All posts by z3u9t.icu

Sunderland enjoyed an impressive return to life in the Championship in the 2022/23 campaign as they battled early disruption to reach the play-offs.

Alex Neil quit the Stadium of Light to join Stoke City in the first month of the season and Tony Mowbray came in to lead the Black Cats to sixth before losing to Luton Town, who went on earn promotion to the Premier League.

The head coach and Kristjaan Speakman now have the summer transfer window to bolster the squad again with the aim of going all the way and moving up to the top-flight at the end of 2023/24.

One player the club have been linked with a swoop for ahead of next term is Universidad Católica prospect Alexander Aravena, who could be the dream heir to a current Sunderland ace.

How would Alexander Aravena fit in at Sunderland?

The 20-year-old right winger could come in and eventually replace Patrick Roberts on that side of Mowbray's attacking line-up next season or in the years to come.

In the Primera Division in 2023, the exciting youngster has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.08 and chipped in with seven goals and two assists from out wide in 13 outings. The number 18 has created one chance per game for his teammates and showcased his ability to open up the opposition for his fellow attackers.

His form this year comes after an impressive 2022 in the top-flight of football in Chile.

Aravena averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.98 in the league last term and contributed at the top end of the pitch with 11 goals and three assists in 30 matches as a winger.

These statistics show that the young ace, whose intelligence was once praised as "magnificent" by press officer and scout Salvatore Gandhi, has the quality to be a big goal threat, whilst also being able to provide creativity, as a right winger.

Roberts, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.83 and racked up five goals and seven assists in 42 appearances in the Championship in the season just gone.

This suggests that the Chile international could provide more than him in front of goal if the 20-year-old is able to adjust to English football, based on his return of 18 goals and five assists in his last 43 league games is more impressive than the Englishman's statistics in the second tier.

Aravena's age, however, means that Mowbray would not have to rush him into the starting XI or expect him to hit the ground running on Wearside. Sunderland could take their time with the prolific magician and bed him in slowly as the long-term heir to Roberts' position on the right flank.

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale has made a head start to his transfer business at Ibrox, signing Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling and Kieran Dowell on free transfers, and they have all been tied down before the transfer window even opens.

Unfortunately, the Light Blues don’t have a mass fortune to spend in the transfer market, meaning free transfers will potentially make up the bulk of the incomings and any other business will largely be assisted by the 42-year-old moving on some deadwood in the squad that is surplus to requirements.

The likes of Scott Wright and Jon McLaughlin are likely to be sold, while Antonio Colak, who only joined last summer, could also depart. Another name who should be let go is Kemar Roofe, as the striker could still bring in a decent transfer fee.

He only played six times last season, struggling with a variety of injury issues which kept him out for 35 matches in total, hardly justifying his £26k-per-week wage.

There is no doubting his quality, with the 30-year-old netting 36 times in just 78 appearances, yet, having another season where he barely features will be a waste of precious funds which could be spent elsewhere, especially with the Ibrox side looking for new strikers following the departure of Alfredo Morelos.

Could Rangers sign Nikola Krstovic this summer?

The Gers were linked with Krstovic as far back as February according to Football Insider, with the same outlet claiming the club had scouted the 23-year-old on ‘several occasions’ with a view to signing him this summer, although a reported fee of between £4m-£5m was being demanded by his club, Dunajska Streda.

Beale looks like he is about to agree a deal to sign Sam Lammers from Sampdoria, however, his goal record isn’t nearly as good as the Streda hitman, netting only twice all season compared to the 26 goals the Montenegro international has scored.

He obviously knows how to find the back of the net on a regular basis, having scored a total of 81 club career goals and with five caps for his country too, he has emerged on the international scene, further underlining his capabilities.

A goal every 117 minutes in the Slovakian top flight last term was better than all but one player in the Gers side who played over five Premiership matches, suggesting that he could be a regular scorer under Beale if he maintained his current form.

Journalist Josh Bunting had plenty of praise for the 23-year-old last year, saying: “Nikola Krstović scoring again for DAC 1904, I honestly can see a big enough side take a punt on him sooner rather than later, only 22 but what a talent he is and he’s showing it in Europe this season. He’s aggressive and he’s clinical. Has all the attributes you want in a striker.”

Roofe underwent surgery back in March to sort out his hip injury, however, there is no set timeline on his return to the first team picture and perhaps Beale may be best moving him on in order to launch a move for a player such as Krstovic this summer.

Arsenal have been linked with one of Eredivise’s best midfielders ahead of the transfer window, as Mikel Arteta looks forward to a busy summer.

The Gunners must improve the depth of their squad in the window, after narrowly missing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City, the north Londoners will hope to challenge again next campaign.

Arteta could start his summer dealings by signing one of the most talked about midfielders in Europe to bolster his side.

What’s the latest on Orkun Kokcu to Arsenal?

As reported by Portuguese outlet Record (via The Daily Express), Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kokcu is wanted by Arsenal this summer.

The report comes from the point of view of Benfica, who wish to sign the £35m ace before Arsenal get there first, with the Gunners claimed to ‘still hold the advantage’ over the Portuguese giants.

The Primeira Liga champions may struggle to pay the asking fee for the 22-year-old, which is where the Londoners could capitalise.

What could Orkun Kokcu bring to Arsenal?

Hailed as being a “true leader” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Kokcu could be a huge influence on Arsenal’s midfield.

The Turkey international has contributed to ten goals this campaign, scoring eight himself and assisting two in 32 Eredivisie appearances in Feyenoord’s title-winning year.

While his numbers in the final third are impressive for a central midfielder, the progressive nature of the youngster’s play is one of his greatest exploits, making him a great fit for Arteta’s style.

As per FBref, the Haarlem-born midfielder averages a monstrous 12.65 progressive passes per 90, as well as attempting 83.79 passes per 90, displaying his ability and desire to get on the ball and dispatch to advancing areas.

With such numbers, there’s little surprise that the Feyenoord ace has been likened to former Arsenal magician Santi Cazorla.

Daily Mail journalist Oliver Godden described Kokcu in 2020 as being ‘best’ compared to the Spaniard due to his ability to ‘cut sides open with key passes’, when playing in deep midfield.

Indeed, the reporter stated at the time: "Kokcu is not dissimilar from the man whose shoes he will likely be filling in Ozil, but the best comparison is to former Gunner Santi Cazorla."

Arteta could have his own answer to the legendary midfielder, whom he once praised as having “unbelievable quality”, which is supported by the numbers of the two when the Spaniard was in his prime.

As per WhoScored, in his first season at the Emirates the Llanera-born gem averaged 2.6 key passes per game, which to put into comparison is slightly less than the level Kokcu is operating at this term with an average of 2.8 per game.

For a slim price of £35m in today’s market, Arteta could equip his offensively sublime side with added quality in a player that holds the ‘ability’ to play in the Premier League as claimed by his former boss and Manchester United legend Jaap Stam.

With Benfica hunting the rising star, Arsenal must act fast should they wish to seal the signature of Kokcu, who could be integral to the clubs’ progression in both the league and Champions League next campaign.

West Brom are in advanced talks to sign Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury this summer, according to a fresh transfer report.

The Lowdown: Choudhury linked with West Brom

The Baggies had a disappointing 2021/22 season, failing to get out of the Championship, and new signings are needed this summer in order to ensure that improvements are made under Steve Bruce.

West Brom have been linked with a move for Choudhury, who is set to leave Leicester ahead of his contract expiring next summer.

The 24-year-old appears to be surplus to requirements under Brendan Rodgers, having only started four Premier League matches last season.

The Latest: Move edging closer

According to The Northern Echo, the Baggies are now in ‘advanced talks’ with Choudhury over a summer move to The Hawthorns.

Middlesbrough are also hoping to acquire the services of the Englishman, who has been hailed as a ‘great player’ by Leicester colleague Harvey Barnes.

The Verdict: Great summer addition

Choudhury may have fallen out of favour with the Foxes but he has some excellent competition in midfield at the King Power Stadium, from Wilfred Ndidi to Youri Tielemans (both ranked in Leicester’s top six players of 2021/22 by WhoScored), so it would be unfair to judge him too harshly on his lack of game-time.

He could be a fantastic player in the Championship for West Brom, using his physicality to good use and indeed his ball distribution, having enjoyed an 82.6% pass completion rate in the top flight last season.

Such players can be crucial to West Brom mounting a genuine promotion push in 2022/23 – if they could bring in Choudhury and Conor Hourihane, with John Swift already signed, Bruce’s midfield could look to be in stellar shape by the time the new season starts.

In other news, West Brom have been boosted in their efforts to sign one player. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur will have to spend €40m (£34m) to sign transfer target Weston McKennie. 

That’s according to Italian outlet Calciomercato (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare and Jack Pitt-Brooke wrote at the weekend that Antonio Conte and Spurs were hoping to strengthen in central midfield this summer. The north Londoners signed Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus in the winter but could do further business with the Bianconeri ahead of the expected departure of Harry Winks.

It was only last summer that Juve officially signed McKennie from Schalke for £18.45m after an initial loan. He is predominantly a central midfielder but has played in a vast array of positions, including both deeper and more advanced roles in the middle and on the right wing.

It’s worth noting that the American was missing from late February until the end of the season with a metatarsal fracture.

The latest

McKennie could move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, with Spurs scouring the Italian market once again.

As per Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), managing director of football Fabio Paratici ‘particularly likes’ the 23-year-old and could push for a move.

Juventus are reportedly demanding £34m for his services, and it’s unclear yet as to whether Spurs will be willing to pay that amount.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The verdict

McKennie isn’t necessarily someone who will come up with big numbers of goals and assists, having only notched three direct goal contributions in 2021/22.

However, he does take up advanced positions, ranking in the 98th percentile among his positional peers in Europe’s big five leagues for both progressive passes received and touches in the penalty area.

McKennie, who won his country’s Player of the Year award in 2020, was starting to ‘come alive after a stuttering spell’ prior to his injury, in the words of sports journalist Josh Bunting.

Squawka have described him as a ‘wizard’ at his best, and Paratici clearly has confidence that the 23-year-old can reach that level consistently.

After doing business with Juventus for Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski, perhaps it’s time for the Spurs supremo to once again tap into that existing relationship with the Serie A club.

In other news, Alasdair Gold has dropped a promising claim on another Serie A target

Journalist Xavi Jorquera Márquez of Cadena SER is adamant that Tottenham Hotspur have reached an ‘agreement’ over the permanent departure of midfielder Giovani Lo Celso.

The Lowdown: Lo Celso on the way?

As backed by reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano, Villarreal are interested in re-signing the Argentine on a permanent deal from the Premier League club after his brilliant spell on loan at the Estadio de la Cerámica.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Lo Celso spent the second half of 2021/2022 on a temporary spell in La Liga under former Arsenal boss Unai Emery, thriving in their Champions League campaign in particular. Indeed, the South American averaged their second-most key passes and completed dribbles per 90 over six starts on their run to the semi-finals before being knocked out by Liverpool (WhoScored).

As such, the La Liga side are keen to snap him up indefinitely, with Marquez adamant that they have already agreed a fee with Tottenham.

The Latest: Marquez makes Lo Celso claim…

The reporter has said that, despite claims to the contrary, an ‘agreement’ between Spurs and Villarreal ‘exists’, with the fee ‘already’ discussed and specified.

He explained (via Twitter, translated from Spanish):

“Despite some, I still keep the same info.

The agreement between Villarreal and Tottenham exists and the amount has already been discussed and specified.

And I respect and always will respect the information of other journalists. that will never fail.”

The Verdict: Interesting…

Reiterating Marquez’s previous claim, Spurs have apparently agreed a deal in principle to sell Lo Celso for around €15m-€18m (£13m-£15m) plus bonuses.

Villarreal have also allegedly decided on the date of the announcement ‘if all goes well’, and as the Lilywhites seek to back Conte in the transfer market summer, it is also imperative that they make money through sales.

Paratici must balance the books, and managing to offload Lo Celso this early would come as a boost. This development may well be one to keep an eye upon over the coming weeks.

In other news: Paratici eyeing Spurs move for ‘sensational’ £75m man who Pep called ‘quality’…find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Yannick Carrasco to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a claim made by Juanfe Sanz (via Sport Witness), with the El Chiringuito journalist suggesting that Fabio Paratici has now submitted an offer to Atletico Madrid regarding a deal for the versatile left-winger.

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

Sport Witness go on to state that the 28-year-old has a release clause of €60m (£51m) written into his contract at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, with Spurs reported to have been willing to pay this figure in the January transfer window.

Carrasco would be “unreal” for Spurs

Considering just how impressive Carrasco has been for Atleti this season, it is not difficult to understand why Antonio Conte would be interested in a deal to bring the forward to north London this summer.

Indeed, over his 33 LaLiga appearances in the current campaign, the £42.5m-rated winger – who can also be deployed at left midfield or left wing-back – has been in sensational form for Diego Simeone’s side, scoring six goals, registering six assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.5 shots, making 1.5 key passes and completing 2.6 dribbles per game.

The £141k-per-week Belgium international has also impressed in a defensive capacity, making an average of 0.6 interceptions, 0.9 tackles, 0.4 clearances and winning 4.9 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the player who Josh Bunting dubbed “underrated” and Phil Kitromilides labelled “unreal” average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.07, ranking him as Atletico’s third-best performer in the Spanish top flight.

Furthermore, according to FBref data, the 28-year-old also ranks in the top 1% of wing-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for dribbles completed per 90, as well as the top 1% for npxG, the top 2% for shots, the top 2% for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for progressive carries and the top 2% for npxG+xA over the last 365 days.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Carrasco would be something of an unreal fit for Conte’s left wing-back role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, leading us to believe that Paratici must do everything he can to convince the Belgian of a move to north London this summer.

AND in other news: Paratici could land Kulu 2.0 as Spurs eye £17m signing, he would “explode” under Conte

Manchester United have appointed their new manager Erik ten Hag who will take the reigns at Old Trafford imminently and he could be about to bring some of his players over with him from Ajax.

What’s the latest?

According to Portuguese news outlet UOL (via Sport Witness), the Red Devils are battling with fierce rivals Liverpool to sign Brazilian winger Antony this summer.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-man-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more-nunez-ten-hag-nkunku-richarlison” title=”Read the latest Man United news!”]

The report suggests that the two Premier League clubs are in ‘dispute’ over the signing as both have made an approach to put the feelers out on whether the player would be open to a move to join them.

It is believed that Antony would favour a move to the English league over La Liga after a further approach was reportedly made by Barcelona.

Ten Hag needs him

Manchester United would surely have an advantage on other clubs interested due to the fact they have recently hired Antony’s former manager, and when you look at the current forward line at Old Trafford it is clear that Ten Hag needs him.

There have been issues with Marcus Rashford this season who has had a complete drop of in form and with reports of the winger considering a move away from his boyhood club in the North West due to a lack of game-time, it could be the perfect opportunity for the club to inject a fresh perspective and a new creative outlet into the attacking positions.

When you compare Rashford to Antony this season, it is clear that the £50m Brazilian would be a huge upgrade on the current Man United winger, scoring four more goals, creating 28 more big chances, with over twice as many shots on target and over 20% better crossing accuracy compared to his position competitor, according to Squawka.

Ten Hag recently claimed Antony was “top-class” when discussing the 22-year-old’s future in an interview (via The United Stand):

” If Antony were to go, it would be a loss for Ajax. He is top class,” the Dutch coach admitted.

With that being said, if Ten Hag can beat the competitors to secure the signing he could be onto something special with a player he knows how to get the best out of already, meaning he can be an instant hit and thrive at Old Trafford alongside Cristiano Ronaldo next season.

AND in other news: “Close sources”: Sky Sports journo “told” big MUFC update that’ll excite Ten Hag

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is now in pole position to sign ‘one of the best players in the world’ after officially signing Erling Haaland, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Huge week…

Citizens wanted to erase last week’s painful Champions League semi-final exit to Real Madrid and it’s safe to say Guardiola’s impeccable blues have done the job.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/man-city-newest-updates/” title=”Man City newest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Defeat to the Galacticos was swiftly followed by imperious displays against both Newcastle United and Wolves as City sealed back-to-back Premier League victories in an all-important title race with Liverpool.

Scoring 10 goals in two matches, the Sky Blues’ attacking potency was on full display, with the club also making a huge announcement between these encounters.

On Tuesday, City confirmed they have agreement for the summer transfer of Haaland from Borussia Dortmund – sealing the signing of one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers.

Now, A Bola (via Sport Witness) claim Guardiola is in pole position to sign another promising player.

The Latest: City ‘top of the list’ for Nunes…

According to their Portuguese sources, City are ‘top of the list’ for Sporting CP midfielder Matheus Nunes as they emerge as frontrunners for his signature.

There is also apparently a ‘smell of farewell’ surrounding the 23-year-old who seems destined to leave the José Alvalade Stadium.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Nunes, still very young and with bags of potential, is a player Guardiola knows very well.

Following City’s 5-0 demolition job of Sporting in their Champions League round of 16 first leg a few months ago, the Spaniard heaped praise on Sporting’s gem and revealed his admiration.

The big name tactician even called Nunes ‘one of the best players in the world today’, and while that is a head-turning verdict, we believe Nunes’ statistics certainly reflect his real ability.

A marvellous ball-carrier, the starlet completes more dribbles per 90 than any Sporting player on average and completes the second-most through balls every game behind forward Pablo Sarabia (WhoScored).

Proving a real nightmare to play against, Nunes is also the joint-most fouled player per 90 in Sporting’s squad alongside Joao Palhinha.

Indeed, we believe adding the sensation to City’s already-impressive Portuguese contingent certainly wouldn’t be an unpopular move.

In other news: Guardiola could also join race to sign £354,000-per-week superstar! Find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Raheem Sterling to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a claim made by Ben Jacobs, with the CBS Sports Golazo presenter revealing in a recent interview with The Gooner Talk that, despite recent reports linking Arsenal with a move for the Manchester City forward at the end of the current campaign, it is actually Spurs who are leading the race to sign the 27-year-old.

The journalist goes on to state that this is down to Tottenham offering the England international assurances about his position in their first-team squad, while it is also believed that the former Liverpool starlet is keen to work under the management of Antonio Conte.

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

Regarding the interest in Sterling, Jacobs said:  “Sterling is an interesting one, because I do think that the door is open for Sterling to leave Manchester City. I think there will be almost a North London derby-style pursuit for Sterling and, from what I gather, should he leave Manchester City, Tottenham are ahead of Arsenal in that particular pursuit.

“So, if Sterling is to join Arsenal, then Edu and [Mikel] Arteta are going to have to move quite quickly, but I think that Sterling is very intent – even though he will know Arteta very well – to play under Conte as his next manager if he is to make a move.

“The reason for that is because Tottenham have given him guarantees about style and about position. I think that Tottenham’s pitch is around ‘let’s get you back to doing what you do best,’ which is scoring goals, and I think Arsenal’s pitch is going to be ‘let’s get you back to what you did at the beginning of your career,’ which is being a very fluid, very versatile wide player that cuts inside.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how talented a forward Sterling quite clearly is, the prospect of the winger linking up with the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is sure to be something that will have left the Spurs faithful buzzing, particularly if Fabio Paratici can land the 27-year-old ahead of Arsenal.

Indeed, according to FBref statistics, the £76.5m-rated attacker ranks in the top 15% of forwards in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty xG per 90 minutes, as well as the top 22% for assists, the top 16% for xA, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for passes completed, the top 2% for progressive carries and the top 3% for dribbles completed over the last 365 days.

The £200k-per-week dynamo’s defensive metrics are also impressive, with FBref ranking the 74-time capped international in the top 17% of forward’s in Europe’s big five leagues for tackles per 90, in addition to the top 23% for interceptions over the last year.

Speaking more generally, it is clear to see that the signing of a player who has scored 153 goals and registered 118 assists over his 466 appearances for both Liverpool and Manchester City would be an excellent addition to Spurs’ current attacking options – with Sterling boasting an extremely impressive record of a direct goal involvement every 126 minutes of football played.

As such, should Tottenham go on to land the 27-year-old – who is reportedly available for around £45m – this summer, it would certainly appear something of a coup for Paratici and Conte, while also being a signing that could help to transform Spurs from a top-four contender to a title challenger next season.

AND in other news: “Being monitored”: Kilpatrick drops Spurs transfer update, supporters will be buzzing