All posts by z3u9t.icu

A number of Liverpool supporters have urged the club to sign Atletico Madrid striker Joao Felix after he was linked with a move to Anfield.

The Reds had a quiet summer in the transfer market, with Ibrahima Konate ending up being the only new player to come in.

While Liverpool are well-stocked in a number of areas, there was a feeling that they were an attacker light, with freshening up needed in the final third. With Roberto Firmino now 30 and arguably past his absolute best, seeing a younger alternative come in would have pleased many.

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According to Fichajes [via Anfield Edition on Twitter], Liverpool could potentially sign Felix on loan in January, but only if Jurgen Klopp has an option to buy him permanently.

The Portuguese has been hailed as a ‘genius’ by Atletico idol Paulo Futre and is believed to be keen on an exit from the La Liga champions. At the tender age of 21, he has already won league titles in two countries, earned 18 senior Portugal caps and commanded a transfer fee of €126m (£113m).

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Liverpool fans react to Felix rumour

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to get behind the rumour linking Felix with a move to Anfield, with some imploring sporting director Michael Edwards to work his magic.

“Just this”

Credit: @SalahFanV1

“Michael Edwards please”

Credit: @sethmensa_

“BRING HIM TO ANFIELD”

Credit: @starwart1

“I can’t think of a better replacement for Firmino. Literally a like for like replacement”

Credit: @NiHADlfc

“YES PLS”

Credit: @Wiogo21

“I hope this happens”

Credit: @yUNg_KellA

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to another transfer claim. Read more here.

According to a report by Fichajes, West Ham United are now eyeing another defender for David Moyes as news emerges on Athletic Bilbao ace Dani Vivian.

The Lowdown: West Ham in summer defence chase…

West Ham were linked with a plethora of centre-backs over the latest summer before they eventually managed to capture France international Kurt Zouma.

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Indeed, the likes of Nayef Aguerd and Duje Caleta-Car were also being eyed by GSB and the Irons but it appears that, despite signing Zouma, the club could still add another defender to Moyes’ ranks.

This comes amid question marks surrounding the future of Angelo Ogbonna with the Italian still yet to put pen to paper on an extension at the London Stadium.

The Latest: West Ham now eyeing Vivian…

As per Fichajes, the Irons are now eyeing promising Bilbao defender Vivian – with some work being done behind the scenes.

It is claimed that West Ham are ‘compiling statistical reports’ on the player and have been following him very recently alongside the likes of Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The report claims that Vivian is ‘on the agenda’ of West Ham and they also lift the lid on his €40 million (£34m) release clause.

The Verdict: Bigger priorities?

While Fichajes make it clear that the 22-year-old is a top talent with ‘tremendous physical power’ and £34m could be a bargain considering his potential, West Ham arguably have bigger priorities for the moment.

New head of recruitment Rob Newman needs to prioritise the signing of a new back up striker for Michail Antonio after the club’s failure to bring one in over 2021.

The Jamaica international has been in sublime form under Moyes but his injury history always proves to be a concern.

Indeed, an alternative goal scorer is arguably imperative over the signing of Vivian.

In other news: ‘Yessss’, ‘Beautiful’, ‘This is massive’…Many West Ham fans erupt as ‘actually brilliant news’ confirmed, find out more here.

Paul Stewart reckons that another of his former sides in Liverpool will be Manchester City’s closest challengers next season.

Following two outstanding seasons when they finished second by one point before romping to their first Premier League crown, Jurgen Klopp’s men struggled for much of the 2020-2021 campaign.

However, a 10-match unbeaten run, including five consecutive victories, saw Liverpool sneak back into the top four above Leicester, with the Reds eventually leapfrogging Chelsea on the final-day to come third and salvage something from an otherwise frustrating campaign.

Klopp has made just one summer addition in Ibrahima Konate, but now has both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez back available after long-term injuries saw them miss the majority of last season.

There’s also fans returning to grounds for the first time for more than 18 months, and Stewart exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that those factors could see Liverpool mount a title-challenge once again:

“I think they’ll challenge because he’s such a good manager. I think the fans will be back in the stadium, the two players that are coming back from injury will lighten up Liverpool into a challenge for the Premier League again.

“So, I see them being the closest to City out of all of them, even more so than Manchester United.”

With Liverpool’s top four rivals all strengthening significantly, Klopp has work to do in the window, but has kept almost every member that won the league two years ago, which means there’s no reason his mentality monsters can’t go again.

Aston Villa took their first win in five under new manager, Steven Gerrard on Saturday afternoon, with an attacking masterclass that enabled the side to bag two goals against Graham Potter’s Brighton.

Gerrard spoke out after the game to give his analysis on the game and explained why despite having less possession than the Seagulls, they were able to win the game comfortably with two goals in the last ten minutes of the game.

The Villa manager said;

“We wanted to block the middle of the pitch and when our moments came we wanted to semi-counter and full counter and wanted to hurt the opposition.

“It took until the last ten or 15 for us to look like a real threat but we have a lot of attacking players in squad who can run and who are dangerous.

“We allowed them to have the ball in certain areas of the pitch and when Brighton tried to win it from us, we made them pay.”

Despite winning the game with attacking tactics, Emi Buendia struggled to make a credible impact on the game, which is something he has been unable to do in his short time at Villa Park.

Buendia struggled to command the ball and be present in the final third, with a heavy touch that cost a potential big chance for Danny Ings during the game.

One player who didn’t start in Gerrard’s first game in charge was Anwar El Ghazi.

El Ghazi had a poor game against Southampton but has been known to offer moments of magic in his link up play with Ollie Watkins, scoring 26 goals and 15 assists since joining the club in 2018.

The winger came on moments before Watkins opened up the scoring for Villa in the 84th minute, with the player making a run outside so that the striker could move into the space to score the goal.

The £11.7m-rated gem has been in and out of the team for a while now but has proven on occasion that he is experienced in finding goal-scoring opportunities and assisting his teammates in the past, something Buendia is struggling to do for Villa, with just one assist in the league.

Gerrard will need to make a decision on whether he wants to include the 26-year-old in his future plans at the club, as he has been linked with a move away from the club, and on the radar of many clubs, who are keeping an eye on his situation at Villa.

The Villans will be pleased to have taken three points from the game this weekend as they plan to move away from a potential relegation battle but El Ghazi is somebody who must receive more game time.

In other news: Jacob Ramsey could be Steven Gerrard’s Grealish…

Leicester City have been linked with a move for Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles as Brendan Rodgers looks to strengthen his first-team squad this summer.

What’s the story?

According to BBC Sport (as reported by the Leicester Mercury), the Foxes are one of three Premier League clubs interested in signing the 23-year-old over the coming months alongside Burnley and Southampton.

Maitland-Niles is one of the players named as a potential makeweight from the Gunners in their proposed move for James Maddison, but it is understood that Leicester’s interest in the England international is not related to Maddison’s future.

Brendan Rodgers needs him

The versatile youngster made a big impression when he first burst onto the scene, putting in several solid performances in a variety of positions for the north London outfit.

His impressive displays saw Maitland-Niles earn a call-up to the senior England squad in August 2020, earning praise from former Nottingham Forest full-back Stuart Pearce.

“I think he’s been outstanding. I was surprised he didn’t get the nod to start before Saka last Thursday (against Wales). That was strange, for me,” revealed Pearce.

“Saka hasn’t done anything wrong, but I’m a big fan of Maitland-Niles. I saw him last season against Wolves, and he was up against the big lad Adama Traore. He was brilliant and coped really well up against him.

“For me, he’ll be integral to any success Arsenal have this season.”

Despite Pearce’s prediction, Maitland-Niles found first-team opportunities hard to come by at the Emirates Stadium last term, starting just five Premier League games in the opening months of the campaign.

The £14.4 million-rated gem was linked with a move to the King Power Stadium back in January as a result but ended up spending the second half of the season on loan with West Bromwich Albion.

Despite putting in some solid performances, Maitland-Niles was unable to prevent the Baggies from suffering relegation and returned to his boyhood club at the end of the campaign.

However, it doesn’t seem as though he’ll be back for long. His versatility, age and potential make him an ideal Leicester signing, and Rodgers needs an extra option on the right-hand side of attack or further back in defence.

Cengiz Under has departed following a disappointing 12-month spell with the Midlands outfit, leaving them lightweight in that particular position, with only Marc Albrighton a natural fit.

Therefore, director of football Jon Rudkin must swoop for Maitland-Niles this summer, adding another promising, young English talent to Rodgers’ ranks.

And, in other news…Rodgers must axe struggling £16.2m-rated Leicester dud, he’s been shocking 

Leeds United are reportedly keen on making an audacious move for Real Madrid legend Marcelo this summer, as the search for a left-back continues.

The Lowdown: Left-back needed

The Whites could have a productive time of things in the next transfer window, with Marcelo Bielsa keen on bringing in reinforcements.

One area that looks key to address is left-back, with Ezgjan Alioski expected to move on once his contract expires.

Leeds have been linked with a host of players in that position, including Ajax man Nicolas Tagliafico, but a hugely exciting rumour has now emerged.

The Latest: Marcelo linked with move

According to the Mirror, the Whites are interested in snapping up Marcelo, with the Brazilian an iconic figure at Real Madrid, winning five La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns.

Everton are also mentioned as potential suitors for the 33-year-old, whose Madrid contract expires at the end of next season.

The Verdict: Potential incredible addition

While Marcelo may not be the force he once was, he could be a wonderful addition at Leeds, both in terms of his quality and the winning mentality he has acquired in Spain, having won so much silverware.

At Madrid, Marcelo has won five league titles, four Champions Leagues and many other medals and that winning experience could be an excellent addition to the Leeds squad,

At 33, the Brazilian could still have a few years left in him at the top – Pablo Hernandez is 36 and has only just left the Whites, for example.

Whether or not Marcelo’s wage demands or transfer fee become an issue remains to be seen, but the fact that Leeds are linked with him is a testament to the strides they have made under Bielsa.

In other news, a pundit has tipped a Leeds player to feature more prominently next season. Find out who it is here.

West Bromwich Albion are hoping to seal Kenneth Zohore’s departure from The Hawthorns before the end of the day.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Birmingham Live, who claim that Valerien Ismael has given the green light for Albion to sanction the departure of the 27-year-old centre-forward, with the Frenchman potentially looking to create space in his first-team squad in order to make a last-minute move for a target of his own.

Further reports have also revealed Albion’s plans to offload the Denmark international prior to the closure of the summer transfer window on Tuesday evening, with the Baggies having failed in their attempt to land the former Watford centre-forward Troy Deeney, who ultimately sealed a move to Birmingham City – something which would suggest the 45-year-old Baggies boss is indeed keen to bring in further attacking reinforcements.

Fans will be buzzing

Having made an £8.01m move from Cardiff City to West Brom back in the summer of 2019, it would be fair to say that Zohore has not exactly lived up to his price tag during his spell at The Hawthorns.

Indeed, over his 17 Championship appearances in his first season at the club, the £1.8m-rated man scored just three goals, provided his teammates with no assists and missed four big chances for his side.

These returns saw the 27-year-old earn a disappointing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.67, ranking him as Albion’s fourth-worst performer in the second tier of English football that season.

Things did not get any better for the £16.5k-per-week forward last term, when, after being loaned out to Millwall, Zohore managed a mere two goals, registered no assists and missed three big chances over his 17 Championship appearances for the Lions.

These metrics saw the striker average an even more disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.65, ranking him as Millwall’s joint sixth-worst player in the league.

As such, it would indeed appear as if it is the right call to try and move Zohore on prior to Tuesday’s deadline, as the former ACF Fiorentina forward does not appear good enough to play a regular role in a promotion-chasing Albion side, with the news that Ismael is hoping to sanction the 27-year-old’s sale before the end of the day sure to have fans of the club buzzing.

In other news: West Brom face possible transfer blow on “unbelievable” £10m gem, Ismael surely fuming

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a crushing blow in their pursuit of Porto winger Luis Diaz, with the Colombian looking likely to join Everton [Football London].

The Lowdown: Tottenham eye reinforcements out wide before the window closes

With 2021/22 well underway, Lilywhites boss Nuno Espirito Santo will no doubt be desperate to strengthen up any remaining weak areas as he sculpts a squad capable of challenging for Champions League qualification this campaign.

In particular, the north Londoners look to be in the market for a wide-man, with Jeremy Doku and Adama Traore linked with a switch to N17 in recent times.

However, one man who looks unlikely to pitch up at Spurs this summer is 24-year-old Diaz, owing to recent reports.

The Latest: Diaz looks set for Merseyside; Spurs and Chelsea miss out

Divisional rivals Everton are in talks to sign Diaz in what is a blow for Tottenham, with Toffees attacking midfielder James Rodriguez looking set to go the other way on loan to complete the deal [Football London].

Jose Mourinho was said to be interested in in bringing the Colombia international to Spurs last season, with the report from Football.London calling him a ‘long time’ target.

Chelsea were also mooted to be monitoring his situation heavily, nevertheless Diaz now looks to be on his way to Merseyside over London to work with newly crowned Blues manager Rafael Benitez.

The Verdict: Losing out on Diaz will leave a bitter taste

Held in extremely high regard after his four-goal haul at the 2021 Copa America, losing out on Diaz will come as a bitter blow to the Tottenham Hotspur hierarchy.

In 2020/21, Barrancas-born Diaz starred for his current employers, registering 17 goal contributions in 46 appearances; 11 goals and six assists [Transfermarkt].

Furthermore, his individual quality was on show for everyone to see last term, picking up four man of the match awards in the Liga NOS due to his attacking flair [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘excellent’ by Colombia teammate Juan Cuadrado, who said he will achieve ‘great things’, the news that he will not be linking up with Tottenham will undoubtedly leave a bitter taste in the mouths of Spurs supporters, especially if he shines in the top flight with Everton.

In other news, Spurs have gained a huge boost in a transfer chase. Find out more here.

Newcastle checked on Ozan Kabak last season, with the centre-back having joined Liverpool on loan back in the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

The Magpies could be set for a major revamp of their defence with a number of players finding themselves out of contract and potentially moved on to fund a rebuild.

And, according to The Shields Gazette, Steve Bruce’s side have made their checks on Kabak, with QPR’s Rob Dickie and Celtic’s Kristoffer Ajer also those who have said to have been scouted.

Shades of Sergio Ramos

With Liverpool without the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, Kabak was thrust straight into the deep end by Jurgen Klopp, but that certainly didn’t faze him, with the centre-back’s maturity something that has been previously lauded.

Thomas Hitzlersperger once commented: “It’s incredible how worldy-wise he is for his age. It’s astonishing. I see him every day and am amazed at how he mature he is.”

In fact, Klopp even revealed that Schalke boss David Wagner said “he would be a future captain”, while Arsenal’s former head of recruitment Sven Mislintat was equally effusive in his praise of the defender.

He told The Athletic: “I told Jurgen that he’s a top lad. Top mentality, top character, top aggression. He’s a (Dejan) Lovren-type player. Very good in the air, both defensively and in the opposition box.

“He played his best stuff for us (at Stuttgart). He hasn’t been able to show how good he is at Schalke. He still needs to learn but he has all the skills for Klopp to make a success of him.”

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That “aggression” and “character” means that it’s perhaps no surprise to see the Turkey international likened to Sergio Ramos, with Bundesliga.com writing:

“Kabak has a sound in-game radar and a deceptively quick turn of pace. Powerful in the air and with a great sense of timing, four of his six Bundesliga goals have been headers. He also comes complete with the same bite for which Real captain Ramos has become so well known.”

With Liverpool having decided not to take up their option to sign Kabak, the £22.5m-rated ace could well be a shrewd signing for the Magpies.

Meanwhile, Steve Bruce could create a formidable Newcastle duo by signing this “unique talent”…

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has urged Celtic to offer a new deal to keep first-team coach Gavin Strachan at Parkhead. 

The lowdown: Strachan a favourite of Celtic’s board

The 43-year-old survived a coaching staff overhaul and has since continued to impress in the role of first-team coach following the departure of Neil Lennon in February 2021 and the subsequent arrival of Ange Postecoglou.

A recent report from Football Insider claimed that the Parkhead hierarchy were keen to secure Strachan’s long-term future at the club and have duly opened contract talks with him, given his status as as a highly-regarded figure in Glasgow.

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As the Bhoys set their sights on a 52nd Premiership crown to add to their Scottish League Cup success from earlier in the campaign, there could also be positive off-field developments in the near future…

The latest: O’Rourke endorses Strachan extension

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke has implored Celtic to persuade Strachan to stay on.

The reporter outlined: “I think it would be a positive move for Celtic. It would just keep that continuity within the coaching group right now.

“If they can agree a new contract, it will just keep things ticking over nicely for everybody involved there.”

The verdict: He’s right

As the summer fast approaches and the managerial merry-go-round begins to fire up, the Hoops should be acting fast to appease the former Doncaster Rovers man after he turned down the opportunity to manage English League Two outfit Hartlepool United back in November.

Postecoglou is clearly onto something with the current setup at Lennoxtown, and retaining the status quo within the coaching ranks is equally as important as keeping hold of key players.

Having endured a torrid 2020/21 campaign, Celtic have been crying out for stability, and as such the club should be doing everything to keep the likes of Strachan, assistant manager John Kennedy and coach Stephen McManus in place at Parkhead.

In other news, an expert has made a key claim regarding the ownership of Celtic. Read more here.