All posts by z3u9t.icu

As per Sport, a significant update has dropped involving West Ham United and Barcelona goalkeeper Neto as manager David Moyes plots to replace Lukassz Fabianski.

The Lowdown: Fabianski nearing end?

West Ham’s current number one is nearing the twilight phase of his career and they may have to start planning for the future sooner rather than later.

Having just retired from international duty with Poland, Fabianski’s career at club level is also a talking point with his current deal set to expire in 2022.

The Irons snapped up Alphonse Areola on a season-long loan with the option to make it permanent but it appears new transfer chief Rob Newman has alternatives in mind.

The Latest: West Ham ‘best placed’ to sign Neto…

As Barcelona seek to get the Brazilian powerhouse shot stopper off their wage bill, it is believed that ‘he may already have a foot and a half outside the club’, according to Sport.

Indeed, the Catalans will apparently let him go and it may well happen as soon as January, with West Ham now the ‘best placed’ to sign him if he does leave.

Moyes is apparently preparing to replace Fabianski and has one eye on the 6 foot 3 keeper.

The Irons could in fact ‘bet’ on a swoop for his services.

The Verdict: Right move?

Given their links to England international Sam Johnstone and the presence of Areola, we believe the potential signing of Neto isn’t exactly a headline-grabber by comparison.

At 32-years-old with just a handful of Barca starts over the last two seasons, he comes as an arguable back up at best to better options like Johnstone – who himself could leave for West Brom due to his 2022 contract situation.

In other news: Contact made: West Ham have already positioned themselves to sign 17-goal ‘real handful’ for Moyes, find out more here.

As per a report in The Daily Mirror’s print edition (28.01.21, pg. 58, via The 72), a transfer update has come out of Tottenham Hotspur involving West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

The Lowdown: Tottenham eye Johnstone move…

The Baggies ace will be a name familiar to Lilywhites supporters given he has been linked repeatedly before, with talkSPORT most recently claiming Spurs and transfer chief Fabio Paratici remain in contention for his signature.

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

Tottenham, joined by the likes of Southampton and West Ham, are consistently mentioned as interested clubs with Johnstone’s contract at the Hawthorns set to expire soon.

If West Brom are to make a profit, they must cash-in over the next two days or risk losing him for nothing at the end of 2021/2022.

Johnstone’s manager, Valerien Ismael, left him out of West Brom’s last squad to face Preston North End – citing it as a behind-the-scenes ‘issue’ and one which will remain ‘internal’ (Birmingham Live).

The Latest: Spurs ‘could make a last minute move’…

After this development, it is claimed by The Mirror (via The 72) that Spurs could now ‘make a last minute move’ to sign the 28-year-old before deadline.

The fellow usual suspects, West Ham and Southampton, are also mentioned as clubs who may make an eleventh hour bid.

The Verdict: Priority?

Signing Johnstone should, at the very most, be a priority for the summer window when he is a free agent – especially since Conte has four other priority positions to strengthen before January 31.

The Italian wants a right-wing-back, midfielder, left-sided central defender and a striker through the door at N17 but time is very much running out (Alasdair Gold).

Johnstone comes with merit, with the Three Lions ace even being called ‘unreal’ by former Premier League shot stopper Paddy Kenny for his form in the Midlands over this last year.

Meanwhile, Spurs favourite Glenn Hoddle raved about the 6 foot 3 powerhouse in a column for The Evening Standard – branding Johnstone ‘outstanding’.

Plaudits like these don’t come from nowhere, but with time ticking down, Conte must surely be looking at other targets first.

In other news: Spurs also preparing last gasp marquee bid to sign ‘special’ forward, find out more here.

Leicester City failed to build on their opening day victory over Wolves, crashing to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of West Ham United on Monday night.

The Foxes went into the clash with a depleted backline after new signing Jannik Vestergaard added to the extensive list of absentees through injury and illness, but manager Brendan Rodgers would still have been confident of securing a positive result.

However, it was a poor night for the FA Cup holders at the London Stadium. The Hammers pounced on a poor Jamie Vardy touch to devastating effect on 26 minutes, with a swift counterattack resulting in a smart Pablo Fornals finish.

Things went from bad to worse soon after for Leicester, though. Ayoze Perez was dismissed just before half-time for a stamp on the goalscorer, leaving the visitors a goal down and a man down heading into the break.

Although the Spaniard had a night to forget, it was arguably one of his teammates who really killed off any chance of a comeback just 11 minutes into the second half.

After Leicester had kept things tight following Perez’s red card, a loss of concentration saw Caglar Soyuncu attempt a blind backpass for Kasper Schmeichel, presenting the ball straight to Michail Antonio, who set up a grateful Said Benrahma for a simple tap-in.

It was just one of several errors from the usually dependable centre-back, who proved to be a liability on the night. As per SofaScore, the Turkey international received a match rating of just 5.8 out of 10, the second-lowest of any player on the pitch.

Soyuncu also lost 50% of his duels on the night, coughed up possession a whopping 15 times (most of any Foxes player) and was successful with just four of his 12 attempted long balls (SofaScore).

In a game where he was tasked with marshaling the backline as the club’s senior defender and only fit centre-back, the £40.5m-rated beast let Rodgers down and heavily contributed to Leicester’s collapse.

Although Youri Tielemans’ effort gave the Midlands outfit a glimmer of hope at 2-1, Soyuncu and co. were unable to cope with an impressive Antonio, and his brace sealed an abject night for the visitors and for the Turkish defender.

In other news… Leicester confirm major update which will leave fans absolutely buzzing 

Many Wolves fans have been left reacting to some shock transfer news involving Jerome Boateng.

As per a report from earlier on in the week by Bild, which has since been shared by Talking Wolves on their Twitter page, the Midlands club had contacted the former Bayern Munich central defender before he moved to Lyon in the summer window.

They reportedly offered him more money, but he was advised to sign for the Ligue 1 team instead.

It would certainly have been a shock move given the defender’s frankly remarkable haul of trophies, but he is 33 years of age now, and has suffered from various injury problems in the past.

As the Molineux faithful have now brought in Yerson Mosquera as well, they are pretty healthy in the centre-back department, and so perhaps it is a relief that they did not end up signing Boateng, especially as he is also embroiled in various legal controversies at the moment.

Wolves fans on Boateng transfer news

These WWFC supporters gave some very negative reactions to the news as it was shared on Twitter:

“Bed”

Credit: @wwfcglover

“Poor man’s Kilman anyway”

Credit: @Wolfy1994

“He’s no Max Kilman though is he…”

Credit: @ChriWoodward

“I think we dodged a bullet there, never rated him and wages would have been sky high”

Credit: @garybrazier1

“We dodged a bullet there”

Credit: @stephenasm64

“Really?”

Credit: @Roden0707

In other news, find out which ace likened to Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe the Wanderers tried to sign here!

Tottenham Hotspur have endured quite a horrid time ever since their defeat in the Champions League final in 2019.

Mauricio Pochettino was sacked soon after, Jose Mourinho has been and gone. Ryan Mason even returned in a caretaker capacity.

And the north Londoners are yet to break back into the top four – a stark contrast from their run of three successive top-three finishes under the Argentine.

The squad had got very stale, with several players way overstaying their welcome. It was only this summer that the likes of Erik Lamela and Moussa Sissoko were finally moved on.

Player recruitment has always been questionable throughout chairman Daniel Levy’s time at the helm but he does deserve plenty of credit for perhaps their biggest shining light throughout these tough few seasons.

Last summer, the Spurs supremo managed to haggle Southampton for their skipper, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who only cost £15m. The Saints had been wanting over double that (£35m) beforehand.

He has arguably been one of their best signings of recent times, an ever-present figure under Mourinho, Mason and now Nuno Santo. And in that time, his value has skyrocketed.

As per CIES Football Observatory, the Danish powerhouse is now worth €50m (£45m) – an increase of 200% from their initial investment. A true Levy masterclass.

In the 14 months he has been at the club, Hojbjerg has already amassed 64 appearances, scoring four goals and providing five assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Back in December, Mourinho lauded the central midfielder as a “phenomenal player”.

“Pierre is, first of all, very intelligent. He reads the game very well. He’s going to be a coach one day, for sure,” the Portuguese told reporters (via Goal.com). “Physically he’s very, very strong and technically he’s much better than people think. Because sometimes people think the guy that is good technically is the guy that does the backheel. The guy that is good technically is the guy that does something wonderful. But these are not my words. These are words from coaches of 30, 40 years ago. Simplicity is genius.”

Also dubbed a “monster” by one-time Denmark and Derby County midfielder Morten Bisgaard, Hojbjerg has been a real success story for Spurs and Levy in particular, especially when you contrast it to the investment in Tanguy Ndombele.

The Lilywhites chief certainly played a blinder over signing the 26-year-old beast last season.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Spurs transfer claim ahead of the January transfer window…

Many Southampton fans have been left buzzing as it was confirmed who will they will play in the Carabao Cup second round.

As per their official Twitter page, they will face Newport County away from home, who currently play their football in the EFL League Two.

Given that they are three divisions above them in the Premier League, this means that the St. Mary’s faithful should have a good chance of going through into the next round of the competition.

Perhaps more importantly in this instance, it gives Saints supporters a chance to go on a new away trip after a year of football without fans, and so it is not a surprise to see so many of them buzzing when they heard who they were going to face.

Southampton fans on cup draw

These fans buzzed as the draw was announced on Twitter, with one Saints supporter exclaiming it is a cup tie they can get ‘excited’ for, while another described it as ‘fantastic’:

“What a fantastic draw…! Better than Palace, Arsenal or Sunderland!”

Credit: @cj_garrett

“Can’t wait”

Credit: @ryanrd1905

“Away days are backkkkk”

Credit: @DanColmer

“Now this is a cup tie I’m excited for”

Credit: @Trimbleee_

“This’ll be a good away day #SaintsFC”

Credit: @T_2292

“Love that!”

Credit: @SaintsProgs

In other news, find out what club news has Saints buzzing here!

BBC pundit Noel Whelan has been reacting to Newcastle full-back Jamal Lewis’ hamstring injury, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Lewis pulls up

The 23-year-old was making just his fourth Premier League start of the season against Liverpool on Thursday but had to make way after just 15 minutes.

The Northern Ireland international was starting to become a regular under Eddie Howe, but he now looks set for a spell on the sidelines, with Howe admitting after the 3-1 defeat that his issue ‘looked bad’.

Matt Ritchie replaced Lewis at Anfield, with the latter possibly missing the entire festive period due to his muscle problem, which starts with today’s clash against leaders and champions Manchester City.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Whelan, who regularly features as a pundit for the BBC, was talking to Football Insider regarding the injury.

This is what he had to say in reply, labelling it as a ‘massive blow’ for Howe and Newcastle:

“He will be a big miss.

“He’s got that real energy and is capable of getting up and down the pitch in that natural wing-back position – that’s why he was signed from Norwich.

“It’s yet another muscle injury, and that just shows what a demanding season it is for everybody – and it will have been the last thing Eddie Howe wanted. He’s lost an integral part of the team.

“It’s a massive blow for him. He must be thinking: ‘When are things going to change for me?’”

The Verdict: Ritchie to the rescue…

Howe currently has three defenders out injured, two of whom are left-backs, so he may have no other choice but to rely on Ritchie over the coming weeks.

At least the 32-year-old is a player Howe knows well from his time at Bournemouth, and the Scot already has plenty of game-time under his belt this season.

Hopefully Ritchie will stay fit between now and the New Year, as otherwise Newcastle and Howe may have to use round pegs in square holes to fill the left-back void.

In other news, NUFC have made a huge offer to sign this ‘force of nature’

West Bromwich Albion succumbed to a first home defeat since February as Steve Bruce’s side lost 3-1 to Stoke City in the Championship this afternoon.A Jake Livermore own goal in the first half got the Potters underway before Jacob Brown doubled the visitors’ lead in the second half.There were hopes of a comeback when Callum Robinson halved the deficit with 17 minutes to go but those were ultimately extinguished when Lewis Baker scored the clincher for Michael O’Neil’s men deep into added time.It was a lacklustre display from the Baggies, who will probably be desperate to see the back end of the campaign given their 11th-placed position, with any chance of sneaking into the play-offs all but over.Having spent last term in the Premier League, Albion’s first season back in the Championship has certainly been a disappointment, particularly with results like today’s.What has also been a disappointment is the West Brom tenure of winger Grady Diangana so far.The 23-year-old West Ham youth product was sold by West Ham at the start of last season after the winger impressed on loan at The Hawthorns in the 2019/20 campaign.The transfer gained plenty of attention, not for the fee or context of the move but for the public outburst from West Ham captain Mark Noble, who tweeted: “As captain of this football club I’m gutted, angry and sad that Grady has left, great kid with a great future!!!!!”

However, the signs of a great future have still yet to be shown at West Brom by Diangana, who endured a tricky afternoon against the Potters today and let his manager down.

According to SofaScore, the 23-year-old had fewer touches of the ball (30) in his 58 minutes on the pitch than goalkeeper Sam Johnstone (42). Moreover, the winger lost the ball on 12 occasions, an average of every 2.5 touches, had no shots and attempted just two dribbles, completing neither.

There was little defensive contribution either, with the 23-year-old failing to make a single clearance, block or interception and winning just one tackle. Furthermore, Diangana lost six of his eight duels (75%).

On a more positive note, the winger’s passing was mostly accurate, with an 88% success rate, whilst he also completed two long balls. However, it was largely an afternoon to forget for the Englishman.

That’s a phrase which has been thrown around frequently about the winger since making his move to West Brom permanent, with Diangana scoring just three goals since leaving east London for good.

Two of those have come this season, along with just one assist, in 37 Championship appearances, so there needs to be more end product from the player.

The season appears to be all but over for Albion, with 2022/23 being Bruce’s first full campaign in charge of the Baggies.

Whether or not that will end positively will become clear over time, but what is certain is that Diangana will need to show signs of improving his contributions for West Brom, as otherwise he may well be on the move again.

In other news: West Brom now set for big disaster over “unbelievable” £7.2m-rated gem

Leeds United are eyeing a January transfer move for Middlesbrough midfielder Marcus Tavernier, with Victor Orta said to be a big fan of the player.

What’s the story?

According to TEAMtalk, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have joined the chase for the 22-year-old, with the likes of Southampton, Burnley and Brighton all having watched him closely among Premier League suitors.

The report added that Orta is a confirmed fan of the player, having overseen his rise during his time at the Riverside Stadium a few years ago.

Could be Leeds’ own Mason Mount

With the ability to play out wide on either flank, and in the centre of midfield, there’s a lot to like about Tavernier and what he could potentially bring to the table at Elland Road.

His former manager Tony Pulis once stated: “Some days he comes in and he’s brilliant, some days he’s a bit lackadaisical. He’s going to be a top player. He’ll eventually play in the Premier League.”

Indeed, former Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock has even suggested that Tavernier could well end up emulating the success of Mason Mount and the kind of impressive step-up he has made in recent times.

Warnock added: “I think he has a few strings to his bow to be honest. I looked at Mason Mount and how he’s come on in the 12 months, there’s no reason why Tav can’t do that in the next 12 months.

“If he motivates himself and listens he’s got some great attributes and good habits, and one or two not so good. All being well we can put him in the right direction and he’ll become a very good player. Not that he isn’t now but I think he could become even better.”

At 22, Tavernier could come on leaps and bounds under Bielsa’s guidance at Elland Road, and the man with 14 senior goals to his name could possibly enjoy a rapid rise to stardom with a move to Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, Leeds are facing a transfer battle for this Brazilian ace…

Rangers continued their march towards a second successive Scottish Premiership title as they thrashed Motherwell 6-1 on Sunday.

Steven Gerrard’s side won the league last season without losing a single match, racking up 102 points, as they won 34 matches and were held to draws in the other four.

It has not been quite as easy this term, but the Gers are top of the table after 12 games as they sit on 12 points. They have won eight, drawn three, lost one and are four points clear of second-placed Celtic.

Despite all of this success, Gerrard has also had bad moments in charge at Ibrox and a few of them have come in the transfer market. One piece of business that they may look back on with regret is the sale of Ross McCrorie to Aberdeen in February earlier this year.

After coming up through the ranks and heading out on several loans away from Rangers, McCrorie was sold to the Dons in February for a reported fee of £203k. He made 55 appearances for the Gers before his exit but only made 17 league appearances in each of his two senior seasons respectively.

Former Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes once lauded the midfielder and explained that he did not want to be a bit-part player, saying:

“I think he’s a dream on and off the pitch.

“He is different. He didn’t want to be in the shadows, he didn’t just want to be a Rangers squad player, he wanted to get out and get on with his career, and I love that about him.

“He deserves a lot of credit for that, because I know Rangers see qualities in him, but the fact Ross was in such a hurry to get on and get out is testament to him.

“His athleticism gets him out of trouble, his brain gets him out of trouble, gets him into positions. Having Ross’s power and intelligence in there allows us to play with one or two more attacking players.”

This season, McCrorie has started ten Premiership games for Aberdeen and caught the eye with some impressive performances. Per SofaScore, he has made 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game and won an eye-catching 67% of his duels overall, whilst also making 3.2 clearances per game.

At the time of writing (01/11/21), Transfermarkt value him at £900k. This is £697k more than what Rangers sold him for in February, which is why Gerrard may regret cashing in on him.

Steven Davis, meanwhile, for Rangers has not performed as well on the defensive side of the game. Per SofaScore, he has made 2.1 tackles and interceptions and 1.0 clearances per game, whilst only winning 46% of his duels. This suggests that McCrorie is a superior midfielder in terms of the defensive game.

Therefore, he could have been a great option for Gerrard to call upon in games, particularly in the Europa League for example, where they are not expected to dominate the ball. McCrorie has shown that he can excel at the physical side of the game and that could have been a useful asset for the Gers, which – coupled with the poor financial aspect of the deal – is why his sale was a howler from the club.

AND in other news, 87.5% duels lost: Rangers dud with 0 key passes let Gerrard down vs Motherwell…