All posts by z3u9t.icu

Newcastle United could now be in danger of losing Graeme Jones if Roberto Martinez becomes the new manager of FC Barcelona, claims Lee Ryder.

The Lowdown: Bust-up

It has been reported recently that Jones has been involved in a bust-up with Dwight Gayle on the training ground, in which Jamal Lascelles had to step in to try to break up.

However, the assistant coach to Steve Bruce has generally made a positive impact since arriving at St. James’ Park, as Callum Wilson praised him upon his arrival.

The Latest: Ryder on Jones

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Ryder has now claimed that Jones could leave the North East, if Martinez replaces Ronald Koeman at Barcelona.

There has been a rumour that the Belgium international manager could succeed the under-pressure Dutchman, and Jones has worked with him before with Belgium as well as at Everton and Wigan Athletic.

The Verdict: Keep

The Tyneside club need to keep hold of Jones if Martinez ends up at Barcelona, so that he can continue to assist Bruce on the touchline.

There is simply no need to get rid of him, and even though the chance to work at one of the most prestigious clubs in world football may be a tempting offer, Jones should stay put for now – look at how the results improved when he arrived last season.

Nonetheless, this is all speculation at the moment, and only time will tell whether any moves materialise.

In other news, find out which NUFC loanee has been likened to Nolberto Solano here!

Nottingham Forest have been handed a major boost in their bid to keep Brennan Johnson at the City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Daniel Taylor’s report for The Athletic, with the journalist claiming that Brentford have all but ended their pursuit of the 20-year-old attacking midfielder, as the Premier League side failed to tempt Forest into parting with the youngster with a number of bids – the latest of which was thought to be worth around £7m.

Taylor went on to state that Dane Murphy was not willing to sanction the sale of the Wales international unless Thomas Frank’s side offered a package worth £12m, which was comprised of a £10m upfront fee plus £2m in add-ons.

Hughton will be delighted

Considering the sheer amount of potential Johnson appears to possess, the fact that Murphy held firm on his asking price for the Forest forward will undoubtedly have delighted Chris Hughton, whose life would have been made much more difficult if the club decided to cash in on the youngster this summer.

Indeed, while the 62-year-old has seen his side get off to a disastrous start to their 2021/22 Championship campaign – having picked up a single point over their opening five-fixture of the season, leaving the Garibaldi rooted to the foot of the table – Johnson has nevertheless impressed for the club.

Indeed, over his five appearances in the league thus far, the £360k-rated man has scored one goal, registered one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.2 shots and making 1.2 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the player Sabri Lamouchi dubbed an “unbelievable” talent earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.84, ranking him as Hughton’s third-best performer in the second tier.

As such, the fact that Brentford appear to have admitted defeat in their pursuit of the £2.5k-per-week forward not only looks to be good news for Forest’s Championship hopes this season, but also for the future of the club – as, if the 20-year-old continues at his current rate of development, the Reds will undoubtedly be able to command a much more substantial figure than the £12m they were looking for this season further down the line.

In other news: Dane Murphy has offer accepted for “rare” £14k-p/w beast, Forest fans will be buzzing

Frank McAvennie has given his reaction to what Steve Bruce has recently said about some fans of Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Bruce snaps

As quoted by The Daily Mail, Bruce snapped after he was asked by the media if he heard the away supporters calling for his head after the 4-1 away loss to Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

The former Aston Villa and Sunderland manager said: “What can I say to that? What do you want me to say? I’m delighted about it? I can’t comment on that, I’m sorry.”

The Latest: McAvennie on Bruce

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie, who is now a pundit after playing as a striker for the likes of Celtic and West Ham United, has claimed that Bruce will have regretted his outburst, but can understand his frustration.

“Bruce will have regretted that.

“It’s just human nature to give something back after you get criticised. He was probably raging during the interview but he will have regretted it.

“Bruce is in a really hard position, he’s working with what he’s got. The owner hasn’t backed him and until Ashley goes, nothing will change.

“What’s he playing at? It was bizarre. With those comments but I can understand what he’s saying. He’s clearly very frustrated.

“Whoever comes in after Bruce, it will be the same unless the owner changes.

“Not one team would have gone to Old Trafford and won at the weekend, it was one of those occasions.”

The Verdict: Feeling the pressure

Bruce is clearly feeling the pressure, with the Toon Army rightfully on his back after such a poor start to the new season.

The St. James’ Park faithful sit in 19th place in the top-flight table with just one point and no wins from their first four league games (Premier League), and now there is huge pressure for them to get a result at home to Leeds United on Friday night, who are also one of the teams without a victory yet.

Nonetheless, Bruce should not sink to outbursts like the one after their defeat at the weekend, and instead concentrate on getting his team fully prepared for their next fixture, and more importantly try and get the supporters back onside.

In other news, find out whose set for a return against LUFC here!

Bruno Lage’s start to life as Wolves manager hasn’t been an easy one.

The Portuguese coach hasn’t been able to spend too freely in the transfer market and then oversaw a defeat during his first competitive game in the hot seat.

What’s the word?

If Wolves’ 1-0 loss to Leicester on Saturday told us anything, it’s that the Old Gold still desperately need to bring in some new faces in the transfer market.

Fortunately, Fosun are planning on doing exactly that.

According to Sky Sports, the Molineux outfit are keen on signing two defenders based in Italy; Takehiro Tomiyasu at Bologna and Nikola Milenkovic at Fiorentina.

With Tomiyasu preferring a move to Spurs, we want to focus on the latter, a Serbian centre-half who Wolves have reportedly made an enquiry to sign.

Big upgrade

After Wolves had to field Max Kilman and Romain Saiss at centre-back on Saturday afternoon, it’s evident that Lage is in need of some more recruits.

The former was a player tipped to leave under Nuno Santo while Saiss is thought to be an expendable asset in the club’s bid to sell players this summer.

The versatile Moroccan hasn’t been at his best for a while now as he threw in some poor individual displays last season.

Sadly, he wasn’t really at the races in pre-season either, putting in a dismal showing against Celta Vigo where he gave away a penalty.

Signing Milenkovic, therefore, would give them an instant upgrade.

Speaking about the colossal 6 foot 5 defender in the past, journalist Dejan Stankovic compared him to one of the best we’ve ever seen in the Premier League.

“Milenkovic is better than Vidic with the ball at his feet, and he is much calmer on the field,” Stankovic began. “He is the most talented centre-back Serbia have had since Vidic, and they definitely have one thing in common – both are fearless.”

That’s quite the appraisal for a player who’s caught the eye in Serie A. He won three aerial duels per game last term while completing 86% of his passes.

Both statistics were greater than Saiss who succeeded with 81.2% of his passes and won 2.6 aerial duels a match.

He’s proven to be somewhat of a liability over the last 12 months and if Wolves have desires of breaking into the top half of the table again, they will need to find a suitable alternative.

Milenkovic should be that man.

AND in other news, Forget Jimenez: £46k-p/w “magnificent” gem who won 16 duels stole the show for Wolves…

The Transfer Tavern’s EFL spy has suggested that Birmingham consider signing Cardiff centre-back Curtis Nelson.

Despite ending the last campaign with two heavy defeats, Blues boss Lee Bowyer has already made a huge impact during his short spell at St Andrew’s.

And having led Birmingham to Championship safety, Bowyer will now be hoping to strengthen in the transfer window in hope of improving on their 18th-place finish.

The Blues manager has already been a busy man this summer, adding nine players to his squad, but the majority of those have been in attacking areas following their serious struggles in front of goal in 2020-2021.

Birmingham scored just 37 times, although they suffered equally as much in a defensive sense, shipping 61 goals in the Championship.

With that in mind, the EFL insider exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Nelson, who’s been a regular for the Bluebirds since moving from Oxford, could be a good addition for Bowyer’s squad:

“With Birmingham changing a lot of things behind the scenes you could see them surprise a few this season with Bowyer.

“Good centre-backs at Championship level cost very good money but with Birmingham being a big attraction, you can see you Premier League players looking to get game time there.

“However, Curtis Nelson from Cardiff is an experienced one, and could fit well.”

Get French Football News’ Adam White reckons that Raphael Varane to Manchester United is the signing of the transfer window – and doesn’t expect to see a better one before the deadline.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has added Jadon Sancho to his squad, but United already have an abundance of attacking talent in their ranks, which means Varane could prove more important.

United were Manchester City’s closest challengers last season and reached the final of the Europa League, but have been searching far and wide to bring in a someone to partner Harry Maguire.

And after months of trying, the Red Devils finally secured a deal to bring Varane to Old Trafford, and whilst the deal hasn’t officially been confirmed, the Frenchman’s move to Manchester has been agreed.

With Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka two of the better full-backs in the Premier League, the addition of Varane puts United’s back-four up there with the very best in the division.

Asked for his assessment on Varane’s move to Old Trafford, White told The Transfer Tavern:

“I think it’s probably the best signing of the transfer window. United have been desperate for a centre-back to play alongside Harry Maguire for so long.

“He’s such a commanding presence, so experienced, a World Cup winner, multiple Champions Leagues, and an underrated player, somehow.

“He’s arguably the best centre-back in the world, so it’s an absolute dream of a signing for Manchester United, and I can’t see there being a better one this summer.”

Former professional footballer Nigel Jemson believes that Nottingham Forest will have somebody in mind to replace Joe Worrall should he depart the City Ground this summer.

Worrall is a target for Premier League side Southampton, according to Hampshire Live, with the Saints looking to strengthen their defence. This comes after Jannik Vestergaard left to join Leicester City earlier in the transfer window.

Nottinghamshire Live also reported that Burnley, West Ham United, Norwich City and Crystal Palace have also been interested in the defender at times but interest from them has cooled recently.

The 24-year-old has featured 137 times for Forest, scoring three goals and creating a further five, with Jemson believing that if Forest are going to sell him, they will have someone in place to replace him, although they will be sorry to see him leave the club.

Jemson exclusively told Football FanCast: “I don’t know what’s going off at the moment with Joe, if his head’s been turned by interest from Burnley, Brentford but like I said everyone’s got a price and if we are going to sell him then I’m sure the club have got someone in mind to take over in his place.

“Will I be sorry to see him go, course I will be because he’s a great lad and a great professional and a great role model for the people at the football club, but you know, if he wants to progress and he sees his future elsewhere and if its right for both parties then I’m sure he will go.”

All things considered, though, manager Chris Hughton will be desperate to keep hold of him, especially with Forest’s dreadful start to the season.

Leeds United are interested in signing VfL Wolfsburg winger Josip Brekalo this summer, according to a fresh report which emerged on Monday.

The Lowdown: Wide depth required

The Whites excelled in the Premier League last season, with Raphinha and Jack Harrison arguably two of their standout players.

The pair chipped in with a total of 14 goals and 17 assists between them in the league and they should continue to be key men moving forward.

Despite their quality, Marcelo Bielsa may be on the lookout for a new signing who could provide competition in wide areas, in order for the depth in the squad to be improved.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Leeds keen on Brekalo signing

According to Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], Leeds are eyeing up a summer move for Brekalo, who scored seven times for Wolfsburg in the 2020/21 Bundesliga campaign.

The Whites reportedly ‘appreciate’ the 23-year-old as a player and are considering making a move, along with Inter Milan, Fiorentina and Atletico Madrid.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-10/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Strong option to sign

Brekalo looks an exciting option for Leeds to bring in, with it once claimed (via Bundesliga official) that he is similar in style to Bayern Munich legend Arjen Robben.

That says a huge amount about the winger’s quality and he could come in and put the pressure on Raphinha and Harrison, ensuring that there is healthy competition for regular playing time.

At 23, he is at a good age where he has plenty of experience – he has won 27 caps for Croatia – but can also improve further, especially under a manager of Marcelo Bielsa’s standing.

In other news, Leeds have been tipped to sign a player who impressed in the Premier League last season. Read more here.

Liverpool have received a crushing blow in their pursuit of Kylian Mbappe, following reports that Paris St-Germain are set to offer the France international a contract extension [Liverpool Echo].

Enjoying a remarkable 2020-21 campaign, Mbappe notched an unbelievable 53 goal contributions in 47 appearances for the Coupe De France winners [Transfermarkt].

Sparking rumours of a switch to the Premier League, Liverpool alongside Real Madrid have been heavily rumoured with a move for to secure his signature.

However, this now looks set to fall by the wayside after the Parisians have stepped up their attempts to keep him at the Parc De Princes.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has taken charge of negotiations, whilst the 22-year-old looks likely to tie himself to his current employers for the foreseeable future [Liverpool Echo].

In light of this news, no wonder loads of Liverpool diehards took to Twitter to voice their opinions to the rumours.

Reds fans react:

Replying to The Liverpool Echo’s Twitter feed, here is how some Reds fans summarized these latest developments:

“Oh, for god’s sake, give it a rest. For a paper whose credibility among Liverpool fans is already low you seem determined to hang yourselves on this non-story. We Are Not Signing Mbappe!!”

Credit: @poggiolino”Oh no, nO, NOO! I’d already ordered my new shirt with his name on the back, thought it was a sure bet! For Gods sake people, Mbappe is not coming to LFC, not even on a free, not now, not ever. LFC would never pay that kind of salary on a player even if he was free!”Credit: @chara2_john”Double blow? What? 1. He’s not coming to Liverpool and 2. He was never coming to Liverpool anyway.”Credit: @FireGrd”No way. It looked nailed on a few days ago”Credit: @khan45887895″Only bloody fools will believe we are even in the running to bid mbappe”Credit: @ErnestYap9″Its only a blow if you were stupid enough to full invest your hope on this being true.”Credit: @GregB_LadIn other news, Liverpool fans react to a pursuit of a reported transfer target.

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have gone wild for a transfer admission by manager Valerien Ismael concerning West Bromwich Albion duo Matheus Pereira and Sam Johnstone.

Both men have been heavily linked to the Hammers recently, with football.london believing West Ham are looking to sign Johnstone this summer as a replacement for Lukasz Fabianski.

Meanwhile, attacking midfield ace Pereira could be seen as an alternative to Jesse Lingard as West Ham eye a possible move this summer (Daily Express).

As per reports, both men could also go for cut prices, with the Athletic detailing Johnstone could be snapped up for in and around £10 million while Pereira is expected to cost around £25m (Daily Star on Sunday via Hammers News).

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-3/” title=”West Ham latest!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Now, West Brom boss Ismael has dropped a transfer admission on both the reported West Ham targets – confirming he fully expects them to leave this summer (BT).

As this news emerges, taking into account the previous claims on price tags, many Irons supporters have pleaded with the club to get a deal done and raid the Championship club.

Indeed, there were no shortage of replies to West Ham Fan Zone, who shared Ismael’s admission and the valuation claims on Twitter.

Find all of their best verdicts down below.

West Ham fans plead for West Brom raid on Pereira and Johnstone

“This could be major for us!”

Credit: @LindsayWesker

“What are we waiting for??”

Credit: @RiceSZN_

“No brainer”

Credit: @alexjg0

“GET IT DONE”

Credit: @DanielLuker_

“Would be over the moon with these two”

Credit: @IronDragon87

“Please please please”

Credit: @whuabi

“Get it done Moyesy”

Credit: @billyspencer21

“Do it”

Credit: @MalmbergMelvin

In other news: Journalist makes 11-word West Ham transfer claim involving ‘phenomenal’ striker, find out more here.