All posts by z3u9t.icu

Tottenham Hotspur could finally offload Giovani Lo Celso this summer, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the word?

Speaking on a recent episode of his ‘Here We Go’ podcast this week, he delivered an update on the 26-year-old’s situation as he continues to impress on loan to LaLiga outfit Villarreal.

“Tottenham are still waiting for Villarreal to make an official proposal.

“From what I’m told, they want to discuss on Villarreal’s side with Tottenham to sign Lo Celso on a permanent deal or to keep the player for one more season.

“But Tottenham want real money so there will be a discussion this summer,” he said.

Summer budget boost?

After arriving in a joint club-record £55m deal from Real Betis in the summer of 2019, the Argentina international failed to live up to the heights of such a price tag, delivering only eight goals and six assists across an injury-barren stint of 84 appearances.

He fell even more out of favour following the arrival of Antonio Conte in the dugout and soon after, he was shipped out on loan.

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Lo Celso has been described as “a little bit awkward” around the dressing room by football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, as well as being dubbed as “unacceptable” by club insider John Wenham to Football Insider due to his inability to finish a game.

Whilst it didn’t work out in north London, it appears as if the £25m-rated midfielder has found his feet back in Spain, where he currently rates out as Unai Emery’s fifth-best domestic and European performer, via WhoScored.

He’s averaged 1.6 and 3.3 tackles per game across LaLiga and the Champions League and has proven to be a creative influence in the final third, especially in the latter competition, where he’s averaging 2.3 key passes per outing.

It’s no wonder the Yellow Submarines are considering a permanent swoop for him in the summer and it is one that the Spurs hierarchy should snatch at instead of trying to integrate him back into the squad.

Those around N17 will surely be delighted as it could hand Conte a big financial boost heading into his second transfer window in charge.

AND in other news, “Paratici went to watch”: Alasdair Gold drops Spurs transfer claim, it could be shades of Kyle Walker…

Rangers could make a ‘huge’ move for Sam Johnstone after Steve Bruce confirmed that the England goalkeeper is likely to leave his current club. 

That is according to Mark McDougall, a journalist for Football Scotland.

The lowdown

The Daily Mail recently reported that Rangers have ‘expressed an interest’ in signing Johnstone from West Brom, whose manager Steve Bruce admitted that the English ‘keeper is probably ‘going to leave’ The Hawthorns when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Sky Sports have claimed that two of the Premier League’s top seven in Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are in the frame for the 29-year-old’s signature.

Rangers are looking to bring in a new goalkeeper, with Allan McGregor soon to be out of contract and potentially contemplating retirement.

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The latest

In Football Scotland, McDougall named some of the ‘keepers with whom Rangers have been linked, such as Martin Fraisl, Benjamin Siegrist and Zander Clark, but he feels that Johnstone stands out on the list, adding that signing him could be a ‘huge’ boost to the club’s prospects for next season.

He also believes that the Gers may have an advantage over United and Spurs because the Premier League duo may struggle to offer him first-team football.

That’s exactly what the 29-year-old wants as he looks to secure a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming World Cup.

The verdict

It’s hard to disagree with McDougall’s assessment. Johnstone would be quite the coup for Rangers, based on the glowing praise he has received in recent times.

For instance, Micah Richards, for example, has dubbed him an ‘outstanding’ player and a ‘wonderful professional’.

He has also produced big-game stops which leave onlookers stunned. His former Baggies manager Sam Allardyce called one save against Liverpool ‘magnificent’, while Gary Lineker’s jaw dropped after an ‘unbelievable’ piece of goalkeeping against Manchester United last year.

Whereas he would have to dislodge Hugo Lloris or David de Gea if he joined one of his Champions League-chasing English suitors, there would potentially be a clear vacancy to fill in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side if McGregor exits the scene.

In other news, this Rangers trio struggled on Sunday

Leeds United continue to be interested in Brenden Aaronson ahead of January 31st…

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Daily Mail, who claim that the Yorkshire giants are preparing another bid for the RB Salzburg midfielder after having a £15m bid knocked back by the Austrian champions.

The 21-year-old has only been at the club for a year but his impressive performances have caught the eye of many across Europe, though it is the Premier League that he dreams of playing in one day.

Aaronson’s running stats are amongst the highest around the continent, so it’s no wonder Marcelo Bielsa is hugely keen on securing him.

Shades of Gallagher

Leeds have long been looking for a central midfielder capable of driving the team forward in the final third, especially as it has now been four years since they signed someone in the role, that being Adam Forshaw from Middlesbrough in January 2018.

The Whites failed with their attempts to sign promising Chelsea starlet Conor Gallagher during the summer after his impressive loan stint at West Brom, with the England U21 dynamo opting for top-flight rivals Crystal Palace instead.

However, there are shades of the 21-year-old Eagles loanee in the 15-cap American sensation.

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“Typically an attacking midfielder, Aaronson is best described as a half-winger, capable of playing out wide or centrally in the third line of Salzburg’s 4-2-2-2 formation. During games, Aaronson is expected to cover ground in central spaces, as well as supporting attacks via the channels,” claimed journalist Joe Donnohue to LeedsLive recently.

Indeed, the bustling Salzburg gem ranks amongst the top 1% of midfielders in Europe for pressures, having averaged 27.84 pressures per 90 and he also forces the opposition into losing the ball 8.55 times per 90, with those figures coming in the Champions League, via FBRef.

This is right up Bielsa’s street as he loves a player who can press high up the pitch, just as Gallagher has proven to do during his time at the Hawthorns and Selhurst Park.

Nicknamed the ‘Medford Messi’, Aaronson has been dubbed “highly talented” by talent scout Jacek Kulig and “silky” by ex-USMNT international DeMarcus Beasley.

His returns of ten goals and 12 assists from only 51 appearances in Austria make him a very exciting young talent indeed. As such, Victor Orta and co must push ahead with plans to sign him as soon as possible.

Bielsa could finally be getting his Gallagher-like midfield presence.

AND in other news, Journalist drops huge Leeds United transfer claim ahead of deadline day…

It is not difficult to understand why Leeds United were heavily linked with a move for 19-year-old sensation Fabio Carvalho in the January transfer window.

Indeed, the £3.15m-rated attacking midfielder has been in breathtaking form over his 27 Championship appearances for Fulham this season, scoring seven goals, registering six assists and creating ten big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of two shots and making 1.9 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the teenager who Sky Sports analyst Nick Wright dubbed an “extraordinary talent” average an incredibly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.01, ranking him as Marco Silva’s ninth-best performer in the second tier of English football – playing a key role in the Cottagers’ all but confirmed return to the Premier League.

And, although Victor Orta did spend £26m on support striker Rodrigo back in August 2020, in truth, between Tyler Roberts and the Spain international, Leeds have lacked a truly creative attacking midfielder ever since the departure of Pablo Hernandez.

While it is true that the 36-year-old was probably past his best in 2020/21, being used sparingly by Marcelo Bielsa, the playmaker was influential for the Whites over his 36 appearances in the club’s Championship-winning campaign back in 2019/20.

Indeed, this season, the £270k-rated Spaniard scored nine goals, provided nine assists and created 13 big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.1 shots and making 2.3 passes per fixture.

These metrics saw the £19k-per-week midfielder who Phil Hay dubbed both a “demon” and “unreal” earn a quite remarkable seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.35, not only ranking him as Leeds’ best performer in the second tier but also as the third-best player in the division as a whole.

As such, while a deal for Carvalho – who looks set to become available on a free transfer this summer – may be a difficult move for Orta to pull off, with Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund all being linked with the 19-year-old, it would nevertheless appear essential for the sporting director to do all he can to land the Fulham sensation at the end of the season – as the Portugal U21 international could well prove to become the next Hernandez at Elland Road.

AND in other news: Huge blow: Phil Hay drops 7-word behind the scenes Leeds update, Marsch will be gutted

Barcelona full-back Sergino Dest would be an ‘ambitious’ signing which could happen for Leeds United this summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Dest linked with Leeds move

Jesse Marsch will be looking to make his mark in the summer transfer window with some top players potentially coming in, assuming that Premier League safety is secured for the Whites.

Dest is one player who has been linked with a move to Elland Road, with the 21-year-old likely to be allowed to leave Barceloa at the end of the current campaign.

The USA international has made 17 La Liga starts so far this season, providing three assists along the way.

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The Latest: Journalist talks up possible Dest swoop

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke talked up the idea of Dest heading to Leeds in the summer, saying that it would be a good fit for him given Marsch’s presence at Elland Road. The reporter said:

“He is definitely an ambitious target, but he is one that you can see makes a bit of sense, obviously, when you’ve got an American coach like Jesse Marsch, who will know all about Sergino Dest.

“Dest hasn’t had the best of times at Barcelona since his arrival from Ajax and he has been linked with a move away from the Nou Camp.”

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The Verdict: Perfect Ayling replacement

There is no denying that Luke Ayling has had far from his best season for the Whites, even though he chipped in with some key contributions along the way. The right-back turns 31 later this year, so Dest could be seen as an ideal long-term replacement for him, possibly even coming in as first-choice immediately.

Barcelona manager Xavi has hailed the American defender as ‘great’ and ‘spectacularly good’, which says a lot about his ability, and his attacking qualities would suit Marsch’s high-octane style of play.

The fact that Dest and Marsch are compatriots may help, too, as the manager looks to fully make his mark at Leeds moving forward.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly stepping up their interest in one player. Read more here.

Rangers return to European action tonight as they travel away from Ibrox in the first leg of their semi-final clash in Germany.

The Gers are in with a shot at reaching the final of the Europa League and can put one foot through the door with a win tonight.

Gio van Bronckhorst’s men come into the game off the back of a 3-1 win against Motherwell in the Premiership at the weekend, with an own goal from Liam Kelly and strikes from Scott Wright and James Tavernier securing the three points.

Despite the comfortable win, the Dutch head coach may look to make changes to his XI to get the best possible team out to face RB Leipzig. In doing so, one player he must brutally axe from the side is underperforming loanee Amad Diallo.

The Manchester United man started out on the right against Motherwell and only lasted 31 minutes before being substituted after Leon Balogun was sent off. In his short time on the pitch, he missed one ‘big chance’, lost all three of his duels and lost possession five times – suggesting that he struggled to make the most of a rare opportunity.

In the Premiership this season, Diallo has averaged a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.32 across six appearances in the division – starting three of those games.

Earlier this year, journalist Andrew Dickson suggested United want to “toughen” him up and criticised his lack of strength for the Gers as he dubbed the £28k-per-week dud’s decision to back out of a challenge as “really poor.”

His weak play off the ball for Rangers has been a clear issue since arriving in Glasgow. He has lost a whopping 74% of his duels in the league and averaged 0.4 tackles and interceptions, which shows that he is being dominated by opposition defenders and he is not getting stuck in to help his own defence out enough.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst will surely not want to start Diallo in a massive European clash tonight. He cannot rely on the Ivorian to put the graft in for the team and his one goal and zero assists in the Premiership do not suggest that he has the attacking quality to make up for him being a liability out of possession.

So, Diallo must be brutally axed from the starting XI in favour of Joe Aribo on the right. The Nigeria international registered two assists in his last Europa League outing against Braga and has contributed directly to 13 goals domestically for the Light Blues, showing that he carries more of a threat than the teenager.

AND in other news, Huge boost: Gvb issues UEL injury claim that’ll leave Rangers supporters buzzing…

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West Ham received a huge reality check at Molineux on Tuesday evening, and fans are absolutely furious with the performance of Angelo Ogbonna.

West Ham were quite simply swept aside by Wolves on Tuesday night, as the Premier League newcomers ran out 3-0 winners courtesy of a Romain Saiss opener and a brace from Raul Jimenez.

The opener didn’t come until Saiss met Joao Moutinho’s corner 66 minutes into the match, but if truth be told it could have come long before that.

Look away Arsenal fans! American Soccer Fan is back to troll more fans at the London Stadium in the video below…

Wolves racked up 20 shots in the match while West Ham managed just four, and the home side also got nine of those 20 shots on target.

Manuel Pellegrini will be livid with his side’s reaction, or lack thereof, to the FA Cup defeat against Wimbledon, and it has now become crystal clear that he has a massive problem in the heart of defence.

With Fabian Balbuena still out with a knee injury, the boss has been forced to deploy the erratic and inconsistent Ogbonna alongside a young and inexperienced Issa Diop.

The 13-cap Italian was at fault for at least one of the goals at Wimbledon, and he was horrific at Molineux on Tuesday, mustering a measly 5.91 rating on Whoscored.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions to the 30 year-old’s display down below…

Leeds United could yet be active after an exciting claim emerged ahead of the January transfer window deadline on Monday evening…

What’s the word?

According to the ever-reliable Phil Hay of The Athletic, the Whites are assessing their options before the window closes early next week as they look to bolster Marcelo Bielsa’s playing squad.

“Leeds have been assessing options in case [Crysencio] Summerville leaves. Could only let him go if someone else comes in to replace him. But at this stage, Bielsa wants to keep Summerville,” he said on Twitter.

It comes amid reported interest in Liverpool attacker Takumi Minamino, with the 20-year-old academy gem being linked with a temporary exit to 2.Bundesliga side Hamburg SV.

Late moves?

With just a few days to go, it seems as if it may well be a quiet window for the Yorkshire giants, which should be as expected as they very rarely conduct business during the winter.

Only this time it isn’t through the fault of not trying as they have tried to secure a move for RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson but the Austrian champions are unwilling to part ways with a key player before the summer.

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As per TEAMtalk, it appears as if a deal is likely to be tied up in due course but Leeds will not have the American international at Elland Road until next season.

However, Hay’s claims have provided fresh hope that some sort of incoming could be due before Monday.

Summerville is reportedly very keen to make the switch to Germany and Bielsa has always admitted that he will never stand in a player’s way, so it’s something that could well materialise over the weekend, thus leaving director of football Victor Orta and his recruitment team needing to find some new options.

As such, supporters around Elland Road should retain a little bit of excitement heading into the final few days of the window. There is a small glimmer of hope that some sort of business will happen – let’s just hope it isn’t Matt Smith all over again.

AND in other news, Leeds United enter race to sign “dangerous” £34m-rated machine, Bielsa badly needs him…

Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch will be working with Victor Orta in the hope of enjoying a successful first transfer window at Elland Road this summer.

The former RB Leipzig boss has not yet had the opportunity to bring in his own players since arriving to replace Marcelo Bielsa in February and will now be plotting possible moves ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Leeds Live recently published an article stating that bringing in a central midfielder will be the club’s main priority as they look to bolster their options in that area of the pitch, with Manchester United’s James Garner and Marseille’s Boubacar Kamara named as potential options.

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Long-lasting issue

The Whites have not signed a player on a permanent basis in that position in more than four years, with Adam Forshaw being the last one to come through the door, way back in January 2018.

This shows that the club have neglected that part of the squad in recent years. Mateusz Klich and Forshaw have averaged underwhelming SofaScore ratings of 6.69 and 6.73 respectively this term and have been unable to consistently deliver in the top-flight in the middle of the park.

Therefore, it is now time for Orta to solve that long-lasting issue by snapping up Garner from the Red Devils on a permanent deal.

The 21-year-old has been picking up acclaim throughout the season for his impressive form on loan at Nottingham Forest. He has been dubbed “different class” by teammate Jack Colback, while former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson showered him with praise, saying: “Garner has been exceptional at Forest. He is an example of why players get sent out on loan.

“He can play at the top level and I think he has proven that at Forest. I don’t think he’s one that will go straight into the Man United side but I think there is a first-team role there for him and he will feature next season.”

In the Championship, Garner has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.23 across 34 appearances. He has chipped in with four goals and five assists from midfield, whilst making 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game as he has caught the eye in a box-to-box role.

This suggests that the 21-year-old has the potential to make the step up to the Premier League as he has been outstanding in the second tier, and he has the scope to develop even further at his young age.

He has time left ahead of him to improve and grow as a player to produce consistent performances in the top flight, in the same way that he has been able to do in the Championship, which is why Leeds simply must sign him this summer.

Orta must snap him up to make him a key part of Marsch’s Leeds midfield next season and for many years to come, in the process solving their long-standing issue in that position.

AND in other news, Huge boost: Adam Pope drops 6-word Leeds injury update, Jesse Marsch will be delighted…

Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has revealed that Celtic are “looking” to sign a new central midfielder, despite Ange Postecoglou’s recent comments.

What’s the story?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: “Celtic, back to the drawing board looking for a central midfielder.

“So, despite what Ange said, that they weren’t in the market for any new faces, I think if a midfielder does come up, and he fits what Celtic are looking for, I would think Celtic will try and bring one in before the close of the window.”

Exciting transfer twist for Celtic fans

Speaking just last week, Postecoglou said: “As we speak right now, there are no other offers or people I have spoken to. So the 20 names that come out tomorrow are all lies or fabrications. Or they’re from people at home bored and Googling names and throwing them up there, or agents trying to get a little more value for their clients.

“I can’t be any clearer than that, and what I won’t do is lie. There’s no one else we’re talking to, there’s no other offers, no one else I’m showing interest in. If that changes, I’ll let you know.”

The Hoops boss was very insistent that the club seemed to have no plans to strengthen further in this January window, and that might have just deflated fans a little.

However, O’Rourke’s revelation that the Scottish giants are still in the market and are looking for a new central midfielder is sure to have the Celtic faithful excited about what could potentially happen over the final few days of the transfer window.

The revelation that the club have their eyes open and haven’t just firmly shut the door on any new signings is a welcome one, and there could well be some late developments for Celtic fans to anticipate despite what their manager recently said.

Meanwhile, Celtic could strike gold with a move for this Ligue 1 star…