All posts by h716a5.icu

Leeds United have been dealt a fresh setback on their injury-prone star striker…

What’s the latest?

As per The Athletic, Patrick Bamford was expected to undergo “minor surgery” on a groin issue.

Whilst he is likely to return to contention in just two weeks, the procedure underpins yet another setback for someone who has long suffered from various problems.

LeedsLive then offered some fresh information on the situation, as they claimed the surgery had gone well and the 29-year-old will rehabilitate back at Thorp Arch until his reported return at the end of the month.

Marsch will be worried

Although this seems to only be a small issue that needed to be sorted, it marks yet another niggle for Bamford to worry about.

Since his sensational couple of seasons that earned promotion from the Championship and a ninth-place finish in the Premier League, the English marksman has struggled for fitness.

He has featured just 19 times across the last season and a half, and this season has not completed 90 minutes of a competitive game since September 2021.

What makes his troubles so frustrating is just how electric and important he became for the Whites in those two aforementioned seasons.

During the former, he bagged 16 times and assisted four as his side cruised to the title.

Many questions would then arise over his ability to perform in England’s top flight, which he would quickly brush aside as he went one further on his previous tally by scoring 17 and assisting eight.

Since then, however, Marcelo Bielsa was dismissed as Jesse Marsch led a desperate scramble for safety in his absence.

They would survive the drop by just three points but became reliant on the goals of Raphinha, who left in the summer.

Even when he threatened to return to fitness in January – to end the “nightmare” as Alex McLeish dubbed it – he would just be struck straight back to the treatment table.

Despite Rodrigo somewhat stepping up with nine goals this season, Marsch and co would surely still would love to have their £35k-per-week star man up front and back in action.

As mentioned above, although this is a small procedure, it could be a sign that this season threatens to be another nightmarish and injury-ravaged one.

That will surely worry Marsch once more.

Journalist Simon Phillips says that Frank Lampard is eyeing ‘major improvements’ in midfield for Everton in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Relegation-threatened again

After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, the Goodison Park club are again under real threat of the drop, as they sit just one point and one place above the bottom three in the Premier League.

They have won just one of their last seven games in the top flight, and reinforcements will likely be needed in January in order to try and drag them up the table.

The Latest: Midfielders wanted by Lampard

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Phillips has shared that Lampard wants ‘major improvements’ in Everton midfield ahead of January, and the club are ‘sensing opportunities’ to sign players for cut-price deals.

The journalist said: “They’re sensing opportunities to pick players up on cut-price deals, and the midfield is the main area still where Lampard feels they need major improvements.

“They have signed there in the summer but it’s not really working out with some of the signings.“

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The Verdict: Expensive mistakes…

The Merseyside club spent a total of £50m bringing in Amadou Onana, Idrissa Gueye and James Garner in the summer, but the fact that Lampard feels he needs ‘major improvements’ in the middle of the park suggests that he is still not happy with his current options.

Given that Everton have flirted with exceeding Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations this year, that business could prove to be another costly mistake in the long-term, should they find themselves relegated at the end of the season.

Instead of putting all of their efforts into bringing in new players, the Toffees need to put more focus on their recruitment team, and ensure that if a signing is eating into their budget, they must be fully confident that the player will work out.

Everton are in danger of going through a vicious spiral where the more money that is spent on failed signings, the more likely that they will prove detrimental, as these problems are not easy to fix financially.

Arsenal are interested in a deal to bring João Félix to The Emirates in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication AS (via Sport Witness), who claim that the Gunners are now ‘moving up in the race’ for the Atlético Madrid forward, as Edu and Mikel Arteta do not want to let a ‘golden opportunity’ to land the 23-year-old pass them by in the winter market – especially following Gabriel Jesus’ recent injury.

The report goes on to state that Félix is ‘determined’ to seal a move away from the Metropolitano Stadium in January, with the Portugal international’s agent, Jorge Mendes, said to be ‘knocking on the necessary doors’ to make a move happen, while Atlético are believed to be demanding a figure over €100m (£86m) in order to part with the attacker.

Finally, it is suggested that Arsenal could have already been handed something of a boost in the race for the former SL Benfica starlet, as Félix is said to have no intention of linking up with Paris Saint-Germain – another of the clubs interested in the 23-year-old – due to the severe competition for a place in the Ligue 1 side’s front three.

Griezmann 2.0

Considering just how impressive a talent Félix undoubtedly is, in addition to Arsenal being in desperate need of attacking reinforcements following the loss of Jesus to injury, it is easy to see why Arteta would be interested in a deal to bring the forward to The Emirates ahead of the second half of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.

Indeed, according to FBref, the £60m-rated playmaker currently ranks in the top 16% of forwards in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, as well as the top 31% for shots, the top 10% for assists and the top 21% for xAG – xG which follows a pass that assists a shot – proving just how much of a threat the 23-year-old poses in the final third.

The £240k-per-week star also impresses in possession of the ball, with FBref also ranking Félix in the top 17% of his positional peers for passes attempted per 90, the top 11% for progressive passes, the top 14% for dribbles completed and the top 17% for shot-creating actions – demonstrating that the Portugal sensation is equally creative as he is deadly.

These metrics see FBref list Antoine Griezmann – another player linked with a move to Arsenal in recent months – as the youngster’s most comparable player, something which – considering the fact that the Frenchman has arguably been one of the best players of the Qatar World Cup this winter – is a very big compliment indeed.

Rather unsurprisingly, Félix’s undoubted ability has seen the forward earn a considerable amount of praise over the years, none more so than from the former Benfica U17 coach Renato Paiva, who said of the attacker in an interview with The Athletic last year: “Practically every day, he would do something that left us open-mouthed.

“He has enormous football intelligence. He reads situations really quickly. Obviously, a player has to have quality to be at Benfica in the first place but he had something extra – creativity, a little bit of magic.

“He read the game with great lucidity and matched that with the speed and quality of his execution. His understanding of the game was miles ahead of that of his teammates.”

As such, considering his deadly nature in the final third, his creativity in possession of the ball and his extremely impressive positional versatility – being able to operate from anywhere across a front three, as well as a support striker and in attacking midfield – it would appear an extremely wise move for Arteta to do all he can to land Félix this winter.

Indeed, should the Spaniard manage to convince the “starlet” – as dubbed by Semra Hunter – of a move to The Emirates, not only would the 40-year-old have sourced an incredible substitute to Jesus in attack, but he could also have unearthed the next Griezmann-esque talent – something that is sure to be an extremely exciting prospect for everyone involved with the north London club.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has dropped an early team news hint ahead of their upcoming Carabao Cup clash against Bournemouth. 

The Lowdown: Newcastle beat Rayo Vallecano

The Magpies recently beat Rayo Vallecano 2-1 at St James’ Park in their latest friendly ahead of the return of domestic football this week.

Goals from Chris Wood and Sean Longstaff sealed victory for the Toon, who are now set to take on the Cherries in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

Looking ahead to the cup clash against Howe’s former side, the Newcastle boss shared a hint over what his team could look like once Tuesday comes around.

The Latest: Howe’s team news hint

Speaking after their latest friendly win (via Chronicle Live), Howe shared some insight on the fitness situation surrounding Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson ahead of the midweek Carabao Cup clash, sounding an ominous note on the former in particular.

He said: “With Alex, there was no fixed return date on him. I think the medical team have just tried to look at his recovery day by day, and try and get him in the best physical place he can be in the ideal time.

“We hoped to have him fit and available for the Bournemouth game, but I don’t think that’s going to look likely. We’ll just take it on a game-by-game basis. It’s a difficult one.

“We haven’t got a return date on him. He’s with the medical team at the moment, and he’s working hard and making progress. I can’t give you a return date.”

“We’ve only seen Callum briefly, but I don’t want to give too much away, to be honest.”

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The Verdict: A concern for Howe

Isak has been out of action since October with a hamstring injury, whereas some fitness concerns were raised over Wilson during his time with England at the World Cup in Qatar.

With domestic football set to return in the coming days, potentially not having Isak and Wilson available would certainly be a big concern for Howe.

If that were to be the case, Newcastle would have to rely on Wood as their only other senior striker to do the business and try to avoid picking up any injuries along the way.

It’s safe to say that Howe and all the Newcastle supporters fill have their fingers crossed that Wilson will be fine to get back on the pitch over the next few days, and that Isak will recover from his long-term issue as quickly as possible.

Exciting transfer news has emerged for Manchester United and Erik ten Hag in what could be a monumental Christmas present for the trophy-chasing Premier League outfit…

Enzo Fernandez has emerged as one of the most sought-after stars after his exploits at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but United’s interest stems from soil preceding the international tournament, with 90min labelling the club as keen observers at the start of last month.

And in recent days, journalist Bruno Andrade has suggested that United have overtaken Liverpool in the race to sign the talented midfielder who possesses a seismic €120m (£105m) release clause.

Should United seal a deal, it could allude to a watershed moment at the Theatre of Dreams, cementing the maiden period of Ten Hag’s reign with a signing fit to steer the club towards success scarcely seen since the retirement of coveted manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013 after 26 years in charge.

Imagine him & Gakpo

Upon the conclusion of the World Cup, Fernandez sauntered up the steps of the milky white podium to claim his Best Young Player award, having basked in the glory of triumph on the biggest stage mere moments before. 

United already held intrigue, but his performances would have done little to deter a forthcoming bid, despite the inevitable spike in price for the SL Benfica phenom. 

Indeed, rated at £17.6m in September by Transfermarkt, Fernandez now perches among the very elite of football’s prodigious talent with a value of £48.4m.

For Benfica this term, the midfield maestro has clinched three goals and five assists from his deep-lying role, creating two goals in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. 

The 21-year-old transferred his golden form at club level to Qatar, where he flourished with Argentina despite his tender age and played a pivotal role in merging with the likes of Lionel Messi to secure his country’s third World Cup trophy. 

As per Sofascore, the “beast” – as lauded by CBS Sports’ Ives Galarcep – recorded an impressive rating of 7.10 for his nation, snatching a glorious goal and an assist while completing 88% of his passes and making 3.1 tackles per outing – an all-encompassing demonstration of his refined ability. 

Should United prove successful in their pursuit of the ten-cap gem, he could merge seamlessly with another Red Devils target in Cody Gakpo, who had a fine international tournament himself with the Netherlands, netting three times. 

Gakpo occupies an offensive role on the left flank, drifting inside and using his pace and towering presence to bypass defences and shower goals and assists onto his opposition.

For PSV Eindhoven this term, the 23-year-old has an incredible 13 goals and 17 assists from 24 displays, and with Fernandez pulling the strings from the centre of the park, it could open the door for similar success at Old Trafford.

North East reporter for The Daily Mail Craig Hope says that Newcastle United are ‘very keen’ on signing Sunderland central midfield gem Chris Rigg.

The Lowdown: One for the future

15-year-old Rigg is a player for the future, having captained England at youth level with the U16s, and played 15 times for Sunderland’s youth teams, scoring two goals and making a further four assists (Transfermarkt).

Lauded for his ‘frightening ability’ to turn defenders inside out and score wonder goals by football insiders, he is regarded by local scouts as one of the best players around the whole of the UK at his age group (The Chronicle), and so looks sure to make his mark in English football over the next few years.

The Latest: Newcastle interest

Taking to Twitter on Saturday night, Hope said that Rigg is in the Black Cats’ senior squad for their game away at Blackpool in the Championship this afternoon, and Newcastle are ‘very keen’ on signing him:

“I’m hearing Chris Rigg (15) & Tom Watson (16) are in Sunderland’s squad for tomorrow’s game at Blackpool. Both are England youth internationals & highly sought after. Newcastle very keen on Rigg.”

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The Verdict: Get it done

After the signing of young Australian talent Garang Kuol, the Tynesiders look to be building a core group of starlets who can eventually play their way into the first team at St. James’ Park.

Rigg is clearly a very talented player, and his first call-up to Sunderland’s senior squad at just 15 years of age further emphasises that.

Nonetheless, signing him from their fellow North East rivals would give extra bragging rights to the Toon Army, should the Englishman grow into a star at the Magpies.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has insisted that Tottenham Hotspur are now putting Harry Kane’s needs and future ahead of Antonio Conte’s.

The Lowdown: Daniel Levy changing tactics

This is quite the outlandish claim for Jacobs to make amid the reported contract standoff occurring between Tottenham and Conte, with the Italian seemingly unwilling to commit his long-term future to the club.

However, Conte has recently insisted that he’s still happy at Spurs despite their recent run of defeats, as well as the potential uncertainty over how much money will be spent this winter and what calibre of players will be brought into the club.

It just goes to show how desperate Levy and Spurs are to ensure they don’t lose their star striker Kane in the near future by putting him before the manager and consulting him on club affairs.

The Latest: Spurs focusing on Kane

Jacobs has revealed on The Done Deal Show that Levy is now prioritising Kane over Conte as he looks to keep his star man.

He said: “We also don’t know what’s going to happen with Antonio Conte, so this is the consideration with Kane and for Tottenham.

“Do they go Conte deal first, then Kane; or Kane deal first, then Conte? And my understanding is that, as I said before… I’m told by Spurs sources that anything Tottenham do, they want to go to Kane first – even if he hasn’t signed a deal, and even if it’s not directly related to the contract talks – they want to seek the advice of Harry Kane.

“So Kane gets this feeling in the second half of the season that he’s a part of everything, that he’s integral to the decision-making. And therefore, he gets this de facto sense of authority and importance at the football club, so when they then put an offer down, he feels like the club are doing everything in keeping with Kane’s own thinking to give him the best possible chance of getting him to re-sign.”

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The Verdict: Spurs must keep Kane at all costs

While many may feel Spurs have no chance of winning silverware if they lose Conte, should they see Kane depart, there’s arguably no like replacement, whereas, there are plenty of managers out there such as Mauricio Pochettino who could come and work at Tottenham.

Therefore, Spurs seemingly putting Kane before their manager is a smart decision from Levy to ensure he keeps his star man onside and try to lure him into signing a new long-term deal to put any talk of him leaving to rest.

Levy should be looking to keep both Kane and Conte if he wants Spurs to have the best chance of winning some silverware, but if there was only to be one, Kane must remain the priority.

Tottenham Hotspur are in negotiations with Sporting Lisbon over a move for Pedro Porro after being handpicked by Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Porro speculation

Spurs appear to be on the hunt for a new right-wing back this month, with Conte seemingly not convinced by Matt Doherty, Emerson Royal or Djed Spence.

Called ‘sensational’ by members of the media, Porro has been on the club’s radar in recent months, with reports at the beginning of the week suggesting that a transfer was close.

As we know, a move is yet to materialise, but it looks as if Fabio Paratici is doing everything he can to secure the 23-year-old’s services.

The Latest: Porro transfer update

Sport Witness relayed an update from AS regarding Spurs and Porro on Thursday.

They claimed that the two clubs are in talks after Conte chose the Spaniard as a target, with Tottenham looking to pay a fee lower than the player’s €45m (£39.8m) release clause.

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The Verdict: Fingers crossed

It seems as if Conte personally wants to bring Porro to north London, where he could instantly become first-choice on the right-hand side.

Capable of playing as a right-back or a right midfielder, you’d expect that the Spaniard would be able to effortlessly slot in as a right-wing back.

He seems to be at the top of his game with a career-high Transfermarkt valuation, and the site also claims that a transfer has a 70% chance of going through, so hopefully talks between the clubs will prove successful.

Nottingham Forest are ‘in negotiations’ to bring Palmeiras midfielder Danilo to the Premier League, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Second time lucky?

The Midlands outfit tried to wrap up a deal for the 21-year-old last summer, and whilst a move failed to materialise, the chances are sounding a lot more promising this time around having made a second approach.

The Daily Mail claim that Evangelos Marinakis has tabled an £18m offer for the Brazilian which has not yet been accepted by the Brazilian giants, but the reporter has provided a positive update on the situation that the two parties find themselves in.

The Latest: Romano’s update

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano confirmed that Forest remain in discussions to sign Danilo and revealed that Arsenal have exited the race having also previously held an interest.

“We’ve had many rumours about Danilo of Palmeiras but at the moment he’s in negotiations with Nottingham Forest, with Monaco involved. For Arsenal, at the moment, the real priority is the attacking players and defenders.”

The Verdict: Hidden gem

Danilo has been described as a ‘gifted’ player by scout Jacek Kulig, and whilst he might not necessarily be a household name, he would be an extremely exciting acquisition for Forest.

The Palmeiras star already has 21 career goal contributions to his name and offers plenty of versatility with the ability to operate in all three positions across the midfield (Transfermarkt).

The Salvador native has also won five titles despite still being at such a young age so would bring a much-needed taste of success to the City Ground for Steve Cooper.

Leeds United have enjoyed a fine start to the transfer window despite their less-than-stellar form since the World Cup ended. As such, they have found themselves slipping to within just one point of rock bottom.

That could therefore explain Victor Orta’s urgency with the deals to add Max Wober and Georginio Rutter, who have bolstered two key areas in quick succession.

However, as rumours have continued to swirl since the window opened, the Whites clearly still want another midfielder.

Azzedine Ounahi seemed like the top target given the numerous sources that quote their interest, but it was just last week that 90min reported their interest in Scott McTominay despite the rebuttal from Manchester United.

They should not remain downhearted about this apparent rejection, as it could be seen as a tactic to increase whatever fee they might demand for the £60k-per-week stopper.

The Scottish international often bears the brunt of some unwarranted criticisms despite his flaws, as during his time at Old Trafford he has been a dependable stalwart in the engine room for various managers.

As such, there is cause to believe that this move could see some of the pressure lifted as he joins an environment unburdened by the expectation of playing for one of the top clubs in the world.

Having seen his play time dwindle in the Premier League since the arrival of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, outlined in his five league starts, perhaps in his short time alongside him McTominay will have learnt a few things from the Brazilian that could help him elevate his game at Elland Road.

There were flashes during the 2020/21 season that suggest he could operate in a similar role and at a level necessary to put the two in the same bracket, as he maintained a 7.08 average rating across the campaign. That is not far from the 7.31 his teammate is averaging, but it is unlikely many can live up to the levels he sets.

The 30-year-old is maintaining 3.1 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, which he has paired with three assists and two goals thus far (via Sofascore).

That is not wholly dissimilar from that aforementioned McTominay season, where he made 1.6 tackles and 1.3 clearances per game whilst recording five goal contributions.

Obviously a much lower-level version of the five times Champions League winner, he retained a level close enough to be worthy of the comparison.

That year would see him praised doubly by his manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, as he first lauded him after signing a new contract: “He’s such a humble, hard-working boy with the Manchester United DNA, and he’s a leader on the pitch.”

He would follow that up again mid-way through the following season, noting: “He’s a physical monster. He does all his work every day. Never shirks anything + he gets his rewards.”

Perhaps a move to Leeds could free him up to fulfil this potential and get those rewards on a more regular basis. Both player and club could benefit if they could only work out an agreement. Casemiro’s level might be a loft ambition to reach, but there is no reason to believe that he can’t.