All posts by n8rngtd.top

According to a report by the Daily Mail, Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma’s current ‘priority’ is to join West Ham United across London.

The Lowdown: West Ham in Zouma talks…

The Hammers have been in negotiations for Zouma over this last week as West Ham continue the chase for a new centre-half.

It is believed that snapping up a new centre-back is now manager David Moyes’ top priority ahead of 2021/22 before he swoops for a striker or attacking midfield player.

Along with Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic, the 26-year-old is on the agenda as this news emerges on the Chelsea player’s stance.

The Latest: Zouma has ‘priority’ to join West Ham…

As per the Daily Mail, Zouma’s ‘priority’ is to sign for West Ham this summer as he seeks a move across the English capital.

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However, Chelsea value the player at around £25m and it remains to be seen whether the Irons go that high to secure his services.

Zouma, for his part, wants a move to east London and even has his ‘heart set’ on that switch over being included in any kind of swap deal as the Blues eye Jules Kounde.

The Verdict: Get it done…

The 26-year-old would undoubtedly be a brilliant defensive addition for Moyes going by his credentials and exploits last season. He averaged an impressive 90.9% pass accuracy out from the back for Chelsea over 22 Premier League starts, highlighting his composure and assurance as a defender (WhoScored).

Furthermore, among Moyes’ squad, only Tomas Soucek (6.2) and former Irons player Sebastien Haller (4.2) averaged more successful aerial duels per game than Zouma (3.6) in the English top flight.

Lauded as a ‘beast of a player’ by former England international and Chelsea legend John Terry (Instagram Live via Tribuna), the Frenchman could definitely prove to be a brilliant signing if West Ham can get it done.

In other news: ‘As of now’…Journalist says ‘really exciting’ 54-goal player close to West Ham move, find out more here.

Harry Kane could now sensationally sign a new contract at Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s the word?

That’s according to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, who delivered a fresh update on the 28-year-old’s future on the ‘Gold and Guest talk Tottenham’ podcast this week.

He said:

“I’m intrigued to see where this goes now for Kane and camp Kane as it were, the people around him.

“There are little bits of noises coming out of his camp not to entirely rule out a new contract for him, which would be an incredible U-turn and turnaround, and for me, the prospect of that is incredible because there are other elements to that.

“If you’re going to stay, why not get more money, that makes sense, and if you look at what Spurs are trying to do in the transfer market, you can kind of say something exciting is happening there.”

Incredible, indeed

Kane has been linked with an exit throughout the summer transfer window, with Manchester City widely touted as his preferred destination. As per Football Insider earlier this month, the England international was reportedly prepared to do “whatever it takes” to seal a move to the Etihad Stadium.

The Hotspur Way academy product requested to be sold before Euro 2020, according to Sky Sports, but City’s attempts thus far have been rejected as chairman Daniel Levy wants at least £150m to let his star striker leave.

It’s believed that Pep Guardiola’s side have the funds to sign Kane, on top of new arrival Jack Grealish, this month, so this saga is by no means over just yet.

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However, this latest bombshell is very intriguing as it’s the first sign of there being a possibility that the England talisman stays in N17, even potentially signing a new deal, which as Gold states, would be incredible news.

Kane is thought to currently earn around £200k-per-week at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – this puts him as their joint-top earner, alongside Tanguy Ndombele, as per Spotrac.

Money does not seem to be the driving factor behind his desire to join the Citizens but rather his ambition to add silverware to his glistening goalscoring career.

Nobody can hold that against him but perhaps he has been left excited by Spurs’ transfer business so far this summer, signing an exciting wonderkid in Byran Gil and adding that marquee centre-back in Cristian Romero.

Either way, this fresh development will surely leave Nuno and many around North London absolutely delighted. There does appear to be a massive chance that Kane remains a Spurs player, and that’s a huge boost for the club.

AND in other news, Paratici could seal Spurs a bargain in “phenomenal” £14m monster, Nuno would love him…

A number of Liverpool supporters are unhappy after it emerged that the Reds could be without their three Brazil stars next month.

Jurgen Klopp’s men got their season off to a brilliant start on Saturday, cruising to a 3-0 win away to newly-promoted Norwich City.

On a day when numerous Reds players shone at Carrow Road, their Brazilian heroes had a positive impact on the result.

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Alisson made a stunning late save to ensure he kept a clean sheet, Fabinho came on and made a noticeable difference in midfield and Roberto Firmino scored Liverpool’s second goal on the day.

Unfortunately, it looks as though Klopp may have to do without them for a small part of September, with The Daily Mail reporting [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter] that the trio will have to quarantine after Brazil duty and won’t be able to stay in England instead of playing for their country.

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Liverpool fans fume at update on Brazil trio

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to react negatively to the prospects of being without their three Brazil internationals for a spell next month.

“This is absurd”

Credit: @futebolbaseroom

“International football once again ruining the club game”

Credit: @Adamf941

“Nah this is a joke”

Credit: @CousinCAH

“Another reason why depth is important. Buy more players FSG”

Credit: @VoiceOfTruth__

“1-week quarantine, what a joke”

Credit: @StannisTheGod

“Surely they can decline it”

Credit: @AnfieldRD11

In other news, James Pearce has provided a key update on Liverpool’s transfer business. Read more here.

Leeds United may struggle to sign Lewis O’Brien because of a failure to agree a transfer fee with Huddersfield Town, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: O’Brien continually linked with move

The Whites have been linked with signing the 22-year-old numerous times in recent weeks, with his future seemingly lying away from the John Smith’s Stadium.

Crystal Palace have also emerged as potential suitors, though, so Leeds could face a battle to get their man.

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The Latest: Hay provides key update

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic after Leeds’ 2-2 draw with Everton on Saturday, Hay gave a fresh update on the situation, admitting that the fee is the current issue preventing the move from happening. He outlined:

“The fee is the stumbling block for O’Brien and I don’t think there’s any doubt that he’d like to come but Huddersfield will have a valuation and to be fair, it’s their prerogative to set the price.”

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The Verdict: Good squad signing

O’Brien may not be considered an automatic starter if he comes to Elland Road, but he could provide some welcome midfield squad depth, especially in light of Kalvin Phillips’ absence for the 5-1 defeat at Manchester United last weekend.

At 22, the £5,000-per-week Huddersfield man is still very much improving as a player, so he would be considered a long-term acquisition who could thrive working under Marcelo Bielsa. He has also been hailed as “sensational” by Terriers team-mate Jonathan Hogg for the energetic attributes he brings to the Championship side.

It is important that Leeds don’t overspend on O’Brien, though, and if they feel he is too expensive, they could be wise to look elsewhere for a midfield signing.

In other news, some Leeds fans were critical of one player’s performance against Everton. Find out who it is here.

Ruben Neves could end up staying at Molineux, Wolves journalist Luke Hatfield has told The Transfer Tavern.

Neves had been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal, but a move there now looks dead following Granit Xhaka’s contract extension.

Manchester United were also thought to be keen on the Portuguese midfielder. However, according to the Daily Mail, they have now cooled their interest with Paul Pogba set to remain at Old Trafford for another season.

For Hatfield, it would now not be a surprise to see Neves still in gold and black after the summer transfer window closes.

“I think there’s a massive chance he ends up staying at Molineux,” the Express & Star reporter said.

“It’s always been the case with that deal where I think Wolves were always willing to listen, but until someone meets the valuation, they’re not going to push him out because he’s been an integral player for them.”

With it having looked at one point that Neves was heading for the Molineux exit door, the above is a bit of a bombshell.

Wolves fans, though, will surely be just fine with that. Neves has indeed been a key player for the club since joining, making 40 appearances in all competitions under former manager Nuno Espirito Santo last term.

Former professional footballer Nigel Jemson believes that Ben Davies will have learned a lot from his spell at Liverpool. 

The 26-year-old signed a season-long loan deal with Sheffield United earlier this month and featured in the Blades’ most recent Championship outing against Huddersfield Town.

Davies has had plenty of Championship experience after featuring three assists.

The centre-back signed for Liverpool from Preston in February but failed to make a senior appearance for the Reds, although Nigel Jemson believes that he will have learned a lot from his time at Anfield.

“You know what it did do, it certainly gave Ben a good experience being around top, top professionals for a short time. So, I’m sure he gained a lot of experience in the short spell there to take with him to Sheffield United and see what happens from there,” Jemson told Transfer Tavern.

It has not been the best start to life back in the Championship for Sheffield United and manager Slavisa Jokanovic so far, with Blades only collecting one point from a possible 12.

Jokanovic has had previous success in the Championship, having guided Fulham to promotion to the Premier League after beating Aston Villa in the play-off final at Wembley in 2018.

Bolton manager Ian Evatt will surely be delighted to have seen his side bounce back from two straight defeats with a 3-2 win against Port Vale in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night.

Wanderers lost on penalties to Wigan in the League Cup last week before travelling to Cambridge in League One and coming back home with a 1-0 loss.

Evatt’s side were 2-1 down at half-time against Port Vale, with Eoin Doyle’s opener cancelled out by strikes from Tom Conlon and David Amoo. However, Bolton came on strong in the second half and Nathan Delfouneso equalised in the 54th minute, before substitute Oladapo Afolayan scored the winner with 13 minutes left to play.

Despite picking up the group stage win, there was one player who may have ended the game being disappointed with how they played – Liam Gordon.

The 22-year-old defender endured a difficult night as he struggled down the left flank. Although neither of the conceded goals were solely his fault, both of Port Vale’s strikes in the first half came down his side, with Gordon tucked in too narrow to prevent the cross coming into the box and then standing still in the six-yard box to allow the player to fire a shot past Matt Gilks.

However, it was his general play, aside from the goals conceded, that will have left Evatt feeling let down by Gordon’s performance.

Per SofaScore, he lost 73% of his duels on the pitch as he won one of four ground duels and two of seven aerial battles. This suggests that he was not strong enough to hold off his opponents and come out on top in physical battles, allowing Port Vale to retain or win back possession of the ball.

He completed zero tackles and made one interception in the 90 minutes, whilst being dribbled past once and completing one clearance. This further emphasises his lack of quality in the defensive third and how he was unable to show Evatt that he is a competent defender who can be relied upon in League One matches.

On the ball, Gordon did not fare much better either. He lost possession of the ball 15 times and was successful with two of his six crossing/long ball attempts.

This suggests that he lacked the ability on the ball to make an impact going forward, which is another example of how he let Evatt down with this poor display.

Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan has made a worrying Newcastle United transfer about involving Mike Ashley.

The Lowdown: Window shut

The summer transfer window has now officially shut for the St. James’ Park faithful in terms of bringing in any more players.

With Joe Willock from Arsenal the only permanent arrival of note in the North East, the Toon Army can certainly feel aggrieved by their lack of transfer business.

The Latest: Ashley claim

Speaking on talkSPORT, Jordan has now made a worrying claim involving Ashley ahead of the January transfer window:

“Steve Bruce was never going to be in an easy position when managing Newcastle.”

“I don’t think Mike Ashley wants to put a penny into Newcastle, he wants them to become self-sufficient.”

The Verdict: Worrying

It is certainly worrying to hear that Ashley wants the Tyneside club to become ‘self-sufficient’, thus a lack of proper investment will continue while he is still the owner.

Since Ashley took over the Magpies back in June 2007, they rank 11th out of all teams in the Premier League in terms of total spending (£558.24m), and 25th in terms of net spend (-£164.78m), with only five (Norwich City, Southampton, Watford, Burnley and Leeds United) of the sides with a lower net spend still in the top flight (Transfermarkt).

For a club that used to consistently achieve top-half finishes before Ashley was in charge, supporters have the right to demand more from Ashley to try and get them back to where they want to be.

Nonetheless, the claim made by Jordan certainly does not bode well ahead of the January window, where Steve Bruce will surely want to try and strengthen his squad further.

In other news, find out who NUFC tried to sign late on in the window here!

West Ham have been handed an injury boost ahead of their return to Premier League action today…

What’s the latest?

According to football.london, rarely-seen left-back Arthur Masuaku returned to first-team training earlier this week, making him available for the Irons’ trip to Southampton this afternoon.

The 27-year-old defender has been hampered by injuries in recent seasons and has made only two first-team appearances in 2021. He played three times for the under-21s so far this campaign in a bid to get up his match fitness and now he could be back involved this weekend.

Masuaku has been seen in pictures at their Rush Green training base.

Speaking about his chances of an imminent return prior to their last game, manager David Moyes told reporters: “We are still waiting on Arthur Masuaku to come back but he has a better chance after the international break.”

Boost

This is a nice boost for Moyes as it gives him plenty of options to consider in the coming weeks. Masuaku can now provide valuable backup to Aaron Cresswell, especially if the latter is in need of rest with a hectic schedule ahead, and he can also play in the same side when Moyes opts for a back-three.

Masuaku was actually a regular at the beginning of the 2020/21 season, starting ten of their 11 opening games at left wing-back before a knee injury curtailed his campaign. He then missed most of the rest of the year after having surgery.

Despite hardly being seen in 2020/21, the DR Congo international still provided two assists from 12 starts and also topped the squad for dribbles per game (2.4), via WhoScored, which suggests that he’s a very effective and influential cog in Moyes’ system.

Whether he starts today remains to be seen, but either way, the 58-year-old will certainly be buoyed by this latest update; and on the above evidence, Masuaku will surely play a big part as the season rumbles on.

AND in other news, West Ham keeping tabs on key David Moyes transfer target ahead of January…

This was an excellent international break for Celtic skipper Callum McGregor.

The midfielder turned in a performance to savour for his country as the Hoops hero gave Scotland an excellent chance of qualifying for the World Cup.

However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows over the international break for the Bhoys.

On the chalkboard

Sadly, Celtic will now be without Kyogo Furuhashi for potentially seven matches.

The Japanese striker was away with his country and had to be withdrawn on the 50-minute mark of their match with China.

Kyogo went down holding his knee and the assessment doesn’t look particularly good.

It will be a big blow to Celtic as the forward has been nothing short of sublime since arriving from the J-League.

His pace and frantic energy is a sight to behold and he has scared plenty of Premiership defences already. He has a Parkhead hat-trick to his name and has bagged seven goals in just nine outings.

Fortunately, Celtic do have someone else in their armoury.

The solution

If this problem had occurred earlier in the season then Ange Postecoglou’s solution would be simple; unleash Odsonne Edouard.

Yet, with the Frenchman no longer a Celtic player, he must seek alternative options.

One man to whom he could turn is Albian Ajeti, but after a grand haul of only six goals last season, it’s unlikely that he will be the man to dig them out against Ross County on Saturday afternoon.

Instead, Postecoglou must turn to a new signing in Giorgos Giakoumakis.

The £2.25m-rated striker came to the club from VVV-Venlo after finishing as the Eredivisie’s top scorer last season with 26 goals.

With that in mind, he is the exact man you’d want to replace someone like Furuhashi.

He is a ruthless penalty box poacher and, if he receives the type of service Kyogo has all season, he should certainly score plenty of goals for this Hoops side.

That was the assessment of Pierre Van Hooijdonk, who said: “I think he’s capable of scoring 20-plus goals for Celtic this season.

“If you use him properly and play to his strengths, he’s going to get the club a lot of goals. The level of his finishing is top class. If you look at his goals, most of them are really good goals, with a real identity. They’re not all just about power.”

Giakoumakis is a different player in the fact that he prefers to be closer to goal than Kyogo, whose best strengths are running in behind and coolly slotting away one-on-ones.

Despite that, he is evidently their best replacement for the game with Ross County.

AND in other news, Forget Soro: Celtic must unleash rarely-seen 20 y/o with a “wand of a left foot”…