All posts by n8rngtd.top

Sunderland are interested in singing attacking midfielder Ravel Morrison this summer on a free transfer but face competition from other Championship clubs.

According to a report from Football Insider they are one of three clubs who could offer the free agent a contract, with Preston North End and Huddersfield Town being the others.

The 29-year-old is without a club following his contract with recently relegated Derby County expiring. He was one of the better players for the Rams last season but made the decision to not sign a new contract.

Given his level of talent it’s not a surprise that several clubs are interest in him, and with no transfer fee to pay, it’s a move that Sunderland should definitely be making.

Morrison came through the ranks at Manchester United and made his debut for the club in 2010, at the time he was ‘better’ than Paul Pogba according to his former manager Wayne Rooney.

However, it didn’t work out for him and unlike Pogba he failed to reach the levels many expected. However, at Championship level he’s still more than good enough and was described as “excellent” last season by journalist Ryan Conway.

Sunderland have recently improved their attacking options with Jack Clarke recently penning a four-year deal at the Stadium of Light, joining from Tottenham Hotspur.

If they were to capture Morrison too, then the pair could form a scary attacking duo that could propel the Black Cats to success.

Having spent six seasons in League One, a return to the Championship was celebrated massively on Wearside, and the club have no intention of stopping there, with many dreaming of a Premier League return.

21-year-0ld Clarke was directly involved in 14 goals in all competitions last season, that included a loan spell at Sunderland during the second half of the campaign.

For Derby, Morrison assisted four and scored four, so together they could score plenty of goals for the Mackems.

The two signings manager Alex Neil has made so far this summer are young players with great potential, so adding Morrison who has experience of playing at every level makes sense.

IN other news: “Discussions ongoing..”: Exciting SAFC transfer claim will leave supporters buzzing…

Aston Villa will have to trigger Otavio’s release clause soon to sign him from FC Porto, according to Portuguese newspaper Correio de Manha (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown

The paper claims that Villa’s last offer was worth an initial €30million with a further €5million in bonuses (£30.2million in total).

But that will not be enough to land the 27-year-old, who has a release clause of €40million (£34.5million) in his contract.

Otavio is a highly versatile player, predominantly a right winger but also capable of playing on the left and as a number ten.

The Athletic reported in May that another attacking option may be on Steven Gerrard’s wish-list for the summer window.

The latest

The report says that Porto will simply point Villa towards the €40m rather than negotiating a sale for a lower price.

They don’t feel any pressure to cash in after selling Fabio Vieira to Arsenal and Vitinha to Paris Saint-Germain.

Intriguingly, Otavio’s release clause is due to rise by a full €20million on 15 July, so Villa may be under pressure to act fairly quickly.

The verdict

The key question is whether Otavio is worth a full £34.5million. That would, after all, virtually match the record fee Villa paid to sign Emiliano Buendia last summer..

He doesn’t score too many goals – he only bagged five last season – but he’s an immense creative weapon, based on his tally of 14 assists.

For reference, no Villa player set up more than six goals last season (Buendia and Danny Ings were tied).

Otavio made the Primeira Liga Team of the Season and has been called ‘phenomenal’ by Portuguese football journalist Alex Goncalves.

There’s certainly a compelling case for Villa to go ahead and swoop in the next 13 days.

Crystal Palace could beat Everton to the signing of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks.

What’s the word?

That is according to Paul Robinson (via Football Insider), who claims that the 26-year-old has “two very good options” in the Toffees and the Eagles if he is to leave Spurs this summer.

However, the ex-England goalkeeper suggested that Crystal Palace’s locality could well be the decisive factor in the race for the London-based midfielder.

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson said: “Everything has to be taken into consideration. Both managers were one of the best midfielders the Premier League has ever seen. Winks has an opportunity to play for two midfielders that he probably idolised growing up.

“Palace would be an attractive proposition because he would not have to move.

“Everton have an opportunity to put some building blocks in place. I don’t envision them struggling again this season. They need to bring in new players. Winks could be one.

“The two clubs are both very good options.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Following Yves Bissouma’s arrival at Spurs, Winks will have slid further down the midfield pecking order, and it looks as though a move to pastures new is exactly what he needs in order to rejuvenate his stalling career.

Despite making 19 league appearances for Antonio Conte’s side last season, he played just 905 minutes. At 26 years of age, he needs to be playing more regular first-team football.

Also, with Conor Gallagher now back at parent club Chelsea, Vieira can offer regular minutes to Winks, who can help the Eagles to build on their 2021/22 average of 51.2% possession.

Winks’ completion of 56.55 passes per 90 as a registered defensive midfielder places him in the 88th percentile among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues according to FBRef, whilst his 74.61 touches per 90 illustrates his ability as a stabiliser in the heart of the engine room.

He would make for an astute replacement for Gallagher, should Palace fail to regain the 22-year-old’s services for the upcoming season. Quite simply, Winks’ technical ability would likely make him an instant favourite at Selhurst Park.

Vieira needs to get this move sealed as soon as possible, and the Eagles’ fan base would surely be buzzing if that happens.

AND in other news – “Will probably leave”: Journalist drops big Palace transfer claim that’ll delight supporters 

Tottenham Hotspur could be set to find out whether or not they will be welcoming back Christian Eriksen to north London this summer.

What’s the news?

Speaking on a recent edition of the Que Golazo Podcast, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano had his say on the matter of Eriksen’s immediate future.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-much-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

The journalist said: “Christian Eriksen has three proposals on the table, one from Brentford, one from Tottenham and one from Manchester United. So he’s going to decide in the coming days.”

In 2013, Spurs signed the midfielder from Ajax in a deal worth £11.5m. In 304 appearances for the Lilywhites, the Denmark international scored 69 goals and delivered 90 assists before joining Inter Milan in January 2020.

Exciting news for Spurs fans

Last January’s transfer window saw the former Spurs star join Brentford on a six-month deal, where he went on to score one goal and provide four assists in 11 Premier League appearances.

To further highlight how useful he was for Thomas Frank’s side, he ended the campaign with a higher rate of shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (5.08) than any other Bees player to make more than one appearance in the league. The Danish playmaker also delivered 30 crosses, won 10 tackles and made 10 interceptions during his time in west London.

Taking into account what he did for Tottenham, and for Brentford more recently, it’s safe to say that potentially seeing Eriksen make a return to the north London club would be a very exciting prospect for Spurs supporters.

With the Lilywhites reportedly being one of the options available to the 30-year-old in terms of where he’ll be playing next season, according to Romano, this suggests that the recruitment staff in N17 feel as though he would be a good fit in the squad once again.

Having already experienced what it’s like to play under Antonio Conte when the duo were at Inter togeether, it would be interesting to see how the midfielder would fare under the Italian’s management once again if he does choose to go back to Tottenham.

In other news: Sky Sports drop big behind-the-scenes transfer claim, it’s terrible news for Spurs

Journalist Tancredi Palmeri of Sport Italia has now shared some major transfer news out of Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Spurs set for busy summer…

Antonio Conte seems set for a busy summer after guiding the Lilywhites to a top-four Premier League finish and Champions League qualification, subsequently earning Spurs a £150 million equity increase via owners ENIC.

The north Londoners have also confirmed two new arrivals already with both Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster arriving on Bosman deals ahead of what will be a huge 2022/2023 campaign.

More signings are in the pipeline for Conte as club chief Fabio Paratici takes to the market, aiming to give the Tottenham manager full backing and to orchestrate major deals.

The Latest: Palmeria shares major update…

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Now, as per Sport Italia reporter Palmeri, there has been a big update on Spurs’ striker plans.

As shared by the journalist on Twitter, Bayern Munich have made contact to sign star forward Harry Kane and Spurs are ‘thinking to replace him’ with Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez.

He explained:

“BOOM! Bayern have contacted Tottenham for Harry Kane! And Tottenham are thinking to replace him with Lautaro from Inter according to SportItalia!”

The Verdict: Significant update?

While we believe this move is unlikely to occur given Kane’s importance to Spurs and Conte, it could show the dramatic nature of the window and how this summer may well come up with a fair few twists and turns.

Bayern would have to offer a substantial sum to prise the 28-year-old away from Hotspur Way and it is debatable whether Martinez could fill Kane’s boosts.

The Argentine did rack up 21 goals over last campaign and has previously dazzled for Conte at Inter, yet it’s possible Spurs could sign him without letting Kane go given the Serie A side’s need to sell.

In other news: ‘Very recently’ – Tottenham hold talks over signing ‘one of the top strikers in England’! Find out more here.

Crystal Palace are the front-runners to re-sign former Eagles defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka this summer, according to a fresh transfer claim.

The Lowdown: Tough period for Wan-Bissaka

The right-back has endured a tough spell at Manchester United since leaving Palace in 2019, struggling hugely to repeat his performances at Selhurst Park.

Wan-Bissaka made 26 appearances last season but not a single goal or assist came his way, highlighting his struggles in the final third, as United flattered to deceive as a whole in the Premier League.

It looks as though the Englishman has been deemed surplus to requirements by new manager Erik ten Hag, meaning other clubs could swoop this summer.

The Latest: Palace return on the cards?

According to 90min, Palace are the favourites to snap up Wan-Bissaka, although it would only be on loan, at least initially.

The Eagles are described as being in ‘pole position’ to seal a reunion with the 24-year-old, whose current United deal expires in the summer of 2024 and is valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt.

[freshpress-quiz id=“398344″]

The Verdict: Bring him back

Patrick Vieira will be eyeing up improved squad depth next season and Wan-Bissaka is definitely worth taking a punt on, having once been hailed as ‘the best’ defender in the world in one-on-one situations by Jamie Carragher.

[freshpress-poll id=“396968″]

It may simply be that United was a level too high for the former Palace man but he could excel once again back at Selhurst Park, providing competition for Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne, both of whom are in their thirties.

A loan move would take the risk element out of the move, too, should Wan-Bissaka struggle, but there was a reason why United paid £50million for him and why he was so highly rated to begin with – Ward himself called his former teammate ‘phenomenal’.

In other news, Palace are reportedly still interested in signing one Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

BBC pundit Alan Hutton has sent a warning to Celtic that their move for Cameron Carter-Vickers could be hijacked.

The Lowdown: Celtic in negotiations

The American first made the switch to the Scottish Premiership to join the Hoops on loan from Tottenham Hotspur last summer, where he’s enjoyed a hugely successful spell in Glasgow having made 46 appearances across all competitions under Ange Postecoglou.

As part of the move, the club does have an option to buy, with the Daily Record reporting just last week that the Bhoys are currently in the process of trying to negotiate a transfer fee with Spurs, with the newspaper suggesting that they have until June 15 to trigger the centre-back’s £6m purchase clause.

The Latest: Hutton sends Hoops warning

Hutton has warned the Scottish giants that a transfer rival could come and take him off their hands if they take too long trying to reach an agreement. He told Football Insider:

“I think this is why you should always have it sorted before.

“I believe if you’re taking a player on loan with aspirations of signing him after that loan, you should really get the figure in place before.

“I’ve seen it happen with millions of players. Tyrone Mings, when he came to Aston Villa, was outstanding. Then all of a sudden, the fee went up. That happens all the time and the club that you’re on loan from just takes advantage of the situation.

“It’s somewhere he’s been happy and enjoying his football. I think it’s a transfer that will happen as long as it doesn’t take weeks. If it goes on and on, somebody can just steal the march on you.

“If somebody is willing to go higher than Celtic, Spurs will accept that.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Realistically, there’s no chance that Carter-Vickers would get into the Tottenham starting XI if he returned to his parent club, so it makes complete sense for them to let him go.

The 24-year-old has been a rock at the heart of the Parkhead backline though, having averaged 4.2 clearances and 1.2 interceptions per league game, as well as winning 4.2 of his aerial duels each match, via WhoScored, showing the physical presence he depicts both on the ground and in the air.

When it comes to negotiations, the Parkhead outfit obviously won’t want to cough up more than they feel necessary, but if it means that they can secure the future of their star defender for years to come, it really may be a case of just biting the bullet.

In other news… a BBC pundit has been reacting to a worrying Celtic injury update.

Former Aston Villa forward Gabby Agbonlahor has made a transfer claim on the club’s interest in Luis Suarez.

The Lowdown: Suarez links

Steven Gerrard has been extremely busy ahead of his first season in charge, completing deals for Philippe Coutinho, Boubacar Kamara and Diego Carlos.

However, he doesn’t plan to stop there, with recent reports from The Telegraph stating that Villa are exploring a move for Suarez after the 35-year-old was released by Atletico Madrid.

Villa correspondent Gregg Evans revealed on Wednesday that the club are still ‘weighing up a move’ for Suarez.

The Latest: Agbonlahor’s comments

Agbonlahor, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider after hearing about Villa’s interest in a move for Suarez.

He feels that a move could materialise for the Uruguayan to provide some competition to Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings, providing Suarez doesn’t ask for a ‘crazy’ wage.

“It depends on wages.

“I don’t see Villa paying Coutinho wages on Suarez, I don’t think they would do that. If the wages aren’t crazy then I don’t see why not.

“Adding an experienced striker like Suarez for a season, why not? Gerrard knows him well, he’ll get the best out of him.

“Villa need a bit of help up front. Watkins is a top player and Ings is a top player but you need a couple more strikers in there for some competition up there.”

The Verdict: Possible?

With no transfer fee involved, there is no reason why Villa and Gerrard can’t get a deal over the line for Suarez.

However, like Coutinho agreed to, you’d expect that Suarez would have to lower his previous £263,000-a-week wage for there to be any chance of a Premier League return.

Coutinho took a 70% pay cut but is still on £125,000-a-week in the Midlands, something Villa may well be open to offering Suarez, who has scored 69 goals in 110 Premier League games.

In other news: Sky Sports: Villa and Gerrard already now prioritising a fourth target; NSWE are closing in. 

Leeds United now want to sign Barcelona’s Sergino Dest after Manchester United were offered the right-back’s services, TEAMtalk report.

The Lowdown: Aaronson wrapped up

The Whites have made a quick start to their summer business by signing long-term target Brenden Aaronson. The attacking midfielder was officially unveiled as a Leeds player on Thursday evening, penning a five-year deal at Elland Road.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-44/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Aaronson will now link up with Jesse Marsch once again following their successful short stint together at FC Salzburg, and it looks as if another USA international could be on their way.

The Latest: Dest links

TEAMtalk shared a story on Wednesday morning regarding Leeds and Dest after Manchester United were offered his services.

They claimed that Marsch now wants to bring Dest to Yorkshire after being made surplus to requirements at the Nou Camp.

The Verdict: Needed?

Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas both look set to miss the start of next season through injury, so bringing in Dest could be a shrewd move.

Rated at €70m (£59m) by CIES, Dest made 31 appearances in 2021/22 and even played as a left-back, right-winger and left-winger. He’s clearly an exciting versatile young talent who already has Champions League and Europa League experience, and sharing the same agency as Leeds stars Ayling, Patrick Bamford and Dan James may make a transfer easier as well.

However, another young right-back linked with a move to Leeds is Aberdeen’s Calvin Ramsay, so it could be one or the other when it comes to bolstering their full-back ranks.

In other news: Leeds and Orta ask about signing ‘extraordinary’ talent for Marsch. 

Leeds United journalist Beren Cross believes Kiko Casilla will leave the club in some capacity during the upcoming summer transfer window. 

The lowdown: Bielsa signing

Signed as a free agent from Real Madrid in 2019, the experienced goalkeeper made 62 outings for Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa before falling out of favour.

Since then, despite being hailed as a ‘complete player’ by Bielsa upon completing his switch to Elland Road, the veteran shot-stopper has been shipped out to Elche on a season-long loan deal.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-3/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Due to return to Yorkshire in the coming weeks and with another year to run on his contract, one reputable journalist has shed some light on the Spaniard’s situation…

The latest: ‘Highly likely’

Answering questions as part of a Q&A for Leeds Live, Cross addressed what could happen next for Casilla as part of a broader question about the fringe players in the squad.

He said: “Casilla has another year on his Leeds deal, but he has already said he never expects to play for Leeds again after moving to Elche. A sale or loan is highly likely for the goalkeeper.”

The one-cap Spain international indicated that his ‘intention is to stay in Spain’ back in July 2021.

The verdict: Cut ties

Many of even the most devoted Leeds faithful might’ve been forgiven for forgetting Casilla was still a member of Jesse Marsch’s extended squad.

Having made only 15 appearances in Spain this season Casilla looks to be heading towards the twilight of what has been a trophy-laden career having been a part of three UEFA Champions League trophy wins.

Regardless of the prospect of continued Premier League status at Elland Road and Illan Meslier’s future as a result, Director of Football Victor Orta, who played a significant role in bringing the stopper to the club, should be looking to offload Casilla and in turn take some wages off the bill if possible.

In other news: Orta now eyeing transfer move for exciting winger even if Leeds are in the Championship.