All posts by z3u9t.icu

As per Mundo Deportivo, there has been an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Dembele move…

After Spurs recorded pre-tax losses of around £80.2m for the last financial year, taking their overall debt to £706m (The Guardian), it’s little surprise to see transfer chief Fabio Paratici and manager Antonio Conte targeting free agents.

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The likes of Franck Kessie and Lorenzo Insigne are just two other names who have recently been linked with Spurs and could leave their clubs on a pre-contract in 2022.

Another player who’s been linked, and perhaps one of the biggest names to be mentioned, is France international Dembele, whose current deal also expires at the end of this season.

90min first claimed that Tottenham had joined the race for his services, with Mundo Deportivo now providing an update.

The Latest: Spurs have ‘offer’ of signing-on bonus…

As per their information, Spurs are one of three clubs to have the ‘offer’ of a signing-on bonus at the ready should Dembele decide to leave Catalonia.

Manchester United and Newcastle are the other two contenders who can gift the 24-year-old this incentive as both the player and his agent run out of time to make a decision.

It is said that the ‘ultimatum’ Barcelona gave Dembele ‘reaches it’s last days’, with the winger now expected to respond to their proposal of an extension.

The Verdict: Interesting times ahead…

The £210,000-per-week forward would be an eyebrow-raising addition for Conte in more ways than one.

On top of his lucrative salary demands, Dembele’s history of severe hamstring problems doesn’t exactly bode well for any club interested in signing the attacker.

His obvious ability is undeniable, with former Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman recently calling him ‘fantastic’ following a return to form, but it’s arguable that the finances involved and his unreliable fitness record make this a risky move for Tottenham.

Pundit Carlton Palmer certainly agrees, telling This is Futbol: “The way that recruitment of players is done now and the in-depth analysis of players and their game time and their injuries and the type of money that Dembele would be commanding, I think it would be a crazy signing.”

We wholeheartedly agree with the former England international and suggest that Spurs avoid this one.

In other news: Talks ongoing: Spurs in contact to sign ‘incredible’ £29.9m, club open to temporary deal, find out more here.

Peterborough Director of Football Barry Fry believes that Tottenham are so hungry for success that incoming manager Paulo Fonseca could be sacked by January, with Football London’s Alasdair Gold claiming he is moving closer to being appointed.

The former Roma manager is on the verge of ending Spurs’ near two month wait to replace Jose Mourinho, who was sacked ahead of the Carabao Cup final back in April.

Having failed to appoint either Julian Nagelsmann or Antonio Conte, whilst Daniel Levy couldn’t convince Mauricio Pochettino to return, meaning Fonseca might be seen as an underwhelming appointment.

Remarkably, he was sacked and recently replaced by Mourinho in the Italian capital having been unable to guide Roma back into the Champions League.

In fact, their seventh-place finish under Fonseca was their worst for nine seasons, although just like Tottenham, they managed to qualify for the inaugural UEFA Conference League late in their final game.

Fonseca hasn’t yet been officially unveiled as the new Tottenham manager, but Fry believes that he could come under pressure very quickly should he struggle for results early on.

He exclusively told Football FanCast:

“If they sell Harry Kane, that is a three, four, five-year job. Will they have the patience to give the job to somebody for three, four or five years.

“If he’s a failure in the first six months, he’ll be gone by January.”

The upcoming departure of Ed Woodward from Manchester United was confirmed on Tuesday evening.

Having been at the club in some capacity since the arrival of the Glazer family at Old Trafford in 2005, he will leave the club having held the role as the Red Devils’ Executive Vice Chairman for the past nine years.

Whilst he will not officially be leaving the club until the end of 2021, the departure of Woodward is a huge moment for the club as they get rid of a figurehead who has continued to pour money down the drain since taking the reins.

Since 2013 and his first transfer window, Woodward has spent a huge £1.08 billion in the transfer market – some of those signings having little to no impact.

His debut arrival set the tone as the Red Devils failed to bring in any notable signings for new manager David Moyes before eventually splashing a considerable sum on Everton’s Marouane Fellaini.

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This trend has continued even to this day with expensive arrivals such as Angel Di Maria, Morgan Schneiderlin, Memphis Depay and Henrikh Mkhitaryan all exiting Old Trafford as quickly as they’d arrived following a poor spell with the Red Devils.

Even summer signing Donny van de Beek appears to be going the same way with the Dutchman having started just two Premier League games.

Whilst Woodward cannot be blamed for all of those aforementioned failures, the sheer fortune that the Red Devils have been forced to pour down the drain has drastically hampered the club in recent seasons.

With him gone, this could certainly give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer far more freedom in the transfer market.

Of course, the 49-year-old has done some positive work with Manchester United, especially on a commercial basis – the club’s commercial income rising £35.6m in just three months during his tenure.

However, that commercialisation is exactly where Woodward has fallen. His resignation comes following the backlash directed at the club for the proposal of the European Super League, United eventually withdrawing their participation.

His departure from Manchester United then will surely be a relief for supporters and for the manager, who will hopefully get more of a voice when it comes to transfers.

AND in more news, find out why Solskjaer will have been furious with the now collapsed prospect of the Super League…

Newcastle United all but ensured safety in the Premier League for another season with a 1-0 win at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.

A fine goal from Miguel Almiron in the first half sealed the points at St. James’ Park, but it was not always plain-sailing for Eddie Howe’s team, who gave up the majority of the possession to the visitors, and also faced ten shots at their goal (SofaScore) as the hosts retreated in the second half.

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The Transfer Tavern have used statistical experts SofaScore to now analyse who the three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were for the hosts on the night, perhaps now looking over their shoulders regarding their long-term futures in Howe’s first choice XI…

Jonjo Shelvey

Given a 6.7 overall rating, Shelvey ranked as the North East club’s third-worst player.

The central midfielder lost out on two of his duels, and also failed to record a single shot on goal, dribble, clearance, interception or key pass, making one foul and giving the ball away nine times in total.

Joelinton

Admittedly tied with Chris Wood in terms of rating (6.5), Joelinton ranks in second here having helped keep the clean sheet as a midfielder.

However, the Brazilian lost a total of six individual duels, and was off target with all three of his shots, while he also never managed a tackle, committed two fouls and lost possession on nine separate occasions.

Chris Wood

With a 6.5 rating, Wood ranked as the Tyneside outfit’s worst performer.

The striker was unsuccessful in seven duels, and never managed a shot, successful dribble or key pass, amassing just 34 touches of the ball in total and giving it away with 15 of those.

He also missed a huge chance in the first-half only to be spared by the offside flag.

In other news, find out which ‘outstanding’ target NUFC are now set to ‘miss out’ on here!

Former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has warned Celtic about moving for David Moyes in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

According to GiveMeSport, the former SPFL champions have sounded out the 57-year-old West Ham manager as they look to replace Neil Lennon following his exit last month.

Moyes has done a sublime job at the Hammers this season, guiding them to fifth in the Premier League and just three points behind a Champions League spot with a game in hand. Bearing that in mind, Palmer is not too convinced by the idea of Moyes switching the London Stadium for Celtic Park, believing he has found his place in east London.

Speaking on Moyes and Celtic, the retired England international told FFC:

“Celtic is a massive club, a massive club. But I just say sometimes you’ve got to be careful. David Moyes did a fantastic job at Everton then ended up going to Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson, which was always going to be a tough gig, and then for a while he lost his way. He’s a very, very good manager, but he lost his way.

“He seems to have found his niche at West Ham. I think he’s found his little spot there and they’re doing exceptionally well.”

Moyes’ contract at West Ham expires at the end of the season, which could bode well for Celtic. However, with their former player doing so well with the Hammers this term, you would expect the club’s board to get him tied down to a new deal, meaning Celtic are probably going to have to look elsewhere.

That could come in the form of Roy Keane, who is one of the latest names to be linked with the job in the Celtic Park dugout.

Marcelo Bielsa may look to bring in a striker this summer to offer cover for Patrick Bamford after he played all 38 Premier League games last season, and someone that could be a smart signing is Michy Batshuayi, according to former Leeds midfielder David Norris.

Batshuayi made a name for himself at Marseille under Bielsa so reports linking him with a move to Elland Road may come as no surprise as Bielsa will know how to get the best out of him.

The Belgian striker arrived with a lot of hype in 2016 after starring for Belgium at the European Championships, however he has only played 78 times since arriving at Stamford Bridge and has constantly been sent out on loan to the likes of Crystal Palace, Borussia Dortmund and Valencia.

Leeds don’t have a recognised back-up striker so bringing in someone who knows where the back of the net is could help Leeds if they are looking to finish higher than ninth next season – that’s according to Norris, who spoke exclusively to Football FanCast:

“If they had a good relationship before and then he moved on because it was for a better move, then managers and players normally have a good relationship.

“He is proven but he just hasn’t played enough games at Chelsea. He’d be coming from a big club who have got a lot of money and are doing things so, I think on paper that’s a good signing.”

During his time at Marseille, Batshuayi managed to score 33 goals in 78 appearances when he was 22-years-old which shows why he was such a sought-after talent in 2016.

Bielsa will know that he can play in his systems from his time at Marseille therefore, it would not be as big of a risk to bring him into the club, unlike when Leeds splashed the cash on Rodrigo last summer.

Crystal Palace have frustrated some fans on their official Twitter channel after posting a clip of Andros Townsend’s thunderbolt in their 2-0 win vs Burnley in 2018 as their Goal of the Day.

Still without a manager after the departure of Roy Hodgson last month [Independent], the south Londoners face a worrying situation following their decision to release 22 players upon the expiration of their contracts earlier in June [The Sun].

Lucien Favre is currently believed to be the front-runner for the position as they look to replace these individuals, while Nuno Espirito Santo, Frank Lampard, Steve Cooper, Valerian Ismael and Patrick Vieira have all previously been evaluated for the role [Sky Sports].

Directionless heading into 2021/22 pre-season, no wonder many Crystal Palace fans took to Twitter to voice their opinions on the decision to post the goal as the club hangs in limbo over a manager and the playing squad:

Crystal Palace fans react:

Replying to the Eagles’ official Twitter account, here is what some fans had to say regarding the clip, with many demanding an end to the managerial uncertainty:

“New contract?”

Credit: @cpfc_sean”Favre pls”Credit: @bradhcpfc”Good goal but it’s not Favre”Credit: @BenM_CPFC”Isn’t Favre is it”Credit: @chr1s_cpfc”@cpfc please stop tweeting! Every time I think it’s an announcement!”Credit: @Kriss_dean”It’s a bullet…. I can see the fire following the ball”Credit: @JimCoulter15In other news, many Crystal Palace fans weren’t pleased with this off-field update.

Several Aston Villa supporters have been reacting to the club’s interest in Bournemouth teenager Ajani Burchall on social media.

According to an exclusive report from Football Insider, Villa, along with Leeds United, have joined Arsenal and West Ham in the hunt for the 16-year-old’s signature.

Villa have now registered their interest over a summer deal for Burchall, who looks set to leave the Cherries over the coming months after recently rejecting a scholarship deal on the south coast.

The Bermudan winger can play on either flank and has already made his first-team debut for Bournemouth.

Burchall came on for a three-minute cameo in a 5-0 win over Huddersfield Town back in December, becoming the club’s third-youngest-ever player in the process.

Villa fans react

The well-known @villareport shared Villa’s interest in Burchall on social media on Tuesday evening.

This is what some fans had to say in reply to the tweet, with some name-checking Villa’s current wingers and one supporter calling the youngster a ‘proper baller’.

“He’s definitely better than Trezeguet”

Credit: @AVFCOlly_

“16 years old and getting first team action in the championship, and he’s a winger. For my money, he’s probably better than Traore.”

Credit: @DOUGLASLUlZ

“All well and good signing youngsters but we need some established quality. Grealish isn’t gonna keep carrying us until they come through.”

Credit: @jamsey55

“oh yeah he’s a proper baller he is”

Credit: @wesavfc

“Youth team winning it all”

Credit: @josh_priv3

“building for the future!”

Credit: @craig48002241

“we should be aiming higher”

Credit: @MattcayleyM

In other news: Many AVFC fans impressed with Lee Hendrie’s transfer suggestion, find out more here. 

Xisco Munoz’s Watford side are considering a move for Yakou Meite this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Telegraph, who claim that the Hornets, as well as Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion, are keeping a close eye on the Reading centre-forward ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

It is reported that Veljko Paunovic’s side value the 25-year-old Ivory Coast international at around £5 million and could be tempted into cashing in on the striker this summer in order to balance the books at the Madejski Stadium.

Bye-bye Gray

Since joining Reading from Paris Saint-Germain B back in 2016, Meite has gone on to make 125 appearances for the club, scoring 42 goals and providing five assists along the way.

The striker has bagged impressive returns in the Championship on a consistent basis over the past three seasons, scoring 12 goals and providing one assist in the club’s 2018/19 campaign, netting 13 goals and registering two assists in the 2019/20 season and bagging 11 goals and providing one assist over just 25 appearances in Reading’s most recent jaunt.

When comparing the 25-year-old’s most recent haul to those of the Watford centre-forwards, Meite’s returns better all three of Joao Pedro, Troy Deeney and Andre Gray, who scored nine, seven and five Championship goals respectively last season.

As such, the argument can easily be made that the £1.8 million-rated forward would be an upgrade on Xisco Munoz’s current attacking arsenal, although, with Gray reported to be on a whopping £70,000-per-week at Vicarage Road, it would be highly advisable for Cristiano Giaretta to do all he can to move the 29-year-old on this summer and replace him with the Reading hitman.

And, with Watford facing the challenge of retaining their status as a Premier League club come the end of next season, a consistent goalscorer will go a long way to helping achieve this feat – something that Meite – whom the former Reading manager Paul Clement dubbed an “exciting” player – has very much proven he is.

In other news: Watford suffer huge blow in pursuit of “talented” £25k-p/w gem, Giaretta will be livid – opinion

Spurs return to action later this evening as they look to salvage their quest for glory in Europe this season.

Nuno Santo’s side need a victory against Primeira Liga outfit Pacos de Ferreira at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium if they are to qualify for the group stages of UEFA’s new competition, the Europa Conference League.

The Lilywhites have got off to the most perfect start in the Premier League, recording back-to-back wins having defeated defending champions Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers but fell to defeat in the first leg of this encounter last week.

It means Spurs must overturn a one-goal deficit or risk missing out on a major European competition for the first time in over a decade.

And their chances of advancing would be aided if Nuno opts for a stronger starting XI than we saw in Porto seven days ago. It was a relatively young lineup and one full of those needing game time on the pitch.

For example, 17-year-old gem Dane Scarlett led the line instead of Spurs’ usual frontline options, whilst Bryan Gil, Pierluigi Gollini and Cristian Romero all made their full debuts.

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One player that should be given a start is Harry Kane, who this week confirmed his intentions to remain at the club this summer amid interest in his signature from City.

He made his return to the pitch at Molineux on Sunday, replacing Heung-min Son in the 72nd minute for his first appearance of the season but it’s time for Nuno to unleash him from the off for the very first time since taking over.

The £108m-rated talisman is undoubtedly Spurs’ biggest source of goals and that’s what will be required against Pacos, considering the side failed to find the net last week.

Kane directly contributed towards 54.4% of all of their league goals last season, whilst he’s hit 19 or more in every season since 2014/15.

The England skipper, who has been capped 61 times, has been lauded as a “monster” by his teammate Son in the past, whilst City boss Pep Guardiola described him as “exceptional” and “extraordinary” when asked about his interest in signing the striker.

It could be a game-changing decision to start Kane tonight. He’s a level above Pacos de Ferreira and his presence should ultimately see Spurs into the group stages.

AND in other news, Paratici could replace Ndombele in bargain Spurs swoop for £26m-rated “huge talent”…