All posts by z3u9t.icu

Celtic are closing in on appointing Manchester City transfer guru Fergal Harkin as their new director of football.

That’s according to an exclusive report from Football Insider, who claimed that a deal is now ‘90% done’ following further talks in recent days.

Celtic impressed by Harkin

Football Insider were the first to link Harkin with the newly-created role earlier this month, with his knowledge and experience during 11 years at Manchester City impressing the Hoops.

His current title at the Etihad Stadium is football partnerships manager, but it seems as if he could well be making the move north to play a key role in a Parkhead rebuild over the summer.

Transfer Tavern take

One of Harkin’s first jobs in his potential new role could be to help the club find Neil Lennon’s long-term successor.

Football Insider revealed earlier this month that the Hoops were aiming to finalise a director of football appointment before narrowing down their new manager search. The successful candidate would then help to identify the next Hoops manager.

It appears to be an exciting time for Celtic off the field ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, and it seems as if Harkin will be a key figure for the club going forward.

In other news: Premier League giants withdraw interest in Celtic ace but other teams circle, find out more here. 

Aston Villa must make a move for Norwich City star Emiliano Buendia this summer amid Lee Hendrie’s transfer claim.

What’s the story?

The Canaries look set for an immediate return to the Premier League, with Daniel Farke’s side currently top of the Championship and on course for automatic promotion.

Despite the prospect of Norwich making their way back up to the top flight, former Villa midfielder Hendrie has urged Dean Smith’s side to make a “big push” for Buendia.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “Buendia from Norwich, he’s one that I would certainly have a big push on. He’s creative and scores goals, he’s a player that I feel would be a fabulous addition to Aston Villa. So the two players out of the Championship (David Brooks and Buendia), they’re two I’d certainly have my eyes on.”

Imagine him and Grealish

One of the big struggles for Villa this season has when Jack Grealish has been forced out of first team action through injury – in fact, the last six Premier League games he has missed have seen Smith’s side pick up just one win.

In Buendia, they could sign someone who is Premier League proven and could offer the same levels of creativity that their talisman brings to the table. His total number of chances created last season in the top flight ranked him fourth in the entire division, and this despite playing for a team who ended up getting relegated.

The £19.8m-rated ace has been dubbed a “revelation” by ex-Villa striker Chris Sutton, and the diminutive playmaker could offer the kind of creative spark and genius from which Villa could benefit, either when Grealish is in the team or out through injury.

When you compare his numbers to Ross Barkley, Villa would absolutely be getting an upgrade. Buendia has scored ten goals and provided 12 assists this season compared to the Villa man’s tally of three goals and one assist, while he also averages more shots, key passes and dribbles per game. The Argentine clearly has a better end product to his game, and is more involved in the attacking phases.

It’s exactly why Villa must be all over a deal for Buendia this summer.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a transfer move for this 6 ft 4 warrior…

Leicester City have been linked with a number of wide options heading into the summer transfer window.

Two of the most prominent names have been Florian Thauvin of Olympique Marseille and Borussia Dortmund’s Thorgan Hazard.

It is certainly key that the Foxes bring in another wide option next season with on-loan Cengiz Under set to return to AS Roma. It should definitely be the former Newcastle United man Thauvin who Brendan Rodgers and Jon Rudkin target.

Both at the same age of 28, albeit Hazard being two months younger, the Frenchman is enjoying a much better season throughout 2020/21.

He has eight goals and nine assists in all competitions for Marseille, whilst the Dortmund man can only boast three goals and four assists, the lowest amount of goal contributions he has racked up in a single season throughout the entirety of his senior top-flight career.

Whilst Thauvin is clearly excelling thanks to his tangible output throughout the current campaign, the £25.2m-rated wideman continues to outperform Hazard in his general play.

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According to WhoScored, he attempts more than double the Belgian’s shots per game in the league, racking up two per match in Ligue 1, compared to the Dortmund man’s 0.7 per game in the Bundeslliga.

Thauvin’s composure and threat on the ball continues when looking at his 1.6 dribbles per game compared to Hazard’s paltry total of just 0.4. For context, even Leicester defender Wesley Fofana has completed more than that with his 0.6 per game according to WhoScored.

Meanwhile, the former Newcastle man is far more of a creative influence too, providing 1.5 key passes compared to Hazard’s 0.8.

So, whilst on paper, both Thauvin and Hazard may seem like extremely similar players, the former is the stand-out right-winger.

He then should certainly be Leicester’s number one priority should they, as is expected, choose to recruit a wideman in the summer transfer window.

AND in more news, the Foxes have been dealt a huge blow in the race for Celtic Odsonne Edouard…

Harry Kane’s performance against Crystal Palace on Sunday evening was a testament to the world-class player that he’s become at Tottenham Hotspur, but it also serves as a reminder that without a trophy to his name, we could well see him depart the North London club at the end of this season.

The England international has spoken in the past about his desire to win trophies with Spurs but he is yet to make that personal breakthrough, despite contributing 212 goals and 46 assists for the club in just 323 appearances.

The Lilywhites’ last trophy came in the shape of a League Cup all the way back in 2008 under Juande Ramos, and they have an opportunity to replicate that success when they take on Manchester City in the League Cup final in April.

Jose Mourinho’s side are also still going strong in the Europa League too, so are in the running for two possible trophies this season.

Certainly, the Portuguese manager was brought in to bring success on the trophy front, and perhaps if he can win one of those two trophies this season, then it will be enough to convince the “world-class” Kane to stay.

However, with the likes of ManCity reportedly having a long-standing interest in him, it may really be make-or-break time for Spurs this season, as they need to begin to deliver success if they want to ensure that the 27-year-old finishes his career as a one-club man.

Sunday’s performance against Crystal Palace emphasises that Kane will not be short of suitors if he does decide to call quits on his time at Spurs, as he contributed two goals and two assists against Roy Hodgson’s side, including a stunning goal from outside the box, with SofaScore awarding him a 10/10 for his performance.

Therefore, with Kane now at the peak of his powers, you certainly wouldn’t blame him if he wanted to leave Spurs in search of regular trophies and Champions League football, which puts a huge amount of pressure on Mourinho to deliver some success at the North London club this season.

And, in other news… Spurs handed big transfer blow in hopes of signing “very confident” beast who could’ve replaced Dier

Speaking exclusively with Football FanCast, former England international Rob Lee has claimed that AS Roma striker Edin Dzeko would be a great signing for West Ham United.

The Hammers have reportedly been offered the chance to acquire Dzeko in the closing stages of the January transfer window, with Tancredi Palmeri suggesting they made an offer, after the Bosnia and Herzegovina star was stripped of the Giallorossi captaincy following a falling out with head coach Paulo Fonseca.

Fonseca’s actions are said to have led to a rift emerging in the Stadio Olimpico dressing room, while there is little chance of Dzeko repairing his relationship with the Roma boss.

West Ham are in the market for late forward reinforcements following Sebastien Haller’s £20m move to AFC Ajax, with the deal leaving Michail Antonio as David Moyes’ sole recognised senior centre-forward.

Though the Irons are not alone in tracking Dzeko’s situation ahead of the February 1st deadline, with Gazzetta dello Sport citing interest in the prolific 6 ft 4 striker from Everton and his former side Manchester City, plus timid appraisals from Juventus, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

But when asked if Dzeko would be a good signing for West Ham, Lee told FFC:

“I think he’d be a great, great signing for anybody. I read the other day that West Ham have wasted 200 million euros on strikers in the last 10 years, and you look and they probably have and Haller was another massive loss for them. [He] couldn’t adapt to this country for whatever reason.

“I think when you’re buying strikers, this is just my opinion, regardless of how well they do on the continent, the Premier League is totally different. It’s totally different. And I would always go for somebody who’s played in the Premier League, and has scored in the Premier League.

“We’ve had some great players come over and fail miserably. They’ll be brilliant in the Spanish league or the Italian league. Edin Dzeko has proven he can score goals in the Premier League. He can score goals anywhere. So, even with his age, you’re still guaranteeing goals.

“And that’s what you want from your centre-forward, you want goals. I don’t care how old he is if he’s scoring goals. Would you turn down [Cristiano] Ronaldo, he’s 35. So, I don’t care if you keep scoring goals as that’s his job. And he’s been proven doing it in the Premier League. So yeah, if you could get him, it’d be a great signing.”

Dzeko has scored eight goals in 20 appearances across all competitions for Roma this term, including striking four in five Serie A fixtures over the festive period.

The 34-year-old enjoyed solid success in front of the net during his four-year stay at Man City, netting 72 times in 189 games with two 14-goal and one 16-goal seasons in the Premier League on route to titles under Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini.

Tomas Soucek is presently West Ham’s top-scorer in the Premier League after his brace at Crystal Palace on Tuesday took his tally for the term to seven, two more than Jarrod Bowen and Antonio thus far.

AND in other news, West Ham are working on a deal to sign a £13.5m-rated striker on loan…

Marcel Brands should repeat his genius Ben Godfrey move to replace Everton defender Seamus Coleman with Norwich City’s sought-after Max Aarons.

What’s the word?

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Toffees are interested in a swoop for the 5 ft 10 gem at the end of the season with boss Carlo Ancelotti on the look-out for a new right-sided full-back.

The Goodison Park natives are building a list of possible candidates, following prior reports that Ancelotti wishes to find his long-term successor to Coleman and could rival Manchester United for the Canaries star.

Romano also names Old Trafford as a potential destination for Aarons should he leave Carrow Road in the summer, while Bayern Munich have begun negotiations with his Championship side as well.

The Bundesliga giants are thought to have been slapped with a £30-35m valuation to strike a deal for the 21-year-old, per Sky Sports, having scouted Aarons for the past two years.

Mikel Arteta’s struggling Arsenal are keen on Aarons, too, with the Gunners said to consider him as a potential option to replace Paris Saint-Germain target Hector Bellerin at the Emirates Stadium, per CBS Sports.

Aarons has been a mainstay of Daniel Farke’s Norwich side this season having remained in Norfolk despite an expectancy that he would follow Jamal Lewis and Godfrey in sealing moves away from Carrow Road, with the defender starting all 32 second-tier fixtures so far.

Should Everton sign Aarons?

Ancelotti is clearly on the hunt for his long-term option in the position given the regular links connecting Everton with possible new right-backs over the past few months, including another Arsenal target in Tariq Lamptey of Brighton and Hove Albion.

It remains to be seen who, if anyone, the Toffees opt to target in the summer, but the need for a new full-back could become increasingly clear over the second half of the season with Coleman only starting 10 of his 15 Premier League appearances thus far this term.

The 32-year-old is still able to offer the Blues a suitable option for the time being, having been praised for his performance in shutting down Liverpool ace Andrew Robertson during Saturday’s 2-0 Merseyside derby win at Anfield.

“I loved the way Seamus Coleman sacrificed his game to just take Andy Robertson. I think Andy Robertson got one cross in which led to a header, and that was it during the game. It’s not easy to subdue somebody like him because he is just non-stop,” Jim Beglin told Football Pass.

But with Ancelotti looking long-term, Everton’s Director of Football Brands could repeat his successful efforts to sign Godfrey and bring Aarons to Goodison Park to answer the Italian’s search.

Ancelotti has confirmed that Godfrey was a signing sourced and supported by Brands and his team, but has been impressed by how the defender has proven a hit in royal blue since ditching the Canaries.

“He has surprised me because I didn’t know him so well,” the Everton boss said, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo. “The signing from the club, from our scouts has been good. He has been able to adapt very quickly to different positions.”

That would suggest Brands also led the negotiations with the player and his agent to convince Godfrey of life at Goodison Park, and should now repeat those talks with Aarons to reunite the pair on Merseyside.

AND in other news, Everton face widespread PL competition for the transfer of an £18k-p/w beast this summer…

Rangers were heavily linked with a move for Brighton and Hove Albion striker Florin Andone during the summer transfer window but considering his lack of appearances for the Seagulls this season, it appears that Steven Gerrard dodged a bullet in him not making the move to Ibrox.

It was widely reported last summer that after his loan spell at Galatasaray, both Rangers and their Old Firm rivals were keen on bringing him to Scotland for this season but a move never materialised and he ended up staying with Graham Potter’s side.

Whilst the Seagulls have been struggling this season, particularly in front of goal, Andone hasn’t made a single appearance in any competition for Brighton, as it is clear that they feel he is completely surplus to requirements.

In 12 appearances for Galatasaray last season, the Romanian striker would manage just two goals, so it was something of a surprise to see Gerrard’s side linked with him in the first place.

In fact, the 27-year-old striker has never really been prolific in his career, with his best season coming in the 2015/16 La Liga 2 season with Cordoba, when he contributed 21 goals and eight assists in 36 league appearances.

It seems as if after their reported pursuit of Andone failed, Rangers turned their attention to bringing in Kemar Roofe from Anderlecht and that certainly proved a good decision, with the former Leeds man having contributed 10 goals and two assists in just 18 Premiership appearances so far this season, resulting in an impressive 7.13 rating.

Considering Gerrard also has the likes of Cedric Itten and Jermaine Defoe available as options in his squad, it is difficult to imagine that Andone would have been a regular had he joined, and considering his lack of goals and appearances in recent seasons, it looks like Rangers dodged a bullet by not signing the Romanian international.

And, in other news… Wilson shouldn’t rush transfer decision on Rangers ace Gerrard dubbed a “real threat”

Journalist, and transfer guru, Fabrizio Romano has denied claims Paris Saint-Germain are in talks to buy Moise Kean from Everton after his terrific spell on loan in the French capital.

What’s the word?

While speaking to Give Me Sport, Romano claimed that PSG would love to keep Kean at Les Parc des Princes beyond his season-long loan, but said that they are yet to hold any negotiations with Everton.

Kean has scored 11 goals for the Ligue 1 giants in 18 appearances across all competitions, including three in his last three top-flight outings. He opened the scoring against Stade Brest on Saturday night, to take his number of goals in the current campaign to the same total as his haul from the previous two seasons combined.

There had been talk of a potential £31m fee being discussed, with Everton loath to selling the Italy international for anything less than the £27.5m paid to Juventus when Kean was signed under Marco Silva in the summer of 2019.

However, Romano denies the speculation surrounding Kean’s future, and suggests any potential deal for the £53,000-per-week forward is likely to be on hold until the end of the season.

“What I’m told about Kean is that there is no negotiation between Paris Saint-Germain and Everton and yes, for sure Paris Saint-Germain would love to keep the player but Everton have always been so clear, they want him back at the club,” Romano told Give Me Sport.

“So, if Paris Saint-Germain wants to sign him, they will have to make an important bid and convince Everton.

“Let’s see if, next summer, they will do this kind of business but at the moment, it’s not so easy. And, for sure, Everton will fight for Moise Kean [and say] ‘you will make an important bid or the player will be back’ and he’s doing an amazing job for Paris Saint-Germain but at the moment, negotiations are quiet.”

An exciting update?

Romano denying claims that PSG have made efforts to sign Kean on a permanent deal should excite Everton and Ancelotti, as the Italian could be set to welcome a striker back to Goodison Park who is bubbling with the confidence that his maiden year on Merseyside stripped him of.

Kean was rarely able to show why Everton fought for his signature in 2019 during his first season in England, with the 20-year-old netting just twice in 33 games across all competitions and struggling to start fixtures with only four opening roles under Ancelotti.

Yet, life in Paris has been much kinder to the 8-cap international, who would be able to use what he’s learned from his time training and playing beside the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe as he would hope to rival Dominic Calvert-Lewin for game time if he does come back in the Premier League next term.

Former PSG boss Thomas Tuchel could not sing Kean’s praises much more prior to his sacking, too.

“[Kean] has a big heart, he puts on intensity. He is not afraid, he is courageous. He does what is necessary,” Tuchel said, via quotes by BeIN Sports. “I wouldn’t want to be a defender against him right now, it’s really hard to play against him.”

And even if Kean ultimately opts to hand in a transfer request, Everton will be able to tout his services to a wider group on the open market to drive up their asking price this summer than selling to PSG now, given how well he’s performed in France.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands must sign “quick” Everton target who “makes football look easy”.

Although Manchester City may be casting one eye ahead to the January transfer window, the board must prioritise giving Kevin De Bruyne a new contract first.

It was suggested recently by Italian Football journalist Fabrizio Romano on his ‘Here We Go’ podcast that the Citizens have begun negotiations with the Belgian midfielder over a new contract with the club.

The 29-year-old has established himself as one of the best players in the Premier League since joining from Wolfsburg in 2015, having contributed a superb 58 goals and 96 assists in 233 appearances for the Etihad Stadium outfit (per Transfermarkt).

Although his current contract is set to run until 2023, extending that further would all but ensure that he stays with City for the rest of his career, while he is still able to play at the very top.

However, with the Belgian’s superb passing and crossing ability a key part of his current game, we see no reason why he couldn’t play at the top well into his 30’s, even if he does lose a yard of place.

Therefore, the Citizens must prioritise giving the midfielder a new deal as soon as possible, to ensure that the £108 million rated maestro is fully focused on pushing City back up the league.

During his time with City, De Bruyne has won the Premier League on two occasions, the FA Cup once, and the League Cup four times (per Transfermarkt).

Securing his long-term future would give City the best chance of adding to that trophy haul, as the Belgian international demonstrated his immense quality in the Premier League last season, as he contributed 13 goals and 20 assists in 35 top-flight appearances, which earned him a season rating of 7.97 – the best of any player across the campaign (per WhoScored).

After that wonderful season, he was heavily praised by Alan Shearer on Match of the Day, with the former Newcastle United man saying:

“He’s unbelievable, that right foot is absolutely deadly and he provides ridiculous entertainment. The speed of his feet and to have the ability [to score].”

“When you’re a forward, he finds you. He’s got every right to go for goal but he’s probably trying to get the assist record, which he gets, and the weight of his pass in behind is superb.

“Whatever it is, he can do it. What a player, what a season, he’s unbelievable. I gave Player of the Year to Jordan Henderson as well but he has been a stand-out performer.” (per Manchester Evening News)

Therefore, De Bruyne is clearly a hugely important player in City’s side, and fans will be hoping that he follows Guardiola’s suit and commits his future to the club in the coming weeks.

And, in other news… Manchester City dodged a huge bullet by not signing playmarker loved by Iniesta in 2018

When Leeds travelled to Old Trafford on Sunday evening it was supposed to be a game that was full of crunching tackles and intense football.

This is a rivalry like none other, one between the white rose of Yorkshire and the red rose of Lancashire.

On this occasion, it was the red rose who came out on top in what was one of the biggest thrashings we’ve seen in the Premier League this season. In terms of a contest, it was all one-sided.

Scott McTominay set the tone with two goals in the first three minutes of the match and from that moment, United didn’t look back, eventually winning 6-2 courtesy of some truly abysmal defending from Leeds.

They allowed 26 shots on their goal, eight of which French stopper Illan Meslier was called into action for. However, he could do very little for the vast majority of the goals.

Without Diego Llorente or Robin Koch, we saw Luke Ayling fill in at centre-half again and their defensive woes have now grown larger after Liam Cooper came off with an injury.

What didn’t help either was the performance of left-back Gjanni Alioski.

The defender was in good form against Newcastle as he found the back of the net but he left a lot to be desired at Old Trafford last weekend.

In fact, he was pretty abysmal and his incompetent performance will have left Marcelo Bielsa fuming. Alioski’s defensive attributes have never been first class and he was given a horrendous afternoon by Dan James.

Alioski failed to win a single tackle and lost a massive 67% of his duels, prevailing in just two of the six he contested throughout the clash.

Clearly, the left side of Leeds was a huge weakness because Jack Harrison also lost possession a mammoth 24 times.

The North Macedonia international wasn’t great in that facet either, conceding the ball on 14 occasions and being dribbled past twice by the lightning-quick James.

Unfortunately, Alioski was also abject going forward, failing with both of the crosses he tried to deliver towards the Red Devils’ penalty area.

Overall this was a night to forget for the 28-year-old and he’ll have to improve quickly given the number of fitness concerns in Leeds’ backline.

AND in other news, woeful Leeds ace who lost possession 36x will also have Bielsa raging…