pen to paper on his first professional deal with the Hoops earlier this summer, and the attacking midfielder has been highly impressing in the Scottish Lowland Football League ever since.

Indeed, following yet another spectacular goal in Celtic B’s 1-0 win over East Stirlingshire on Friday – with the teenager turning on the afterburners in order to latch onto Mackenzie Carse’s defence-splitting through ball, before taking a touch and crashing his shot past the opposition goalkeeper off the crossbar – the reserve side manager, Tommy McIntyre, was rather understandably full of praise for the youngster.

McIntyre said: “We got a great goal. I thought it was a fabulous goal. He was probably the best player on the night so he deserved the goal. He’s got to get a lot of credit himself. He’s just natural. He plays and we coach him but he’s got to perform on the day. He’s certainly taking everything on board we’re trying to get out of him. There’s more to come from him, there’s no doubt, but he’s young. What a fantastic goal tonight.”

However, the midfielder’s special strike last week was by no means his first of the current campaign, as, during a Republic of Ireland U17 fixture against North Macedonia back in October, the teenager also bagged a breathtaking goal – turning a helpless defender before unleashing a thunderous 30-yard drive into the far corner of the opposition net.

And, although the youngster who The Celtic Bhoys dubbed a “star in the making” undeniably has a great deal of developing to do if he is to go onto break into the Ange Postecgolou’s first-team squad, there are undoubtedly shades of the Hoops’ former playmaker Lubomir Moravcik about Vata.

Indeed, in an article that could quite easily be describing the 16-year-old sensation, These Football Times wrote of the Slovakian midfielder: “He was one of those players who seemed to have more time on the ball than those around him. He dribbled superbly… and scored many spectacular goals from distance with both feet – a rare talent indeed.”

As such, should Vata be able to maintain his current level of performance over the next year or two, Postecoglou could well go on to unearth Parkhead’s next Moravcik in the youngster – something that would certainly delight the Celtic faithful.

In other news: Major Celtic transfer development emerges that’ll have Ange buzzing

Brennan Johnson features on Newcastle United’s list of potential replacements for Allan Saint-Maximin, The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones reports. 

The lowdown

Saint-Maximin, Jones writes, is expected to leave St James’ Park when the summer transfer window opens. The Magpies will then reinvest the funds from his exit into their planned ‘rebuild’.

Johnson is only under contract for another 14 months with Championship promotion hopefuls Nottingham Forest.

Aged just 20, the Wales international has scored 14 goals and provided seven assists in 39 league appearances this season.

The latest

Newcastle officials, led by Steve Nickson, have already ‘compiled reports’ on Johnson as they run the rule over potential additions on the flanks.

However, Jones does caution that the club will face ‘fierce’ competition for his signature.

Another player on their radar is Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby, but he too is highly coveted.

The verdict

It’s no surprise that a multitude of clubs are interested in Johnson. He’s Forest’s top scorer and he ranks joint-eighth overall in the Championship goal charts, despite being a winger rather than an out and out forward.

As for assists, he’s second for Steve Cooper’s side (behind Philip Zinckernagel) and again in the top ten for the division as a whole.

To put those figures into perspective, as of April 9, he boasts at least eight more goal involvements than any other player aged 21 or under in England’s top four tiers.

He’s already earned nine senior caps for his country and will hope to feature at the Qatar World Cup at the end of the year if Wales secure qualification.

Johnson, who’s been mentored by David Beckham, has inevitably earned some reviews. For instance, the ‘old-fashioned winger’ was dubbed a ‘beautiful footballer’ and a ‘super, super talent’ by sports journalist Josh Bunting. Newcastle should be delighted if they win the race.

In other news, Keith Downie has an update on Eddie Howe.

West Ham have been dealt a huge injury blow ahead of their Europa League clash this evening…

What’s the latest?

The Hammers are expected to be without the services of right-back Vladimir Coufal for the next three matches due to an ongoing problem, according to club insiders Claret and Hugh.

He missed the weekend’s 1-0 win over Everton, having pulled out of his Czech Republic duties over the international break, and now it appears he will miss both the Genk game and the London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

It is hoped that he could resume training next week but a clash with defending champions Manchester City may prove to be too soon for a return.

Speaking about the 29-year-old after the game on Sunday, the Irons boss said, via football.london.

“Vladimir has taken an injection he had a bit of discomfort in his pubis. He has had an injection in there, he got the injury in the Man United cup game and he has been carrying it for a few weeks.”

Huge blow

This will come as a massive setback to Moyes and West Ham.

Coufal missed their last Europa League game with what seemed like a knock but was able to return in the defeat to Brentford right before the break, though you could tell that he was far from 100% as he put in a disappointing display.

He was then not named in the squad to face the Toffees and according to the reliable insiders, he’s set to be out for the next three matches, which is certainly devastating as he is the clear first-choice option in the role.

The Irons have some important and tricky fixtures coming up, so to not have the £18m-rated right-back available is certainly gutting news.

His value to the side and their chances of success cannot be understated. He finished last season with the second-highest number of assists (seven), only behind fellow full-back Aaron Cresswell (eight).

That goes to show that Moyes’ wide department is a crucial creative cog in this system.

Furthermore, Coufal has been an absolute animal defensively, too – as per WhoScored, he averaged a squad-high 2.1 tackles per game and wasn’t far behind for interceptions (1.2 per game) either.

That form had continued into the current campaign, where he is averaging 2.1 tackles each outing once again.

Perhaps Jamie Carragher’s endorsement of him on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football last season truly hints at his influence, he said [4th May, 22:24pm]:

“We talk about [Tomas] Soucek, but Coufal whether it’s right wing-back or right full-back at different times, he’s just one of those players that’s 7/10 minimum every time you watch him play.

“He’s the type of player you’d love to play with him. A manager’s dream, never injured, he’s there week in week out.”

On the above evidence, this will be a frustrating development that is sure to leave Moyes hugely worried heading into some very important fixtures.

A win over Genk would keep up their 100% record in the Europa League, whilst matches against Spurs have always offered up goals and drama, and then there’s the small matter of Pep Guardiola’s City.

In an ideal world, Moyes would have loved to have Coufal available, so it’s a major blow to the Hammers.

AND in other news, Big call: Moyes must ruthlessly axe West Ham’s £10.8m-rated “complete beast” vs Genk…

Manchester United have still not confirmed who their next permanent manager will be to take over at Old Trafford from Ralf Rangnick this summer, however there has been a huge new update from a reliable source about the potential appointment of Erik ten Hag.

What’s the word?

Popular Italian transfer insider and journalist Fabrizio Romano has taken to his YouTube channel to give a fresh update on the progression of Manchester United’s search for their next manager, and more importantly, promising progress with ten Hag.

Romano said: “From what I am told, there is no agreement signed or completed but talks are progressing well between Manchester United, Erik ten Hag and Ajax. At the moment from what I am told, there is nothing completed, nothing agreed, nothing signed but work in progress in a positive way. Ten Hag is under contract but he has a release clause. That release clause is €2m.”

Supporters will be delighted

There is no doubt that Erik ten Hag has been the firm favourite amongst supporters to take the reins at Old Trafford to transform their squad and the club’s struggle for success, so they will surely be delighted to hear that progress has been made with the Ajax boss.

The Dutch coach would be the fifth permanent manager to take on the challenging role at Manchester United since Sir Alex Ferguson retired back in May 2013, so the Glazers and the board at the club will be hoping that ten Hag can provide long term solutions and ultimately success in his potential appointment.

The increasing interest in the 52-year-old manager stems from his success with Ajax, winning two Eredivisie titles and three domestic trophies with the team, and his coaching pedigree clearly a huge attractive factor for Manchester United who have seemingly lost their identity over almost a decade since Fergie departed.

This new information from Romano will certainly keep the fans happy whilst Rangnick continues to focus on leaving the club in a good position at the end of the season by securing a place inside the top four and earning Champions League football

Yet, with the side currently three points behind their competitors Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal it is looking less likely that the German interim coach will be able to achieve it.

In other news: Man Utd now plot bid to sign £60m “special talent”, he’s miles better than Rashford

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…

Lots of Everton fans have been left gushing as some news emerged on Richarlison.

Writing in his latest piece for The Times, football journalist Paul Joyce has claimed that the striker could play against Southampton at the weekend, despite his involvements in both the Copa America and the Olympics with Brazil over the summer.

He has left his holiday early to return to training, putting him in contention to feature against the Saints in their opening match of the 2021/22 Premier League season.

Richarlison is no doubt still a key player for the Goodison Park faithful, scoring no fewer than 42 goals and making a further 10 assists in 119 games in total over all competitions across the last three consecutive campaigns (Transfermarkt).

Thus, it would be a welcome boost to have him available for selection, so long as he is fully fit.

Everton fans on Richarlison update

These supporters of the Merseyside club gushed as the update was shared on Twitter, with one Toffee even going as far as to claim that it was ‘brilliant’:

“SOME ACTUAL GOOD NEWS”

Credit: @Vicaz22

“Love Richarlison me the fella just loves his footy”

Credit: @Harrys1878nsno

“RICHY”

Credit: @Conor_LaneSmith

“Brilliant to see him back. Will certainly be a welcome addition to the squad”

Credit: @UHTPodcast

“Can’t say I’d be doing the same after two summer tournaments and winning a gold medal, but fair play to Richarlison for picking Everton over 3 weeks on a warm beach. Very timely and much needed boost for #EFC”

Credit: @BHRiggers

“Boss if he does this imo”

Credit: @tompoole_98

In other news, find out what transfer update has been lauded by Blues here!

Taking to Twitter, journalist Ekrem Konur has now made a surprising transfer claim involving Tottenham Hotspur and in-form Premier League forward Michail Antonio.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye new striker…

Since the last transfer window, Tottenham managing director Fabio Paratici has been on the hunt for a new forward and alternative to star man Harry Kane.

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Indeed, a report by The Telegraph listed the likes of Dusan Vlahovic and Simy on the Italian transfer chief’s radar while The Times actually revealed they had agreed a fee for Lautaro Martinez.

The latter man’s move to north London crumbled when Inter Milan pulled out of the move, mainly due to Romelu Lukaku completing his switch to Chelsea (Fabrizio Romano).

Having no luck in their search over the summer, links to Vlahovic continue to be prominent after the arrival of new manager Antonio Conte, but now a surprising claim has emerged on a new name.

The Latest: Spurs could make Antonio bid…

As per Konur, writing on social media, it is believed Tottenham ‘could make an offer’ to sign West Ham United star Antonio ‘in January’.

The Jamaica forward has been in sublime form over 2021/2022, even winning August’s Premier League Player of the Month award, and not so long ago found the net against Spurs in a London derby.

The Verdict: Pinch of salt…

Given the unlikelihood of West Ham parting ways with their striker, especially considering he is their only natural number nine, we advise to take this with a pinch of salt.

Both the Lilywhites’ and West Ham’s fierce rivalry make this a difficult deal to negotiate – not to mention the month-long January window meaning Antonio’s current club would have very little time to find a successor.

Called ‘unplayable’ by former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp (talkSPORT via Read West Ham), there is little arguing his quality and threat in the final third.

According to WhoScored, the 31-year-old has averaged a far higher amount of shots and key passes per 90 than any Tottenham player this season whilst scoring six goals and assisting three others.

He would undoubtedly add quality but the amount of variables make this move almost impossible.

In other news: Conte set for Spurs injury boost as Sky Sports reporter breaks update on Twitter, find out more here.

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.

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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…

An update has emerged on Celtic defender Leo Hjelde, regarding Leeds’ interest in the teenage prospect.

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, Leeds United have opened talks with Leo Hjelde over a move to Elland Road from Celtic, with his contract at the Scottish club expiring next summer.

The report does not state whether Leeds are attempting to sign him in the current window or if they are prepared to wait and land him for a compensation fee in 2022.

Fans would be fuming

Ange Postecoglou must avoid a nightmare scenario with Hjelde over the next 12 months. He cannot allow the young defender to join Leeds without, at least, putting up a fight.

The Australian boss must work hard with the club to pin the teenager down to a new contract by offering potential first-team football and higher wages to convince him to turn Leeds down and stay in Scotland.

There is no need for Hjelde to rush into a Premier League move as Celtic have proven to be a good pathway for players in recent years.

The Hoops have sold the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Kieran Tierney, Fraser Forster and Victor Wanyama to the English top-flight, with Kristoffer Ajer becoming the latest export following his transfer to Brentford earlier this month.

The young defender played 11 games on loan at Ross County in the Scottish Premiership last season, averaging a dismal WhoScored rating of 6.47. However, his performances are nothing to worry about at such a young age and it is only worth taking note of the fact he played 11 games, as it shows that his manager was willing to trust him despite his inexperience.

Earlier this year, County boss John Hughes made a bold claim that Hjelde is going to be the next Van Dijk, with the Dutchman now at Liverpool. He said:

“Leo is going to be the next Van Dijk – trust me on that.

“The quality he has shown, the physical challenge, playing real men’s football and standing up to it – it’s been a wonderful experience for Leo.

“Before he came, Leeds United were after him. I think he had to sign an extension to his contract for the loan to go through.”

Therefore, fans would be gutted if Celtic allowed the 17-year-old powerhouse to depart easily, as he could be the next star player on the production line.

Instead of selling him or watching him run down his contract, the Hoops could offer him first-team opportunities in the hope that he grasps them and does become the next Van Dijk.

Postecoglou must do all he can to keep him, or he’ll be facing fury from the Celtic Park faithful…

AND in other news, Celtic must axe £14k-p/w beast whose career is in “freefall”, his time’s up…