All posts by z3u9t.icu

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…

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.

https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/rangers-news-3/

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

With Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side heading into Tuesday afternoon’s Premier League fixture against Southampton in an excellent run of domestic form, the 52-year-old will have been quietly confident of picking up yet another three points at St Mary’s.

However, despite Mohammed Salisu’s sending off in the first half today, Tottenham could not find the winning goal against Ralph Hassenhuttl’s side, with James Ward-Prowse’s spectacular 25th-minute strike and Harry Kane’s 41st-minute penalty being the only goals in a 1-1 draw.

As is perhaps to be expected after such a result, a number of Conte’s starting XI had an afternoon to forget against Saints, with Sergio Reguilon, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Emerson Royal all turning in below-par displays on the south coast.

However, it will undoubtedly be Dele Alli who is most disappointed with his performance against Southampton on the Tottenham bus home, as the 25-year-old was once again ineffective in the middle of the park after being handed an opportunity to impress by Conte.

Lost 60% of his duels

Indeed, during his 62 minutes on the pitch, the £17m-rated midfielder failed to have a single shot at goal, completed just 17 of his 24 attempted passes (a success rate of 71%) and lost the ball on 12 separate occasions.

The £100k-per-week earner also failed with his one attempted dribble, was beaten by an opponent twice and lost six of his 10 duels, a failure rate of 60%.

These returns saw the player who Darren Anderton dubbed a “freak” receive a disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.6, the third-worst of any Tottenham player to step onto the pitch today.

As such, with it being widely reported that Dele could be on his way out of north London in the January transfer window, if this was the England international’s last chance to impress Conte, he certainly did not take it. Today’s draw with Southampton could well be the last time the 25-year-old ever pulls on a Tottenham shirt.

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

Newcastle United are now reportedly targeting a move for Mauro Icardi after the takeover by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium went through.

The Lowdown: Game time limited

The 28-year-old is currently enduring a tough time at Paris Saint-Germain, where he has seen his game-time becoming limited following the arrival of Lionel Messi from Barcelona.

Icardi has only managed to play the full 90 minutes on two separate occasions so far this season, with many of his appearances coming as a substitute.

The Latest: Icardi targeted

As per Calciomercato, Newcastle are now targeting a move for Icardi ahead of the January transfer window coming up.

However, they will reportedly face competition from both Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus for his signature.

The Verdict: Sign

As money is no object to the new owners, the Tyneside club should be looking to sign the £31.5m-rated Icardi. He should be relatively easy to acquire given his lack of game-time at PSG, and he may be a player who they would consider selling for the right price.

At 28 years of age, the Argentina international is a goalscorer in his prime, and with no fewer than 172 senior goals to his name for club and country combined, he certainly knows how to find the back of the net.

The striker would certainly be a statement signing which should hopefully persuade other global stars to follow him to St James’ Park.

In other news, find out which ‘phenomenal’ ace Newcastle are also eyeing

West Brom have been handed a double blow ahead of tonight’s crucial Midlands derby, the first of three matches against their nearby rivals…

What’s the latest?

Ahead of kick-off against third-placed Leicester City, Albion boss Sam Allardyce has revealed that he will be without the services of two Baggies stars, who have been ruled out through injury.

He told reporters (via BirminghamLive):

“We’re very good, the staff here in all areas have kept the squad virtually fully fit and that’s a great help to me when it comes to choosing systems and who we’re playing against.

“It’s just Robert Snodgrass and Kieran Gibbs who have slight injuries, not too bad, but they won’t be involved in the squad on Thursday night.”

On the former, he added: “The epidural is working, but not as quickly as we’d expected, so I would think that by the beginning of next weekend, he’d be fit to train and be selected.”

Double blow

Despite both players being on the fringes lately, it will still come as a huge setback ahead of what is one of their biggest games of the season.

Snodgrass has endured a troublesome time at the Hawthorns since joining from West Ham as Big Sam’s first signing back in the January transfer window.

The 33-year-old veteran was expected to play a big role on the pitch, with his leadership, attitude and versatility all key reasons to why the 66-year-old wanted him signed up.

But injuries have hampered his playing time, though when the Scotsman has featured, he’s delivered. Snodgrass instantly came in and improved on Jake Livermore and Romaine Sawyers’ output in midfield by averaging 2.1 tackles per game, via WhoScored.

Snodgrass’ vast experience would be an added bonus in games like this, as well as the next two, so Allardyce will surely be gutted that he’s not available for selection – even despite back-to-back wins in his absence.

Gibbs, on the other hand, has been usurped in the pecking order by Conor Townsend and has not featured since the 2-2 draw with Fulham at the end of January.

Now losing the former Arsenal man isn’t as gutting but if Big Sam’s first-choice gets injured tonight, then they have no out-and-out left-back ready to step in and fill the void.

Putting square pegs in round holes is probably the last thing a side fighting for their lives needs to do, so the sooner Gibbs is back, the better.

The 31-year-old will leave the Hawthorns at the end of the season to join David Beckham’s Inter Miami side, ending a four-year stint at the Baggies.

Without the duo, West Brom do appear to be a little weaker than they’d like and Allardyce will surely be hoping that they do not pick up any more setbacks between now and the end of the season.

A win tonight would put them to within six points of safety, with four games left to play after that.

AND in other news, Albion could find perfect Big Sam successor in “outstanding” gem with 61% win rate…

Many Crystal Palace fans are reacting to a big update at Selhurst Park which could suggest big changes are on the way in the imminent future.

According to the Evening Standard, and tweeted out by @cpfc_xtra, US-based investor Robert Franco has injected funds into the £20million redevelopment of Palace’s academy and has been listed as a person with “significant interest” in the club alongside chairman Steve Parish and American owners Joshua Harris and David Blitzer. One fan called this update ‘pretty big news’.

Looking to youth is something that the club need to start doing, as they had the second oldest squad on average in the league last season, (101 Great Goals). Palace do have a strong history when it comes to developing young players, with the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Moses and Nathaniel Clyne all previously coming through their academy.

If this report is true, then the club could be set to have a very exciting future and it is understandable to see why this news is receiving a lot of reaction.

Here is how Palace fans reacted to the update:

“Another yank? Oh great! Coz we’ve done so well since the others have got involved haven’t we…”

Credit: @85Gilds

“Should never underestimate the importance of a good academy. We are a selling club and always will be and this is important for survival, regardless of what division we are in.”

Credit: @audreysprayer

“We have had our longest stretch in this top flight under various incarnations of this key owner (SP) and US investors. I’d say we have done quite well. Yes, I’d like to be polishing my passport but it’s Palace.”

Credit: @martinbrowni

“This seems like pretty big news”

Credit: @erictwigs

“20m injection into the academy? Huge if true”

Credit: @jaseiles

“Hello Mr Franco please buy the Sainsbury’s land”

Credit: @liamb0117

In other news, Palace fans reacted to this Zaha update!

Many Glasgow Rangers fans are delighted after the club appeared to quash rumours that kitman Jimmy Bell will be leaving.

Bell is a part of the furniture at Ibrox. He has been involved with the 55-time Scottish champions for almost 40 years and has therefore been with them through thick and thin. He has become somewhat of a cult hero for many Gers supporters despite being part of the backroom staff.

Over the past few days, rumours had emerged that Bell may be leaving the club (Daily Record) after former Morton star Jim McAllister joined the backroom staff (The Scottish Sun). However, on Saturday night, the Gers’ official Twitter account shared a photo of Bell with Morelos celebrating their latest triumph with the caption: “Jimmy Bell – Still going strong and going nowhere”.

The pic attracted the attention of the Gers supporters and left them delighted. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Bell news below

“Better news than 55”

Credit: @andynmarshall1

“YAAAS!”

Credit: @EuanBuchanan

“Oh yes Mr Rangers”

Credit: @smithy_1872

“Better news than winning the league”

Credit: @snedco1

“Things that make me happy”

Credit: @jb55champions

“He’s a legend, plain and simple! Jimmy’s here for 56”

Credit: @IainWatson16

In other news, some Rangers fans are livid at this Old Firm news.

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…

West Brom’s season could truly get kickstarted with a victory this weekend as they head to arch-rivals Wolves for the first Black Country derby in nine years.

The Baggies are yet to pick up three points since Sam Allardyce was appointed as Slaven Bilic’s successor a month ago, whilst overall it’s been just one win in 17 outings, and that was to the only side below them in the standings, Sheffield United.

Big Sam has it all to do if he’s to turn around their situation and avoid that first relegation on his CV, but a win over the Molineux-based outfit could spark a much-needed reaction.

Though, he’ll have to get his team selection spot on to even stand a chance.

Latest signing Robert Snodgrass is in line for his debut after swapping West Ham for the Hawthorns last week, though his lack of game time this term is worrying.

The 33-year-old veteran has played just four minutes in the top-flight, so maybe he’ll have to wait to start from the off. It’s no wonder David Moyes sanctioned his departure.

That said, Allardyce’s current options out wide are clearly not working as they aren’t scoring or creating many goals.

No winger has managed above an average rating of 6.49 per WhoScored, whilst Grady Diangana, Callum Robinson and Matty Phillips have only contributed towards 36% of their 11 goals scored in the league.

For comparison, the trio bagged 18 goals and 14 assists between them last term – 41% of their total, so clearly there has been some regression there.

As neither of those options are working, an instant berth for Snodgrass would be ideal but considering his lack of fitness, it’s time for Big Sam to turn to Kamil Grosicki.

After all, he’s an 80-time Polish international who has delivered five assists in 16 Premier League appearances, and was also one of the only players to come away with any plaudits in their FA Cup exit last weekend.

Only Matheus Pereira matched his SofaScore rating of 7.4, and in 120 minutes, he provided three key passes, but without a striker named, it was hard to convert those chances into goals.

Once dubbed “unplayable” by his former Hull teammate Jackson Irvine and a “massive threat” by Nigel Adkins, it would be a risk worth taking to unleash him on Wolves despite the £25k-per-week outcast only playing three times this campaign.

Snodgrass could well feature too, but Grosicki must be given a fair opportunity before he’s truly written off by Allardyce and let’s face it, he surely can’t do worse than Phillips, who has failed to contribute towards a goal or manage above a 6.55 rating in five straight starts.

It’s time to unshackle the 32-year-old on that right flank.

AND in other news, Albion can finally replace Nathan Ferguson with £65k-per-week “top player”…

Liverpool have potentially been handed a boost in their pursuit of Sheffield United’s Sander Berge this summer.

Having previously been linked with a move for the Norwegian as recently as two months ago by EuroSport, the Reds will now be buoyed to know that a move could now be even easier.

With his current employers now destined for the Championship, he is now even more affordable with his release clause dropping from £45m to £35mm according to Sky Sports.

Whilst Berge has not been as eye-catching this season due to a combination of poor form and persistent injury issues, he still has time to reach his considerable potential.

The 23-year old earned plenty of admirers in his time with former club Genk, making 31 appearances in all competitions in his final season in Belgium and scoring four goals.

He continued that upward trajectory following his move to Bramall Lane, making 16 appearances and playing a huge role as the Blades secured ninth place in their first campaign back in the Premier League.

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Berge earned considerable praise for his performances too.

Blades icon Tony Currie described the £16.2m-rated midfielder as “massive” whilst current Reds boss Jurgen Klopp labelled him as a “very interesting player”.

If he can get back to those performances levels then Berge would certainly be a very accomplished midfield player.

That is exactly what Liverpool need heading into next season.

As it stands, the Reds are set to lose Dutchman Georginio Wijnaldum upon the expiry of his contract with Berge representing an extremely viable replacement for him at Anfield.

So with his asking price having taken a significant drop in recent weeks, Liverpool and Michael Edwards really have been handed considerable encouragement in their pursuit. Time will tell if they choose to make a move.

AND in more news, read more about the considerable injury blow that Liverpool were handed ahead of taking on Southampton…