All posts by z3u9t.icu

Tottenham Hotspur will be desperate to return to winning ways after being knocked out of the Carabao Cup on penalties at Stamford Bridge on Thursday. 

Spurs have failed to complete any signings up until this point in the January transfer window, which isn’t a great surprise as they weren’t able to strengthen back in the summer months.

One thing that has been bothering many supporters is the amount of doubt currently surrounding Christian Eriksen’s contract situation, with Mauricio Pochettino currently unsure (as per Sky Sports) on his future.

Eriksen has established himself as one of the best attacking midfielders in world football over the past couple of seasons, and his contributions have been priceless once again in the current campaign, with six goals and 10 assists.

So, the Lilywhites will be desperate to persuade him to stay in the English capital for longer, with an ambitious double swoop in the January transfer window signings possibly turning his head.

Mousa Dembele’s departure has left Spurs with a void to fill in the middle of midfield, so Daniel Levy will need to bring in a central midfielder before the end of this month.

Interestingly, Abdoulaye Doucoure could be the man to take the Belgian international’s place in North London.

The Watford midfielder has managed to produce three goals and five assists in the current campaign, but it has been his pure dominance in the middle of midfield that has really caught the eye. Indeed, the tall Frenchman is dominant in the air and in possession of the ball, with his passing and tackling ability making him very effective in all areas.

Also, another player the Premier League club should look at signing is Sevilla’s Wissam Ben Yedder.

Ben Yedder has established himself as one of the most impressive forwards in Spain over the past couple of seasons, with 17 goals and seven assists to his name in the current campaign, which includes six goals in Europe. He would be the perfect replacement for Harry Kane at the pinnacle of the attack while he continues to nurse his injury, with goals, assists and world-class performances being produced on a consistent basis.

There’s no doubt that securing these two transfer deals before the end of this month would show Eriksen that the club means business, with Pochettino then having the playing resources to go out and secure Champions League glory and a top four spot. Indeed, with Ben Yedder taking Spurs’ attack to the next level and Doucoure providing Eriksen with the licence to push forward in midfield, there’s no better place for the Dane to be.

Tottenham Hotspur fans – thoughts on potential moves for Ben Yedder and Doucoure?

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s chances of signing Everton centre-forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin…

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, the Magpies target is set to leave Goodison Park at the end of the season as they look to cash in on him whilst his value is high.

The report claims that he was valued at £60m in January, with Arsenal and West Ham also in the race to snap him up ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Rocking

PIF can get St. James’ Park rocking with a deal for the England international as he would be a superb signing for the Magpies this summer.

Calvert-Lewin is a proven Premier League goalscorer who would excite the fans with his arrival as they will surely have been watching him impress in the top-flight in recent seasons.

Last term, he found the back of the net 16 times in 33 matches for the Toffees. This came after he scored 13 goals in 36 games in the previous season for them, showing that he can score on a regular basis at the top level if he is provided with the service.

His form led to his teammate, Richarlison, heaping praise on him by comparing him to a Manchester United and Real Madrid legend. The Brazilian said:

“He’s had a superb start to the season and without doubt deserved his England call-up. He must be a nightmare to play against and he has an incredible leap on him like Cristiano Ronaldo.”

The attacker also excels at putting himself about and being a nuisance to defenders. As per ScoutCharts, he ranks in the 84th, 87th and 81st percentiles in the Premier League for percentage of duels won, blocked shots and total duels respectively. This shows that he works hard for the team and the Toon faithful would surely love to see him giving his all out on the pitch.

At the age of 25, he would also be a long-term signing for the Magpies. I News recently reported that PIF want to bring in players who can grow alongside the club instead of filling the squad with established stars at the top level straight away.

Calvert-Lewin’s age and current situation suggest that he fits their vision. He is not playing for a big club in the Premier League and has plenty of years left ahead of him to develop, which means that he can come along for the ride at Newcastle in the coming years.

Therefore, St. James’ Park will be rocking if the club can strike a deal for the English forward because of his pedigree and potential as a striker. It is now down to PIF to splash the cash to reach an agreement with Everton to provide Howe with the forward’s quality heading into next season.

AND in other news, NUFC now plotting move for “one of the best ever”, just imagine him and Burn…

John Souttar can be an instant replacement for Connor Goldson at Rangers, Noel Whelan has told Football Insider.

The lowdown

The Daily Record have listed the Hearts defender as a possible option for Rangers, with Goldson looking ‘increasingly likely’ to leave Ibrox when his contract expires at the end of the season.

They claimed that Souttar’s preference would be a move to England, where he has at least 10 suitors, but as he ‘hasn’t ruled out’ staying in Scotland, the Gers could make a ‘final push’ to land him.

Like Goldson, the £900,000-rated 25-year-old will be out of contract at the end of the current campaign.

The latest

BBC Radio pundit Whelan is impressed that Rangers aren’t ‘wasting any time’ in lining up an able successor for Goldson, and he thinks that the Light Blues have accepted that the 29-year-old is headed for the exit door.

He outlined: “Connor Goldson doesn’t look like he’s going to sign a contract. There’s your replacement straight away.

“They’re not wasting any time in preparation for the start of next season. Connor Goldson obviously doesn’t want to sign another contract, he’s made that perfectly clear.

“They’ll probably see him to the end of the season. At the same time, they’re already targeting players that will come in and deputise for Connor Goldson when he does leave the club next summer.”

The verdict

If Rangers can persuade Souttar to choose them over any English suitors, will that minimise the impact of losing Goldson?

It’s worth noting that they’re different players. Goldson likes to play the ball short, whereas Souttar has a penchant for kicking it long, so either he would have to adapt to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s style, or the Dutchman would need to adapt to him.

His defensive fundamentals look to be on point, though. For instance, the Hearts centre-back has won 71% of his duels overall, a better record than Goldson.

Indeed, former Hibernian striker Tam McManus has seen enough to declare that the ‘superb’ Souttar ‘walks into both Old Firm teams’. Therefore, Whelan is right to talk up the 25-year-old as a readymade replacement for the seemingly exit-bound Goldson at Ibrox.

In other news, some Rangers fans bemoaned this transfer update

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a potential boost in their bid to bring Isco to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication Marca, who claim that Carlo Ancelotti has informed the Real Madrid attacking midfielder that he will be sold in the January transfer window, should an acceptable offer be lodged.

This could see Tottenham reignite their interest in the 29-year-old, with it being reported last summer that the Premier League side were monitoring the situation of the Spain international ahead of a potential swoop.

Indeed, a further report by The Sunday Mirror (via The Spurs Web) suggested that Spurs were willing to offer Madrid £14m in order to sign the forward earlier this year, as well as being prepared to offer Isco a three-year deal in north London.

Bye-bye Dele

While it is true that Isco has not enjoyed his finest form at Real Madrid in recent campaigns, the 29-year-old has nevertheless demonstrated in previous seasons that, when he is given the opportunity to do so, he can be one of the most influential players in what is one of the biggest clubs in the world.

Indeed, over his 30 LaLiga appearances back in 2016/17, the £13.5m-rated man scored a highly impressive ten goals, registered eight assists and created six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.1 shots and making 1.3 key passes per game.

These returns saw the player who Andres Iniesta dubbed a “fantastic player with an incredible talent” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.17, ranking him as Los Blancos’ ninth-best player in the top flight of Spanish football that season.

And, although his metrics have not been quite as impressive over his seven league outings so far this term, the £211k-per-week midfielder has far from been in disastrous form, scoring one goal, creating one big chance for his teammates and averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.97.

Furthermore, with it being widely reported that Antonio Conte is more than happy for Dele Alli to move onto pastures new in the upcoming winter window, a move for Isco would not only help to improve the Italian’s current options in attacking midfield, it would also very much appear to be the final nail in the coffin for the 25-year-old former England international in the capital.

In other news: Conte can finally axe Spurs’ £25m-rated “joke” by signing “devastating” £69k-p/w beast

Taking to Twitter, Canadian sports reporter Matthew Scianitti has made a Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving in-form Lille star Jonathan David.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye striker…

As explained by reliable reporter Alasdair Gold, signing a striker is one of manager Antonio Conte’s four main priorities for Spurs as he seeks to begin the N17 rebuild.

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Many names have been linked with a potential, namely Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic as the most prevalent target, but other, more obscure forwards can’t be ruled out.

In terms of quality, there are few options in greater form than Ligue 1 sensation David, who is already drawing comparisons with superstar Luis Suarez.

Making a Twitter claim, TSN sports journalist Scianitti has shared some news involving the his countryman and Spurs.

The Latest: David ‘open’ to Spurs possibility…

He claims that the Canada star is now on Tottenham’s radar as they join the ever-growing list of clubs eyeing a move.

While it is ‘unlikely’ David will be leaving before January 31, the player hasn’t yet got a particular destination in mind as is ‘open’ to all possibilities – including Spurs.

“Add Chelsea & Tottenham to teams interested in Jonathan David, @TSN_Sports has learned,” he explained.

“Barcelona & Man United still interested too, adding to Arsenal, Liverpool & Real Madrid reports.

“Jan move unlikely. David hasn’t narrowed his list, he’s said to be “open” to every possibility.”

The Verdict: Major coup…

If the 22-year-old were to narrow down his options to Tottenham, there is little arguing he would be a major coup.

Scoring a brilliant 16 goals already this campaign, David’s international record with Canada is equally as impressive – having netted a sublime 18 goals in 24 caps (Transfermarkt).

Valued at around £45 million by Transfermarkt, there is little wonder he could command such a hefty fee, with commentator Maximiliano Bretos branding David ‘phenomenal’ for his exploits on the world stage.

In other news: Spurs edge closer to first January signing as Conte personally eyes ‘massive’ £15m man, find out more here.

Following Steven Gerrard’s appointment as Aston Villa’s new manager last month, one man who will be desperately hoping to revive his career at the club is Morgan Sanson.

Speaking after his signing back in the January transfer window, former Villa boss Dean Smith raved about the kind of qualities the midfielder could bring to the club, saying: “He has got a big game mentality, he has played at the top of the French league for the last five years, played in the Champions League.

“He is a great technician and has great tactical awareness. He can play in a number of positions, can set up goals and can score goals. He has a bit of everything in his game so we’re really pleased with the acquisition.”The self-proclaimed “warrior” showed his qualities as a really effective box-to-box presence in his time at Marseille.Before his move to the Midlands, he averaged an impressive 1.8 tackles and 1.1 key passes per game in Ligue 1, both of which ranked him favourably compared to the rest of Villa’s squad. In fact, only two other Villa players averaged more tackles per match than him, while only four others had averaged more key passes.However, since his switch to Villa Park, things have failed to take off, to say the least. He played just nine Premier League games last season following his January move and has had just 26 minutes of top-flight football this term, although those appearances have both come under Gerrard.Football Insider revealed that there is a belief behind the scenes at Villa Park that the club “haven’t done their homework” on Sanson, and as well as being difficult to manage, he does not seem to have the technical ability that they had expected initially.Of course, under a new manager in Gerrard, the internal view could well be different now, and Sanson could once again come into the reckoning. However, with the January transfer window opening soon, this could well be last chance saloon for the £48k-a-week Frenchman to salvage his Villa Park career.Given the numbers he posted at Marseille, the midfielder deserves a prolonged chance to prove his worth, so Gerrard must unleash him soon to see whether the 27-year-old can demonstrate why he was brought to the club in the first place.Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has dropped a Villa transfer update…

A number of Liverpool supporters have laughed off a transfer rumour which claimed that midfielder Thiago Alcantara could return to his former club Barcelona.

The 30-year-old joined the Reds from Bayern Munich in September 2020, fresh off the back of winning the Champions League with the Bavarian giants.

Thiago’s Liverpool career has been a frustrating one to date, with injuries often halting his progress just as he is finding a good run of form.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

The Spaniard is now fit again ahead of the Reds’ return to action at home to Arsenal next weekend, but a transfer story has emerged regarding him. According to journalist Pedro Almeida [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], new Barcelona manager Xavi is keen on taking his former teammate back to the Nou Camp.

The Liverpool midfielder made 100 appearances for the Catalan giants before leaving in 2013, scoring 11 goals and registering 20 assists.

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Liverpool fans laugh off Thiago claim

These Reds fans on Twitter have shrugged off the claim about Thiago going back to Barcelona.

“If we get Bellingham in the summer then yeah have him”

Credit: @LordTrent66

“Sorry, going nowhere”

Credit: @SteveAustine_ke

“If Thiago leaves, I leave”

Credit: @__nxlo

“£50million minimum”

Credit: @TheMilnerEra

“Barcelona couldn’t afford him. Liverpool are bigger”

Credit: @N_Patel_YNWA

“£100m please boss”

Credit: @alonsogoat

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on one Liverpool target. Read more here.

Everton could take midfielder Fabian Ruiz from Napoli, according to Gonfia La Rete (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

The Spaniard is valued at a hefty £49.5m by Transfermarkt but significantly his contract is due to expire at the end of next season.

If Napoli can’t tie him down in the next couple of months, they may view the summer transfer window as their last opportunity to cash in, knowing that Ruiz could negotiate pre-contract terms with foreign clubs come January 2023.

The 26-year-old has split his minutes so far this season between central midfield (20 games) and defensive midfield roles (12).

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The latest

The report from Gonfia La Rete (via Sport Witness) rates Napoli’s prospects of agreeing a contract extension with Ruiz.

They claimed that things could get ‘difficult’ for the Serie A title-chasers if Everton make an offer to ‘cover the Spaniard in gold’.

Newcastle United are also said to be interested and could present a counterproposal.

The verdict

Newcastle are one of the wealthiest clubs in the world, so Everton may not be able to compete with the kind of financial package that the Tynesiders can offer.

If the Toffees can win the race, though, they would be picking up a long-range specialist. Remarkably, all six of Ruiz’s Serie A goals this season have come from outside the penalty area – that’s as many as Everton have scored as a team.

One of those goals was a 94th-minute winner away to Lazio in February, which sports journalist Josh Bunting labelled ‘stunning’.

Ruiz has a penchant for the spectacular, although journalist Zach Lowy believes that his performances have also been ‘absolutely incredible’ in general.

This could be an early recruitment triumph for Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell if he pulls it off.

In other news, Ian Wright heaps praise on one Everton ace

Everton have already made two signings during the first week of the January transfer window, but they could now be set to make another signing as they are rumoured to have joined the chase to sign one in-demand player from Europe.

What’s the word?

According to reports from TuttoMercatoWeb, the Toffees are interested in Juventus forward Dejan Kulusevski.

The report suggests that the Serie A club are interested in selling the 21-year-old in order to raise funds for a striker this month, with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur also said to be interested in securing his signature.

The £27.5m-rated gem was hailed by former Bianconeri team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, who said: “He is a great talent. He will help us to win and achieve incredible things. I really like to see him, he has a great potential, and he’s an excellent player.”

Everton are set to compete with the other two Premier League clubs to get a deal done for Kulusevski but are currently trying to build transfer funds in order to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.

Imagine him & Doucoure

Despite Everton struggling to get results in the Premier League this season with just five wins so far, they do have an appeal with a number of fine attacking players in their squad, which could be the element with which to tempt Kulusevski with a possible move to Merseyside.

According to One Versus One, the Sweden international has the highest one-touch pass accuracy in Serie A and is in the top ten players for completing his passes into the final third. That could be a huge advantage to the attacking line at Goodison Park, as this top-level accuracy in front of goal could secure the opportunity for more chances to be created and, as a result, more goals to be scored.

If he were to join Benitez’s side, he would likely play on the right-hand side of midfield alongside Abdoulaye Doucoure, and the duo could form a deadly partnership in creating chances for a newly-returned Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the potential for the team being more prolific in front of goal, as scoring has been an issue this season.

Everton had been without Calvert-Lewin since the start of September, while Richarlison has also suffered two bouts of injury, so it’s no surprise that the goal scoring hasn’t come naturally to the Toffees this season. However, with the return of the England striker and more potential additions in January like Kulusevski, the Toffees could be back in the top half of the table in no time.

In other news: This Everton player gives an insight to his future plans

As per Calciomercato, Tottenham Hotspur are weighing a January move for AS Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo amid a contractual development.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Zaniolo…

Recent claims from the continent suggest that new boss Antonio Conte has his sights on another Serie A star following the plethora of Italian top flight names to have been linked already.

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Indeed, regional newspaper Il Tempo (via Sport Witness) claimed earlier this week that Tottenham are eagerly watching developments over Zaniolo’s future at Roma ahead of the winter window.

Meanwhile, some Spanish sources believe that Conte has personally asked club chiefs to sign the 22-year-old after he originally wanted former club Inter Milan to re-sign Zaniolo.

The Latest: Spurs weighing move…

As per CM, there has been another development, with the attacking midfielder’s talks over a new Roma deal stalling after ‘first contacts’ with his entourage.

This has alerted the likes of Juventus and Tottenham as both Conte and managing director Fabio Paratici remain huge admirers.

It is believed that Spurs could ‘intervene in depth on the market’ as early as January.

The Verdict: Get it done?

The Lilywhites could have to pay as much as €70 million (£59m) to sign Zaniolo according to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Football Italia), a price which would smash their transfer record.

However, given the player’s accolades, age and potential for sell-on value – he could be worth the investment.

Hailed as a ‘Lampard-type’ player by former Inter coach Stefano Vecchi (La Gazzetta dello Sport via Goal), the fact he is still very young could indicate there is even more to come from Zaniolo.

The only drawbacks could perhaps be his recent injury record and the fact Zaniolo’s deal doesn’t actually expire until 2024 – putting Roma under no pressure to sell.

In other news: ‘Coming from Tottenham’…Journalist makes exciting transfer claim with big offer on the table, find out more here.