All posts by z3u9t.icu

Glasgow Rangers winger Josh McPake is reportedly now set for a ‘shock’ move away from Ibrox.

The Lowdown: Lost his way

The 20-year-old is a player who has been ‘very highly’ regarded at his parent club.

That is according to former Morecambe manager Stephen Robinson, who dubbed him a ‘really exciting’ signing last July when they brought him in on loan.

However, that was already McPake’s fourth loan spell away from Rangers (a subsequent stint at Tranmere made it five); and given that he has only ever made one senior appearance for the Light Blues, his long-term future has to be put into doubt.

The Latest: ‘Shock’ move?

As per Football Scotland, McPake has now emerged as a ‘shock’ transfer target for Israeli club Hapoel Be’er Sheva.

In what has been described as a potentially ‘sensational move’, Hapoel are ‘keen’ to bring him in on loan with an option to buy for next season.

The Verdict: Interesting

Given that Hapoel finished second in Israel’s top flight last term and have qualified for the Europa Conference League second qualifying round (Football Scotland), a move there for McPake could well be beneficial in terms of playing regular competitive football.

It would certainly be interesting for him to move from Scotland to Israel, but he may enjoy a different climate and a change of scenery.

Nonetheless, at 20 years of age, something now has to give with McPake, and this prospective loan move could determine whether or not he still has a future with the Light Blues.

In other news, find out which Rangers gem ‘will’ leave next month

Despite the multitude of names that have been tipped to join Celtic this summer, the most pressing issue remains that of a player who has already adorned the famous green and white Hoops, with last season’s loanee, Jota, still yet to complete a much anticipated permanent switch to the Scottish champions.

However, according to the latest reports, the end to that long-running saga could now be in sight…

What’s the word?

As per journalist Mark Hendry, it looks as if the 23-year-old’s long-term future is set to be resolved sooner rather than later, with it now reportedly a “formality” that the Portuguese starlet will make the permanent move from Benfica: “All I know is it’s very close and has been for a wee while. Believe it’s just a formality at this point. When, not if.”

The Lisbon-born ace joined the Old Firm outfit on a season-long loan deal on deadline day last summer, with that move having included an option to buy worth a reported £6.5m.

The Glasgow giants have already wrapped one notable piece of business so far in the current window, bringing in fellow loanee Cameron Carter-Vickers in a £10m permanent swoop from Tottenham Hotspur.

Ange’s best piece of business

Title-winning manager Ange Postecoglou has already proven himself an astute operator in the transfer market in his Hoops tenure thus far, although managing to bring in the former Portugal U21 international would no doubt be his best piece of business yet and a real statement of intent heading into the new season.

Having been something of an unknown quantity upon his arrival at Parkhead just under a year ago, Jota quickly cemented himself as a real key figure for the Scottish Premiership side, proving instrumental in securing a tenth league triumph of the past 11 seasons.

In a stunning campaign both on a collective and individual basis, the £4.95m-rated gem chipped in with 13 goals and 14 assists in all competitions, proving himself a vital asset both as a goal-getter and a creator.

Dubbed a “terrific player” by BT Sport pundit Owen Hargreaves for his form both domestically and in Europe, the £7.1k-per-week speedster has dazzled with both his trickery and bravery in possession, offering a relentless attacking threat down either flank.

With a return to the Champions League group stages to come for the first time since 2017, the Celtic Park outfit will be in desperate need of their star asset if they are to put up a real fight against Europe’s elite, while they are likely to once again face intense competition from bitter rivals Rangers on the domestic front.

In truth, the club simply need the fleet-footed winger in tow if they are to be able to kick on again next term, with it set to be Postecoglou’s best transfer deal yet if he can get it over the line.

In other news, Celtic can unearth a new Giakoumakis after submitting bid for “very strong” £2.5m gem

Everton are set to make big changes this summer and have been linked with a number of players ahead of the transfer window, with a potential target now ruled out of a move to Goodison Park already.

What’s the latest?

According to football journalist Jacque Talbot, there is “no chance” that Manchester United midfielder James Garner will join Everton this summer.

Talbot tweeted;

“No chance James Garner goes Everton or Leeds. Man United won’t sell him permanently either.”

Supporters will be disappointed

The Toffees are in desperate need of reinforcements this summer following a poor Premier League season and signing a young talented player like Garner would have been a major coup for the club ahead of next season, so supporters will surely be disappointed.

The 21-year-old has had an impressive season at Nottingham Forest as a standout performer in the team that have now been promoted to the Premier League following a victory over Huddersfield Town in the play-off final at Wembley.

Garner scored four goals, delivered eight assists and created seven big chances as well as making 2 key passes, 1.4 interceptions and 1.8 tackles, winning the majority of his ground duels (53%), proving that he was a dominate force for Forest in both offensive and defensive play from his role in midfield.

Due to the difficult relegation battle, Frank Lampard will need to identify players that can come into the team and make an instant impact and Garner would have been an ideal move for the club on a loan deal from Old Trafford amid Everton’s reported financial troubles.

The urgency to find players that will be the right fit for the Toffees has been further heightened with rumours that Richarlison, Allan and Dominic Calvert-Lewin could make their move away from Merseyside this summer, so losing out on Garner early on with be a big blow for Farhad Moshiri in his attempts to add reinforcements.

Ultimately, the powers at Goodison Park have a lot of work to do during the transfer window to ensure they don’t find themselves in a similar situation as this season and will need to act quickly to make sure they can get the right players in as soon as possible.

AND in other news: Everton now plotting summer swoop for “infectious” £80k-p/w ace, imagine him & Gordon

Manchester United will seemingly be looking to get rid of two of their defenders during the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the news?

Journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano shared on Twitter that there has been a “decision made” regarding the future of Eric Bailly and Axel Tuanzebe, with both players “set to leave” Old Trafford this summer.

Signed from Villarreal six years ago this week in a deal worth a reported £30m, Bailly has gone on to make 113 appearances for the Red Devils. However, with a worrying injury record and only seven appearances in all competitions this season, it’s easy to see why the club are looking to offload the Ivorian this summer.

The 28-year-old has largely failed to convince in a United shirt, being branded “rash” by Trevor Sinclair after a hapless own goal in the Manchester derby last November.

As for Tuanzebe, despite playing for two different clubs on loan this season, the 24-year-old failed to make an impact with either, as he made just two appearances for Napoli after he left Aston Villa in January.

After the first of those, Italian journalist Umberto Chiariello criticised the Old Trafford academy graduate for committing “mistakes that a defender should never make”.

Taking all this into account, it’s easy to see why the club are looking to move the defensive duo out of the club and off their books permanently.

Great news for United fans

This should be music to the ears of United fans everywhere and give them hope that the club are looking to move some deadwood out of Old Trafford and potentially bring in some new players to replace them.

Taking into account how the likes of Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Edinson Cavani and Juan Mata will not be at the club next season, this already suggests that the Red Devils will need to be rather busy to ensure that their squad is strong enough before the next campaign kicks off in two months’ time.

It’s safe to suggest that both Bailly and Tuanzebe won’t be greatly missed at the club based on what they’ve offered on the pitch, but should the pair find themselves waving goodbye to Old Trafford once and for all this summer, the pressure will then be on the club’s hierarchy to ensure that they find suitable replacements so that Erik ten Hag isn’t left short of central defensive cover over the next few months.

In other news: Bid made: Man Utd now in talks for “spectacular” signing, supporters will be buzzing

The Evening Standard have now shared a promising West Ham United transfer update involving Rennes defender and transfer target Nayef Aguerd.

The Lowdown: Moyes joins race…

Irons boss David Moyes joined the chase for one of Ligue 1’s standout defenders in recent weeks amid his search for a central defensive upgrade, as backed by The Telegraph.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-developments-5/” title=”West Ham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Journalist Mike McGrath first claimed earlier this month that West Ham are looking to revive a deal for Aguerd after they failed to finalise his Premier League move last year.

Later on, it was reported by Sky journalist Dharmesh Sheth that the Irons had entered negotiations for the Morocco international with ‘growing confidence’ they can complete a move.

The Latest: Evening Standard share update…

Backing reports, The Evening Standard have weighed in with their own update, claiming ‘talks are progressing over a deal’ for Aguerd as manager Moyes ‘steps up transfer talks’.

The Scotsman is continuing to plot a summer rebuild in east London and it is believed that West Ham negotiations are advancing for Rennes’ star.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Aguerd’s capture will come as a big boost for Moyes and real upgrade for his defensive roster.

Lauded as the ‘real boss’ of Rennes by members of the French media, no player in Bruno Génésio’s side has made more clearances per 90 than the 26-year-old, summing up exactly why he’s been called one of the best defenders in France.

Taking this into account, Moyes’ interest is perfectly justified, and we believe Aguerd’s arrival would signal a solid start to the summer.

In other news: West Ham tension behind-the-scenes as GSB could now be set for big decision, find out more here.

Frank Lampard is reportedly plotting a move for Barcelona star Memphis Depay in order to bolster Everton’s attacking options ahead of next season.

What’s the word?

According to reports from Spanish outlet Sport, the Toffees are among the clubs who are interested in the 28-year-old, with Arsenal and Newcastle United also keen on securing the services of the Dutchman.

His contract expires at the end of next season, and Lampard could be tempted to lure him to Everton as part of a possible summer rebuild.

However, valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt and with a wage of £158k-p/w, Depay won’t come cheap.

Depay would be a great coup for Everton

Everton narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League with a stunning 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace on Thursday, but Lampard won’t want to be in that position again, and his squad could be in need of an overhaul during the summer.

Signing Depay would be a solid piece of business, with his first season in Spain seeing him score 13 goals in 37 appearances despite Barcelona experiencing some considerable struggles during the campaign.

With Richarlison (11) and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (five) struggling for goals this season in comparison to 2020/21, it’s clear that a new centre-forward is needed to improve the Toffees’ attack for next term.

Over the course of the 2021/22 season, Depay has generated more shot-creating actions (76) in La Liga than both Richarlison (62) and Calvert-Lewin (26) in the English top flight. The Dutchman is also effective from wide areas, putting in 61 crosses, with the Everton duo only managing 31 between them.

This vast skill set would no doubt please Lampard, and with former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman describing Depay as a “joy to watch”, Everton could do a lot worse than bringing the former Manchester United forward back to the Premier League.

AND in other news, Everton handed huge injury lift as early Arsenal team news emerges

West Bromwich Albion could be set for a busy summer transfer window as Steve Bruce aims to take the Baggies back into the Premier League after their uninspiring campaign in the Championship.

The 61-year-old spoke previously about the number of changes to the squad that he wants to see happen in the coming months to give his team the best possible chance of reaching their objective.

However, it seems as though a big update has emerged behind the scenes regarding some players who have been mentioned with potential moves to The Hawthorns in recent weeks.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Joe Masi in the Express & Star, after being linked with moves for Aston Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane and Newcastle United duo Karl Darlow and Elliot Anderson, these three players are reportedly not targets for the Baggies this summer.

Good news for Albion fans

With Hourihane, while he would be available on a free transfer as a result of his Villa contract expiring, his 2021/22 season on loan with Sheffield United suggests that, even for free, he may not be the right player to come in and elevate West Brom to where they need to be.

He recorded a lowly WhoScored rating of 6.57, which put him 21st among Paul Heckingbottom’s squad, far from a glowing testament to the Irishman’s performances.

As for Darlow, having conceded 15 goals in eight Premier League appearances this season, the 31-year-old may not be the right figure for the Baggies either, especially with Sam Johnstone likely to leave in the coming weeks and a suitable replacement needed for him.

Finally, with Anderson only having regular senior football at League Two level under his belt, adding the 19-year-old to Bruce’s ranks could be a risk for Albion given his inexperience.

Taking all this into account, seeing these three players scratched off the list for potential summer transfer targets should be great news for West Brom fans.

With this Premier League trio out of the frame, it will presumably now give the Baggies the chance to move on and potentially look at other players who they feel will be the right options to come in and improve their squad.

In our view, with the Midlands club scoring fewer goals than the likes of Reading, Bristol City and Blackpool among others, adding a player who can find the net on a regular basis should be the first port of call for West Brom and their recruitment staff.

In other news: WBA can unearth ideal Sawyers replacement with 20 y/o gem who has “a lot of quality”

Turkish source Fanatik have now made an interesting Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Fenerbache defender Kim Min-jae.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye 2020 move…

Under former boss Jose Mourinho, it was claimed that Spurs seriously held an interest in bringing the South Korea international to the Premier League in 2020.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Kim, who has the reputation for being a ‘monster’ in his homeland, allegedly attracted attention from the Lilywhites with reports even claiming that the centre-back wanted a move to north London.

Recently, Spurs head coach Antonio Conte has been linked with a move as the Italian reportedly set his sights on the signing of a central defender this summer.

The Latest: Kim has serious ‘offer’ from Tottenham…

As per Fanatik, it is believed that the ‘offers’ from Spurs, Everton and Napoli are ‘serious’ to sign Kim and it is ‘expected’ that there will be more ‘important developments’ at the end of this season.

However, if transfer chief Fabio Paratici wants to bring him to the Premier League, it is believed that Spurs will have to pay the €23 million (£20m) clause in his contract.

The Verdict: Ideal candidate?

The Athletic claim chairman Daniel Levy is willing to significantly invest in bringing a central defender to N17 and we believe Fenerbache’s star man could be a shrewd option.

The 25-year-old has been a truly colossal presence for his team in the Turkish Super Lig, averaging more clearances and interceptions per 90 than any of his teammates (WhoScored).

Playing more league minutes than any Fenerbache player, he’s also an untouchable, durable and crucial player in their starting eleven.

To top it all off, at just 25, Spurs could sign a really dependable centre-half for years to come.

While he is arguably yet to be tested in a truly elite division, for just £20m and no negotiations, he could be worth the financial risk.

In other news: Offer made: Paratici tables crucial bid as Conte personally pushes for Spurs signing, find out more here.

Aston Villa have held a fresh round of negotiations with Marseille’s Boubacar Kamara ahead of the summer transfer window, as per a report from The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones and Lee Davey.

The lowdown

Villa are able to negotiate pre-contract terms with the 22-year-old, whose deal is due to expire in the summer. Marseille, who ‘desperately need’ to reduce their wage bill, are resigned to losing the player.

Kamara is predominantly a defensive midfielder but he can also play as a centre-back, while Steven Gerrard and Villa chief executive Christian Purslow watched him in action against Nantes last month.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-updates/” title=”Aston Villa latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The latest

The Daily Mail’s report states that Villa have held ‘further talks’ with the player’s entourage. Atletico Madrid are also courting Kamara, but he has expressed a desire to play in the Premier League.

Villa want to address the defensive midfield position quickly and also have Atletico’s Geoffrey Kondogbia, Brighton’s Yves Bissouma and Leeds’ Kalvin Phillips on their shortlist.

Once that position is resolved, sporting director Johan Lange can then move on to adding another defender and a striker.

The verdict

Would Gerrard have been impressed by what he saw from Kamara on 20 April?

The statistics from Sofascore certainly suggest so. The Frenchman was at the centre of the action that night, recording the second-most touches (124) in the match behind Arsenal loanee William Saliba (125).

He was solid out of possession, winning six of the nine duels that he contested, and also effective with the ball. Kamara successfully completed six out of eight long passes and 104 overall (94% accuracy), created a ‘big chance’ and even won a penalty for his team. It was truly an all-action display.

The £22.5m-rated maestro has been billed as ‘one of the best youngsters in Europe’ by European football expert Alex Barker, so his signing would surely be greeted with great excitement by Villa fans if the club can pull it off.

In other news, Steven Gerrard has made a ‘very important’ addition.

Leeds United have been handed a potentially huge boost ahead of their Premier League meeting with Arsenal this Sunday.

What’s the latest?

In comments made before Leeds’ 4-0 defeat against Manchester City on Saturday (via The Mirror), Jesse Marsch revealed that he expects the centre-forward, who has not featured since rupturing his plantar fascia in the 3-2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in March, to return to the pitch this week – something that would appear to suggest the 28-year-old could be in line for a return to action against Arsenal this weekend.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more” title=”Read the latest Leeds United news and rumours!”]

Regarding the England international’s recovery from injury, the 48-year-old manager said: “Patrick has been making progress and we are still hopeful we can see him later in the season. I suspect and probably expect that he will be on the pitch next week. Let’s see and we have to be cautious, but we are all optimistic about Patrick at this point.”

Marsch will be buzzing

Considering how important a part of the Leeds side Bamford has proven himself to be in recent years, the news that the striker looks as if he could make a return to first-team football sooner rather than later is sure to have left Marsch buzzing.

While a series of injuries have severely hampered the 28-year-old’s game time this season – having made just nine appearances in the Premier League, over which he has scored two goals – the forward’s returns last time out demonstrated just how crucial he is in the Whites attack.

Indeed, over his 38 Premier League fixtures last term, the £18m-rated hitman highly impressed throughout Leeds’ first campaign back in the top flight, bagging 17 goals, providing seven assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £74k-per-week Englishman average a very respectable SofaScore match rating of 7.01, ranking him as the Whites’ seventh-best player in the league – playing a key role in Leeds securing a top-half finish.

As such, should Bamford be able to refind this level of goalscoring form upon his return to action, the centre-forward could well prove to be the difference between survival and relegation back to the second tier of English football come the end of the season.

AND in other news: Huge blow: Leeds dealt setback as early Arsenal team news emerges, Marsch surely livid