All posts by z3u9t.icu

According to a report by Football Italia, former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri could return to the Premier League this summer as both Tottenham Hotspur and north London rivals Arsenal are in talks for the Italian.

Tottenham in managerial talks for Sarri

Sarri, who has been sporadically linked with the role at Spurs, first emerged as a candidate last month when newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport claimed that chairman Daniel Levy fancied a move for the 62-year-old.

Reports then came to light that the Europa League-winning coach was overwhelmingly in favour of a move to AS Roma and was allegedly the Serie A side’s top managerial target (Corriere dello Sport).

However, since they announced former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho as their appointment for 2021/2022, Sarri has been left out in the cold.

Football Italia now claim that both the Lilywhites and Arsenal are in managerial talks with the former Napoli gaffer and he is even open to a Premier League return.

Sarri’s last job was the Juventus position where he won a Scudetto but was unceremoniously sacked just two weeks later (Goal).

Transfer Tavern take

There is no doubting Sarri meets one of the Spurs requirements they have outlined for their new appointment as Levy allegedly prioritises an attack-minded coach above all others (The Guardian).

He even wowed ex-Tottenham favourite Mauricio Pochettino with his attacking philosophy at Napoli.

Indeed, the Argentine heralded Sarri’s football as ‘fantastic’ and the ‘most beautiful to watch in Europe’ when he was in charge at the Stadio San Paolo (TUTTOmercatoWEBB).

Clearly revered by his fellow coaches, soon-to-be former Roma manager Paulo Fonseca even hailed him as ‘one of the best in Europe’ (onefootball).

However, he definitely doesn’t fall into the category of a ‘young’ and ‘dynamic’ manager reportedly being targeted by technical performance director Steve Hitchen (Daily Mail).

So, Sarri is a bit of a mixed bag in terms of what Spurs desire for their next boss – with the only question being whether Tottenham are willing to make a compromise and take a gamble on the title winner.

In other news: Tottenham urged to consider this 47-year-old ‘genius’, find out more here.

Everton are set to have an interesting transfer window if speculation is to be believed, with many players already being linked with moves to the Merseyside club.

Rafa Benitez will be keen to add quality to their team after an injury crisis in attack and the swift departure of James Rodriguez, a key area they will be looking to enhance is their midfield.

Manchester United misfit, Donny Van De Beek, would be the ideal addition to the Toffees, with previous links to a move in the summer transfer window.

Van De Beek’s agent gave an interview on deadline day to Ziggo Sport, where he claimed Manchester United and Solskjaer refused to escalate a move for the midfielder to join Everton.

Guido Albers said;

“We had conversations with Solskjær and the board. We took the initiative to find a club and our search ended up at Everton. We opened talks with Marcel Brands and Farhad Moshiri.

“On Monday night [before deadline day] we received a call from Solskjær and the club who told us that a transfer was out of question and that he had to report himself to training the next morning.”

Everton have a fantastic forward line in Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison, with the Brazilian returning from injury recently and the former due to return in the next few weeks. Thus, sourcing the Dutch playmaking midfielder to link up with the dynamic duo would be advantageous to Everton as they attempt to make top six and European football.

Calvert-Lewin has been a fantastic attacking presence for Everton, with 56 goals and 16 assists for the Toffees in 176 appearances and will look to add more many goals when he returns from injury in the coming weeks.

Despite not being utilised at Manchester United, the 24-year-old Netherlands native, was highly impressive at Ajax with 41 goals in 175 appearances, his efficiency playing in multiple midfield and attacking roles, as he did at his former club, would be highly beneficial to the attacking prowess at Everton.

There is a with huge opportunity for fantastic link-up play with Calvert-Lewin especially. Having previously been described as “perfect” by Owen Hargreaves, the thought of the United midfielder lining up in the same side as Everton’s star striker is mouth-watering.

Benitez must act fast swooping in for £22.5m-rated van de Beek, as he is a sought after hot target for other Premier League clubs in the upcoming transfer window, including Newcastle United, who are expected to go all out in the winter transfer window after their billion-pound takeover.

In other news: Benitez must unleash Richarlison against Man City…

The future of Rangers centre-back Connor Goldson remains up in the air, with his deal set to expire at the end of the season.

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has suggested that the club are happy for him to leave as they have not resolved his contract situation, telling Football Insider: “I find it strange that Rangers haven’t sorted this.

“The fact that they have let it run down this far is a concern. They must know he can agree a pre-contract in January. Maybe Rangers are happy for him to move on, otherwise it makes no sense why they haven’t offered him a deal.”

Gio must axe Goldson

New manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst could win Rangers fans over instantly by brutally axing Goldson in the January transfer window. If the 28-year-old does not want to be at Ibrox in the long-term, he should be shipped out of the club as quickly as possible, which is why the Dutchman should look to sell him in the winter to make some money before he leaves on a free transfer.

The £27k-per-week defender came out after the 3-1 defeat to Hibernian on Sunday and admitted that the team has lost ‘a bit of hunger’.

He said: “We need something to change. We need a spark. I don’t want to say this, but we’ve lost a bit of hunger. We are champions and some think they don’t need to work as hard. That’s crept in all season.”

Former Scotland international Kris Commons labelled his comments as embarrassing and accused him of a defeatist attitude.

Football Scotland quote him as saying: “Connor Goldson’s comments after the game yesterday were an absolute embarrassment. He’s supposed to be one of the leaders in this Rangers squad.

“He claimed the match was as good as over at half-time, with Rangers trailing 3-1. Two goals down at half-time and he’s waving the white flags to surrender? Seriously?”

It is difficult to argue with his assessment of Goldson’s quotes. The centre-back is one of the senior players in the squad and he is coming out with worrying comments like those, whilst his contract is running down and nothing is being done to resolve the issues around his future.

Supporters will surely want players who are 100% committed to playing for Rangers and giving their very best out on the pitch. Goldson’s contractual situation and his recent comments both appear to suggest that he does not fit into either of those descriptions, and that is why Van Bronckhorst could appease plenty of the fanbase by cashing in on the 28-year-old in January.

AND in other news, “I’m told”: Journo drops inside claim on Gio which will leave Rangers fans fuming…

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has delivered a worrying claim about Leeds United and the San Francisco 49ers.

What’s the story?

As revealed in recent days, the investment arm of the 49ers have the ability to buy the Yorkshire club for more than £400m by January 2024, making a full takeover very much on the cards.

Hay said: “This takeover isn’t going to happen as quickly as next month (unless something changes drastically) so any signings done in January would have to be done/funded within the existing 56-44 share split.

“As for the Championship, that would change the club’s valuation, without a doubt. Leeds wouldn’t be worth £475m at that level. But all bets are off if a club gets relegated from the EPL. The ramifications can be huge.”

Premier League safety is key

As Hay has suggested, relegation to the Championship is almost unthinkable when you consider the kind of consequences that could have not just in terms of being without Premier League football, but also the potential impact it could have on a potential takeover too.

The Whites only have to look to Tyneside and Newcastle and the looming spectre of relegation with which they’ve had to contend over these past couple of years before their takeover eventually went through.

If the 49ers do end up going through with a full takeover, that could spell exciting times at Leeds in terms of potential new signings and the ability to compete with teams far higher up in the table than they are right now.

Premier League safety will be absolutely paramount, though, and it’s exactly why Hay’s claim that “all bets are off if a club gets relegated from the EPL” might just worry fans, with the Whites still hovering a bit too close to the bottom three.

Meanwhile, Adam Pope has dropped an early morning Leeds United update…

Michael Chopra has dropped quite a big claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.

The former striker at the St. James’ Park faithful was a member of the Bellagraph Nova Group (BNG) who submitted an offer back in 2020 in order to try and buy the North East club after the initial breakdown of the deal between Mike Ashley and the KSA consortium.

However, the bid was reported to be much lower than the original asking price of the chief executive of Sports Direct, and so it collapsed.

Chopra, who was involved in an advisory capacity with the group, has since told FourFourTwo (via The Chronicle) that their £280m offer was ‘genuine’ but got no reply from Ashley’s lawyer, labelling it as ‘strange’.

He also dropped a very enticing claim on the proposed takeover of the Tyneside club by the KSA group, adding: ‘There’s more about the Saudi bid which hasn’t come out yet’.

Does Chopra know something about the NUFC takeover?

Given that Chopra claims that he was ‘aware of’ the Saudis pulling out of their original deal with Ashley weeks before it was made in the public domain, there may well be something that he knows about the prospective bid by the KSA group that is lurking beneath the surface.

Nonetheless, the original deal is far from being able to be revived yet, as the Gulf country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) have not yet brought themselves back to the table, and the pending arbitration case between the Magpies and the Premier League needs to be completed in order to settle their legal disputes first.

In other news, find out what PIF claim a finance guru has dropped on the potential takeover here!

Southampton were heavily linked with a loan move for Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams throughout the winter transfer window and considering the lack of options Ralph Hasenhuttl has available in that position right now, he will surely be frustrated that a deal wasn’t able to be completed.

It had seemed as if it was only a matter of time before Southampton announced the loan signing of the 20-year-old full-back in January but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decided late on that he wanted to keep the academy graduate in and around his first-team squad for the rest of the season.

This forced the Saints to look for other options but they couldn’t bring in any defenders before the deadline, despite trying to bring in the likes of Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Japhet Tanganga and Neco Williams on loan.

Despite this, the South Coast club sent back-up options Yan Valery and Jake Vokins on loan to Birmingham City and Sunderland respectively, leaving just Kyle Walker-Peters and Ryan Bertrand as senior options at full-back.

As Williams can play as both a left-back and a right-back, he could’ve been the perfect man to provide cover in Hasenhuttl’s side, especially in recent weeks where Walker-Peters has been sidelined through injury.

The £9.9 million-rated defender has had his game time limited at United this season as a result of Luke Shaw’s excellent form and the signing of Alex Telles, with just two brief substitute appearances in the Premier League to his name.

Since January, he has made just two substitute appearances in the Europa League, totalling 61 minutes, so it is difficult to see why he wasn’t allowed to leave on loan.

Hasenhuttl should be fuming that Solskjaer, rather selfishly, decided to keep Williams rather than allowing to get first-team minutes at Southampton, as it could’ve benefitted all parties.

Considering the awful run of form that Southampton have endured in 2021 thus far, any added options would’ve been appreciated by the Austrian and Williams’ versatility could’ve been ideal to have in the current situation, so it is surely frustrating for everyone involved with the club that he wasn’t allowed to join.

And, in other news… Semmens could sign Saints’ Ings replacement with bargain swoop for in-demand 24 y/o

Manchester United are always the trending topic in football.

Whether it’s the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson and their subsequent collapse in recent years, the controversial nature of Paul Pogba or Cristiano Ronaldo, United are never far from the back pages.

Now that they’ve hired Erik ten Hag, you can expect them to dominate the tabloids even more.

What’s the word?

This summer will play host to several transfer sagas. There is, of course, the futures of Erling Haaland, Mo Salah and Kylian Mbappe to address.

However, in Portugal, a certain Darwin Nunez deserves just as much attention.

The striker has caught the hearts and minds of many throughout the European continent this season and as a result, there is a fierce race for his services. Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle are interested in praising him away from Benfica.

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Yet, the Red Devils are also in the hunt and fresh reports, via AS in Spain, suggest that Man United’s new manager is in love with the forward and has personally requested that he be signed this summer.

The trouble is he may cost somewhere in the region of €130m (£111m) if anyone can stump up the cash.

A major coup

Considering that not only Liverpool, a potential quadruple winning side, but their top-four rivals Arsenal are both in the picture to sign Nunez, this would be a considerable coup from United should they complete a move.

Combine that with the fact that the 20-time English champions are currently in free fall and it would be a hefty surprise if Nunez was wearing red in Manchester next season, as opposed to Merseyside or north London.

Valued as highly as he currently is, it would take a rather brave sporting director and owner to pay what’s required but given his potential and already mesmeric ability, he’d surely be worth the cash.

If anything, it’s United and Ten Hag who are most in need of him too.

Ronaldo has found the net on 22 occasions this term but there is a lack of help beyond that with the club’s second top scorer – Bruno Fernandes – scoring nine times.

Therefore, in Nunez, the new Dutch coach would seal somebody who is capable of improving their offence tenfold.

In Liga NOS this season, the Uruguayan attacker has racked up a mammoth haul of 25 goals in 26 outings, while across all competitions he has found the net 33 times from 39 outings.

Furthermore, the young centre-forward ranks in the top 1% among similarly positioned players across Europe for goals per shot on target. He also ranks in the top 5% for progressive carries and then in the best 1% again for carries into the penalty area. Based on that it’s safe to say that Nunez is considerably tricky when in possession.

Of course, the Portuguese top-flight is somewhat off the Premier League in terms of overall quality but it’s hard to disagree with the statement that the 22-year-old would be a seriously impressive capture.

With United in decline, it is imperative that ten Hag gets his recruitment spot on. If he is already drawing up a shortlist of targets then Nunez must surely appear right near the very top.

Described as a “diamond” by Steve McManaman, he’s certainly the rare item of splendour that United require to get themselves back on track.

AND in other news, MUFC plot bid to sign “unstoppable” 30-goal “nightmare”, he’d become ten Hag’s Salah…

West Ham United must deliver Eddie Nketiah to David Moyes amid rumoured interest in the Arsenal forward following the £20m sale of Sebastien Haller.

What’s the word?

According to the Evening Standard, the Irons are tracking Nketiah’s situation at the Emirates Stadium as they begin their search for Haller’s replacement.

The Hammers are drawing up a shortlist of centre-forwards to target in the January transfer window, with AFC Bournemouth’s Joshua King and Stade Reims’ Boulaye Dia also among their possible options.

Haller completed a £20m move to AFC Ajax on Friday after West Ham accepted a loss of more than 50 per cent on the club-record £45m spent to sign the Ivory Coast international in 2019, bringing an end to the Mario Husillos flop’s torrid time in east London.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt forward only netted 14 goals in 53 games across all competitions, including just three in 16 Premier League appearances this season.

Nketiah has only found the back of the net once in 12 top-flight outings this term, of which he’s started three, while scoring three in six Europa League Group Stage ties and one in two Carabao Cup appearances including against Leicester City.

West Ham are keen to know whether or not Arsenal are open to a deal for Nketiah this month, as the 21-year-old is under contract in north London through to the summer of 2022 on a £45,000-per-week deal but is yet to agree on an extension.

Dream Haller heir

Nketiah could prove to be Moyes’ dream Haller heir if West Ham are able to reach an agreement with Arsenal, who are believed to be looking at loan options in the January market as funds are limited at the Emirates.

The Gunners’ need for cash could aid West Ham in acquiring Nketiah as they may be more receptive to a permanent deal, which would see the Irons sign a forward who Mikel Arteta believes is “extraordinary” for a player of his age.

Nketiah is also England’s record-scorer at Under 21s level with 10 goals in 12 games and has captained the Young Lions on four occasions since September, while finding the back of the net in the EFL Cup, Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League since his Arsenal debut in 2017.

He has also begun to build a reputation for being a clinical poacher, with the average distance to goal for his 12 Gunners strikes coming at a mere 6.1 yards after a 13-yard effort against Dundalk last month raised the average from 5.4 yards.

His record would be ideal for the system Moyes is developing at the London Stadium as no Premier League side have attempted more efforts from within the six-yard box than West Ham so far this season, who take a division-high 14% of their shots under the shadow of the goal frame.

Arsenal, in contrast, take the 11th-most at 7%, which would suggest Nketiah could take his game to another level in claret and blue if Moyes and the Irons board decide he represents the best option to replace Haller.

AND in other news: “He’d only be a squad player” – Exclusive: Pundit reacts as West Ham target £45k-p/w striker.

Crysencio Summerville is ‘pushing for a place in the matchday squad’ for Leeds’ Saturday lunchtime Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur, BBC Radio Leeds journalist Adam Pope reported this morning.

The lowdown

Leeds signed teenage right-winger Summerville from Eredivisie giants Feyenoord last summer on a three-year contract.

And he’s contributed six goals and six assists in 12 appearances for the Leeds Under-23 side that took the Premier League 2 Division 2 title – he’s averaged a goal or assist every 71 minutes at that level.

Summerville was called-up to the senior squad for the visit of Manchester United at the end of April.

He watched on from the bench as the sides played out a 0-0 draw.

The latest

Pope reports just hours before the match (via BBC, 08:32) that Summerville is in contention once again given his strong form at under-23 level and the injuries to those further up the pecking order.

Senior right-winger Raphinha is ‘still a doubt’ and the same can be said for midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

Raphinha has missed the last two matches after hobbling off late on against Manchester City, while Phillips was sidelined for the trip to Brighton with a knee complaint.

The verdict

The final few games seem to give Bielsa an ideal opportunity to hand first-team minutes to the likes of Summerville and striker Joe Gelhardt, also 19, given that Leeds are sat so comfortably in mid-table.

He’s erred on the side of caution with youngsters so far this season, with Gelhardt also waiting for his first minutes and 21-year-old Ian Poveda still always featuring as a substitute.

Leeds finish the season against Southampton, Burnley and West Brom – all teams in the bottom five. Perhaps those games are more realistic targets for Summerville and co. than Saturday’s demanding clash with European chasers Spurs.

In other news, read this incredible stat about Luke Ayling.

Celtic’s summer will be dominated by a constant barrage of departures.

Whether it’s someone on the Hoops playing staff or a member of the hierarchy at Parkhead, a mass exodus looks set to take place.

One of those who could leave Glasgow behind is central defender Kristoffer Ajer.

The Norwegian has come a long way since being signed as a 17-year-old, now attracting the eyes of those in the Premier League.

Newcastle have sent scouts to watch him and it wouldn’t be a great surprise if Saturday’s game with Hibernian was his last as a Celtic player.

With Christopher Jullien a long-term absentee, it leaves Stephen Welsh as the only reliable centre-half in the first-team picture.

As such, the Bhoys will need to delve into the transfer market and find a replacement.

According to TEAMtalk, Celtic are leading the race to sign Cardiff City defender Ciaron Brown. The Northern Irishman has had quite the story, being snapped out of non-league football to becoming a professional.

He starred for Livingston earlier this term and it’s his performances at Almondvale that leads us to believe Celtic should sign him.

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A dogged defender who can also play at wing-back, he is rather different to Ajer. The Norway international is a wonderful ball-playing centre-back, something epitomised by his pass success rate of 97% this weekend.

Brown, on the other hand, is not so good with the ball at his feet. Throughout 2020/21, the 23-year-old has completed just 53.1% of his passes.

That is a horrifying number but there are certain advantages to signing him. For example, he is colossal in the air, winning 3.3 aerial battles per match this term.

He is also a prolific tackler, winning 1.6 challenges per game for Livingston.

Celtic have seen firsthand what a bully he can be in defence and in the final third. When they drew 2-2 with Livi back in January, Brown not only scored but also assisted a goal from centre-back.

He made a devastating impact that crushed Lennon’s side and handed them a pretty embarrassing result away from home.

A strong and hard-working footballer, his mental attributes could undeniably help Celtic’s lacklustre defence.

They conceded 16 more goals than Rangers in the league this season so need someone with a bit of extra steel.

Speaking to The Daily Record after Cardiff recalled him from his loan spell in Scotland, manager David Martindale said: “He is a massive player for us and he is a great lad around the place.

“Ciaron has got a very good football brain. When I ask him to do a job, he knows what to do and nine times out of ten he will make the right decision.”

Considering the Celtic backline have lacked some very basic decision-making skills this season, Brown would be an astute capture.

They will, however, need to ensure he passes the ball out more adequately than he’s shown this season.

AND in other news, Celtic must sign 5 ft 8 beast who gets “in people’s faces”, he’s perfect for Eddie Howe…