All posts by z3u9t.icu

According to a report by The Mirror, Jose Mourinho is eyeing a move for Southampton colossus Jannik Vestergaard this summer as he makes the signing of a central defender a top priority – and it’s Tottenham’s belief they can land themselves a bargain as the 6 foot 6 powerhouse enters the final year of his contract. 

Jose eyeing Vestergaard

The Denmark international is reportedly a wanted man by Mourinho after a solid season, with Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl arguably missing him when he was reduced to the sidelines through injury.

As per The Mirror, Tottenham have been very impressed with everything Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has brought to the club and could wish to swoop for another bargain addition from the south coast club.

It is reported that Mourinho personally believes Vestergaard could bring the desired surety in defence which Spurs have arguably lacked at times this season, and Tottenham view him as a possible bargain given his contract situation.

Transfer Tavern take

It’s hard not to see why the Lilywhites boss is a fan judging by recent plaudits, with Martin Keown likening Vestergaard to Virgil van Dijk in an exclusive interview with talkSPORT.

As well as this, former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood hailed the 28-year-old as ‘outstanding’ for his Southampton contribution this season when speaking on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday at the end of January (via HITC).

The giant Dane has won 3.6 headers per game this season, the most of any Saints player and more than anyone in Spurs’ squad.

Time will tell whether Mourinho manages to land Vestergaard in the summer, but he certainly seems interested and could be a decent addition

In other news: Tottenham have been sent a Harry Kane warning, find out more here.

Liverpool loanee Harry Wilson sent Jurgen Klopp a message with another brilliant performance for Wales against Belgium on Wednesday evening.

Despite Wales eventually falling to defeat thanks to goals from Kevin de Bruyne, Thorgan Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, it was another productive evening for the 24-year-old, who opened the scoring as he polished off a fantastic team move in just the 10th minute of the game.

It was an impressive showing from the Reds’ midfielder to add to his eye-catching numbers for adoptive employers Cardiff City throughout the season – form that should see him be awarded a place in the Liverpool first-team set-up.

In 32 appearances in the Welsh capital so far after joining on-loan in the summer, Wilson has managed to score four times and provided 10 assists in all competitions. Only striker Kieffer Moore has contributed more for the Bluebirds this season – emphasising Wilson’s importance to the team this season.

Ironically, these numbers are only slightly worse than fellow Reds’ loanee Harvey Elliott, who too is earning rave reviews for his displays in the second tier for Blackburn Rovers.

Wilson’s campaign though is the latest in a long line of impressive seasons away from Anfield though.

He previously had eye-catching spells with Hull City and Derby County in the Championship, scoring 25 goals over a season-and-a-half in all competitions – a remarkable count for a wide player.

He then carried that form into his next loan move with Bournemouth in the Premier League.

Wilson scored seven goals in his first-ever top-flight campaign and despite the Cherries suffering relegation, suitably impressed.

It was expected upon his return to Anfield that he was going to stake a claim in the first team. He made just one Carabao Cup appearance though before departing for Cardiff.

Wilson, who is now valued at £14.4m, will hope that both of his form for the Bluebirds and on the international stage is enough for Klopp to sit up, take notice and finally give him an opportunity that he is certainly deserving of.

Elliott has been getting a lot of buzz for his performances at Blackburn, but Wilson is proving himself to be just as capable, if not more, than the teenager.

AND in more news, Reds’ fans have been discussing the prospect of signing Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Howey, who made 270 career appearances, believes that losing Jamaal Lascelles through injury will be a big blow for Newcastle United, but hopes they have other leaders in the squad.

Steve Bruce delivered the disappointing news in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Burnley clash that he will be without his captain for what appears to be the remainder of the season, in a match that could give them some serious breathing space from 18th-placed Fulham.

During Callum Wilson’s latest injury, Lascelles has been the club’s top scorer with two headers against Aston Villa and Wolves respectively with both goals earning the Magpies a point in each match.

Speaking on how big of a blow losing Lascelles will be for Newcastle but how he hopes they will have other leaders ready to step up, Howey told FFC:

“Obviously it is a blow losing your skipper, but you’d like to think that there are some more leaders in the group.

“It just came out of nowhere, because there wasn’t any mention of an injury and then all of a sudden, he’s got this stress fracture, which is a blow.”

Lascelles has been an ever-present when fit under Bruce, having featured 19 times in the Premier League this season.

The 26-year old was appointed captain during their last season in the Championship when eyebrows were raised, considering he was just 22-years old at the time, with Rafa Benitez claiming he had a big character and was a leader in the changing room.

Everton travel to West Bromwich Albion on Thursday looking to move inside the top-four of the Premier League standings, for a few hours at least.

The Toffees will move above Liverpool, Chelsea and West Ham United and into the Champions League positions with a win at the Hawthorns, before Jurgen Klopp’s Reds and Thomas Tuchel’s Blues face off at Anfield later tonight.

Everton have played one game fewer than their rivals for a UEFA berth and will hope to put the pressure on their competition, but Carlo Ancelotti faces a wealth of fitness concerns ahead of his side’s midweek contest.

With the Goodison Park natives also in action at Stamford Bridge on Monday, Ancelotti will be expected to rest and rotate his squad. So, with that in mind, here’s a potential line-up that the Italian tactician could name against Sam Allardyce’s Baggies…

Ancelotti has shown a willingness to rotate his goalkeeper options this season and may have sought to afford regular number one Jordan Pickford a break against West Brom, but may be forced to stick with the England international due to concerns over Robin Olsen’s fitness.

The AS Roma loanee is one of several Everton players facing late fitness tests to feature at the Hawthorns, where defender Yerry Mina plus midfielders Fabian Delph and Jean-Philippe Gbamin will be unavailable due to respective calf, tendon and Achilles injuries.

“We are going to check these players in training to see if they will be available or not,” Ancelotti said on Wednesday, regarding Seamus Coleman, James Rodriguez, Tom Davies and Olsen.

“For sure, we will not have Mina, Delph and Gbamin. The other players, we will also check.”

Ancelotti added that Allan is also a doubt following his return from a hamstring injury, noting: “After a few months out, he was maybe not 100 per cent fit [against Southampton].

“I think the staff worked hard on him. He was in good condition. He was motivated and wanted to play. Of course, he is a player we have to check today [Wednesday] to see if he can play against West Brom.”

With Davies being ruled unavailable, alongside the absences of Delph and Gbamin and doubts about Allan, that might force Ancelotti into naming Abdoulaye Doucoure and Andre Gomes as his sole engine room occupants at the Hawthorns.

The pair opened Monday’s win over Southampton beside Allan, while Mina’s injury plus the concerns over Coleman could see that Mason Holgate, Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey and Lucas Digne feature in an unchanged backline despite the need for rotation.

Ancelotti playing Rodriguez’s return cautiously after resting the Colombian at home to the Saints will likely see Gylfi Sigurdsson remain in the creative midfield role, joined by Richarlison and a return for £50,000-per-week winger Alex Iwobi in place of Allan.

Top-scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin may be afforded a rest against West Brom, after the “determined” striker, per Joleon Lescott, delivered a tireless display against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s St. Mary’s natives during his first start since returning from a hamstring injury.

The England international sitting out his side’s trip to the Hawthorns will likely offer January arrival Joshua King a chance to earn his first start in royal blue, amid claims the Merseyside outfit will look to retain the Norway international beyond the end of the season.

AND in other news, Everton eye a £22.5m-rated speedster who is “hungry for success”…

For Leeds United, last summer was all about two Rodrigo’s. One was from Spain and the other from Argentina. Coincidentally, the duo are both very similar individuals too.

Of course, Leeds managed to bring former Valencia attacker Rodrigo to the club for a club-record £30m. However, another player on their radar was Udinese’s Rodrigo De Paul.

The dynamic midfielder was a staunch target for Leeds and the midfielder even teased the club’s supporters over a move on social media.

Unfortunately, the creative maestro ended up having a price tag too big for Andrea Radrizzani’s coffers. Their interest hasn’t dwindled though and with three straight defeats to bring in 2021, the need for more fluidity in the Leeds side has become even more apparent.

Well, if they finally chase a deal for De Paul until the end, they would secure a marvellous player. The 26-year-old is having a terrific campaign, registering four goals and three assists in all competitions.

Possessing the ability to score goals and assist, huge parallels can be drawn to both Pablo Hernandez and Mateusz Klich. The duo are now both over 30, though, and judging by this current campaign, they are lacking the qualities to play in the top-flight of English football.

Hernandez has started just two league outings all term while Klich has only scored once in his last 17 Premier League outings.

Therefore, just imagine the type of midfield Leeds would have if they welcomed De Paul to Elland Road. Now, Rodrigo may not have completely hit the ground running in Yorkshire – scoring three times this term – but a pairing of him and the Argentine would be one of the most eye-catching in the league.

Why? Because while De Paul is adept going forward, he has the energy required to run the game from midfield in Marcelo Bielsa’s high-tempo system.

For Udinese, he plays in a slightly deeper role and against Napoli on Saturday, he was once again the shining light for his side.

He scored his team’s only goal in a 2-1 defeat and performed a colossal five dribbles – more than anyone on the pitch. For context, neither Klich nor Rodrigo have managed more than three dribbles in a single game this season.

That wasn’t the only facet he offered against Sampdoria, however. De Paul also won eight ground duels – again more than anyone on the pitch.

He was clearly a class above, succeeding with all four of his long balls forward. Only Luke Ayling produced more for Leeds this weekend, while Raphinha was the only person to match the Whites’ transfer target for ground duels.

De Paul is a player described as someone who “lacks absolutely nothing” by his former manager Julio Velazquez and his performance this weekend certainly showcases that.

If that isn’t enough, his running could help to get the best out of Rodrigo. He could lend a hand in the engine room where the Spaniard doesn’t typically track back. This acquisition could be game-changing for a whole host of reasons.

Even for a fee of £30m, Leeds simply have to sign him. Klich and Hernandez have not been up to scratch this term and another option in a busy end to the campaign would be invaluable for Bielsa.

AND in other news, Forget Bamford: Leeds must revive interest in £27m beast with “magic in his feet”…

With Rangers’ managing director Stewart Robinson recently stating that the club may be forced to sell some of its prized assets in the summer to boost their financial position, Borna Barisic, Connor Goldson, James Tavernier and Kai Kennedy are a handful of names that immediately spring to mind.

The latter of whom happens to be a highly talented teenager and with his contract set to expire in 2023, it’s understandable why the club might be tempted to cash in on the promising starlet.

Rangers youngster Kennedy, who was once dubbed a “fabulous little player” by Steven Gerrard, recently signed a new two-year contract that will keep him at his boyhood club for the foreseeable future. However, the 18-year-old has previously attracted interest from the likes of European giants Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Roma, as well as Premier League strugglers Sheffield United.

But all that talk will have to wait for now, however, as he is continuing to make waves in the Championship with Raith Rovers after a short stint with Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

The scorer of two goals and supplier of four assists this season, Kennedy has caught the eye with his flair for the theatrics, while he is proving to be a force to be reckoned with his combination of pace, physicality, athleticism and technique.

Don’t let his small stature deceive you – a return of three assists sees him rank sixth in the Championship this season, which shows that he is a real menace for the opposition.

Following the arrival of Scott Wright from Aberdeen, Kennedy could’ve been forgiven for feeling a little anxious about his long-term prospects.

But Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson’s recent comments show just how highly he is rated within the club.

“Kai consistently stated during all of our conversations that his ultimate ambition is to be a successful Rangers player and we are pleased we have a clear plan that allows him to move towards achieving the ambition he has held since joining our Academy as a young lad.

“He has progressed beyond our B Team and he needs to develop and influence strongly at first-team level now. We were pleased with his performances at Inverness and thank John Robertson for his work with Kai.

“For personal reasons, Kai wanted to be closer to his family during Covid times and we look forward to monitoring his contribution to Raith Rovers in their pursuit of promotion.”

Intuitive, quick and capable of bringing the ball out to put his side on the front foot, it looks like Kennedy has a bright future ahead of him. Whether he will be plying his trade at Ibrox next season remains to be seen, as he may end up leaving on loan, but whoever acquires his services will be delighted to get their hands on one of Scottish football’s hottest prospects.

AND in other news, Ianis Hagi stars in Rangers’ 1-0 win over St Johnstone…

If you could have predicted one fixture in the Premier League today to end in a 0-0 draw, it was always going to be West Bromwich Albion’s clash with Newcastle.

Both teams have been poor this season and consequently, this match was a relegation six-pointer. West Brom are currently in the relegation zone and a win today would have restored the gap to themselves and the Magpies.

Yet, in rather torrid fashion, they played out a goalless draw, a result that did neither side any favours on Sunday afternoon.

Sam Allardyce’s men kept their fourth successive clean sheet but were laboured in front of goal as they lacked the cutting edge necessary to see off Newcastle.

The man who typified their poor display this afternoon was Mbaye Diagne. Sporting eye-catching blue hair, that was about the most exciting thing on offer from him.

Diagne arrived in January on a loan deal and after scoring in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United, looked a solid acquisition. Though, as his performances of late are showing, he may not be up to scratch in the Premier League.

A number of players were dismal on Sunday, no less than Ainsley Maitland-Niles. His decision making was left wanting on a number of occasions in the middle of the park, but he was at least keen to drive his team forward, performing five dribbles.

The same cannot be said for Diagne. He didn’t offer much of a presence up top and made just 12 passes in the entire match. Though, most concerning of all was the Senegalese’s finishing ability.

Conor Townsend was rampant down the left-hand side but despite creating numerous chances for Albion’s striker, he didn’t tuck them away. Diagne’s movement was good but when the ball actually landed at his feet, he left Martin Dubravka with no reason to be fearful.

The winter signing fired a total of three attempts off target, costing Allardyce dearly in a game that meant so much to his team.

To make matters worse, he lost possession of the ball on 15 occasions. When you consider that he only touched it 33 times, it makes for pretty glum reading. Diagne was so poor that his tally of touches was actually fewer than goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

If West Brom want to stay in the division, they’ll need to find someone capable of scoring goals regularly sooner rather than later. Diagne doesn’t feel like the answer to their prayers.

AND in other news, “Might come back and haunt them” – Exclusive: Pundit raises doubts over “unfair” West Brom call…

Manchester City highlighted their title credentials as they eased to a 3-1 win against Chelsea on Sunday afternoon, despite several first-team players missing after an outbreak of the virus in their camp.

The Citizens were without the likes of Ederson, Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus for the game against Frank Lampard’s side after they tested positive for the virus, whilst Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Ake both missed out through injury, leaving Oleksandr Zinchenko to start at left-back.

However, Pep Guardiola’s side blew Chelsea away in a 20-minute spell which saw Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne score to effectively seal the three points, before Callum Hudson-Odoi’s late consolation goal.

Although both De Bruyne and Foden will get a lot of plaudits for their superb displays, which earned them 8.3 and 8.2 match ratings from SofaScore respectively, it was perhaps the performance of Gundogan which will have pleased Guardiola the most.

As per SofaScore, the former Borussia Dortmund man picked up a 7.7 match rating for his display, which was joint-third with Ruben Dias as the highest of any player who started the game.

During his time on the pitch, the 30-year-old midfielder would complete 34/38 of his passes, resulting in an impressive success rate of 89%, emphasising that it was not just his goal that marked him out as one of the better performers at Stamford Bridge.

The German international, who reportedly earns £140,000-a-week, was also successful in all three of his dribble attempts during the game, whilst he impressively won six out of eight duels, which demonstrates that he was just a class above the Chelsea midfield on Sunday afternoon.

Back in 2019, Guardiola heaped praise on the midfielder, saying:

“Definitely, but he gets the credit from all of us, not just myself. He’s an exceptional player. Also, he knows how good he has to play, as there are many others in that position.”

It is clear that the Spanish manager is a huge fan of Gundogan, having urged the Manchester City board to sign him in 2016 despite his injury issues with Dortmund and he will no doubt be delighted that his decision paid off, after what was another superb display from the midfielder against Chelsea.

And, in other news, Guardiola can sign Mendy upgrade in PL beast with a taste for goals…

Newcastle missed out on signing their own Paul Pogba in Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot over the summer.

What was the story?

According to reports from Italy, the Magpies were very keen on luring the France international to St James’ Park, and that a move for the former PSG starlet was not dependent on their proposed takeover going through.

The report added that fellow Premier League sides Manchester United and Everton were also interested in signing him, and that Rabiot himself was looking firmly at a switch to England.

In the end, Rabiot of course stayed put in Turin, and given what he could have potentially brought to the table on Tyneside, it does feel like a missed opportunity.

He embarrassed Yohan Cabaye

Standing at 6 foot 2, Rabiot is in a similar mould to fellow Frenchman Paul Pogba, in that despite his height, his main strengths are with the ball at his feet and his huge technical quality.

Legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who has seen him up close for Juventus, hailed the ability that Rabiot possesses, claiming: “He is a fantastic mix, he has the physical strength of Pogba, who is like a wardrobe, has the personality of Vidal and potentially the dynamism of Marchisio.

“He is incredible, extremely strong. He needs to improve his timing when approaching the opponent’s penalty area but he can become a player with 10 goals per season. He’s also a good boy and a great team-mate.”

And if Newcastle fans watched his early rise to prominence closely, then they may have a wry smile at how he ousted former Magpies midfielder Yohan Cabaye at PSG. An article from PSGtalk reflected on how the veteran ace was so inconsistent at the Parc des Princes, that a young and inexperienced Rabiot moved ahead of him in the pecking order and took over his place – it was the ultimate symbol of how his career failed to take off in France.

But with his current wages at Juventus apparently around the £225k-per-week mark, it’s somewhat understandable the Magpies didn’t go all in for Rabiot despite his obvious talents.

Nuno Santo never usually has too many selection dilemmas.

After all, this is a man who in 166 of his 168 Wolves matches, has stuck with a formation that sees three centre-backs operate.

Furthermore, he is used to working with a small squad.

In each of the last two seasons, his side used the fewest number of players in the entire Premier League – 21. It’s a similar story this term too, with the Old Gold utilising just 20 players – the third-fewest of any top-flight team.

So, why after all this time, does he finally have a big problem in his squad? Well, that’s because he’s suddenly changed the formation, deviating away from his tried and trusted three or five at the back system.

Against Southampton, Nuno moved to four defenders and after drawing with the Saints, he used the same formation versus Arsenal. The result this time was a win, and they did it without one of their star players – Ruben Neves.

The Portuguese started against the Saints but at the Emirates Stadium, Nuno proved that he doesn’t necessarily need Neves in his side. Against one of the better teams in the division, it was impressive, but it’s also brought about an issue. How does he get back into the starting XI?

Of course, the midfielder is a class above, described as someone who “blew everybody’s mind,” when he first arrived in English football.

Though, with Daniel Podence’s performance in a number 10 role against Arsenal, it’s meant that playing three deeper midfielders of Neves, Dendoncker and Moutinho like there was against Southampton isn’t needed.

Podence was electrifying as he found the back of the net and performed four dribbles, tormenting the Gunners backline. Dropping him, therefore, would be a controversial decision.

It’s also tough to drop Dendoncker. He hit the woodwork in north London and dominated the middle of the park by winning five aerial duels.

Consequently, it’s difficult to see how Neves works his way back into the team.

The £45m-rated star has usually been one of the first names on the team sheet but now he’ll have to work hard to guarantee his place.

This could become a real headache for Nuno.

In other news, Wolves missed out on their IDEAL Adama Traore successor last summer…