All posts by z3u9t.icu

With the Premier League season set to finish on Sunday afternoon, Dean Smith will have one final line-up to put out when Aston Villa take on Chelsea.

The Midlands club picked up an impressive three points away from home against Spurs in mid-week, with an own goal from Sergio Reguilon and a strike from Ollie Watkins enough to turn things around after they had initially fallen behind.

While a number of Villa’s players enjoyed some standout performances, one man who really struggled to get to the pace of the game was Anwar El Ghazi.

As per Sofascore, he finished with a 6.5 match rating, which was the lowest of any Villa player, and there were a number of times where he looked off the pace and a bit too lightweight.

He lost 13 duels on the day, which was by far the most of any player, and also lost possession 16 times, again the most of anyone who featured. The Dutchman also failed to complete any dribbles and committed three fouls as his frustrations got the better of him.

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The £9m-rated El Ghazi has been in good form in recent weeks, with three goals in the five games prior to the win at Spurs, but with this being the final day and Villa guaranteed to finish 11th, Smith has the perfect opportunity to experiment with his starting line-up.

With Jaden Philogene-Bidace waiting in the wings for Villa, it’s surely the perfect time for Smith to drop one of his usual first team players and hand an opportunity to one of the club’s brightest young talents.

Villa have nothing to lose, and it’s about time Smith makes some brave decisions and looks towards the club’s future.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a summer move for this Scottish star…

After a disappointing season for West Brom, currently 13th in the Championship, Steve Bruce has given an update on Andy Carroll’s future at the club ahead of the transfer window.

What’s the latest?

In an interview with Express & Star, the Baggies boss has confirmed that talks have been scheduled to make a decision on the striker’s future and whether his stay will be extended at the club or not.

Bruce confirmed:

“He has done well since he has been here and it’s great to see him fit. I’ve always said, when fit, Andy Carroll is a threat.

“I think it’s important in the next week or so that we sit down and make those big decisions which are never easy. We’ll see what develops.”

Time to go

Carroll was initially brought into the club to fill a gap in the striker role for West Brom after a freak hamstring injury to January signing Daryl Dike on his first full debut for the Baggies and has had an adequate impact on the side.

The £720k-rated star who was hailed “powerful” by former boss Alan Pardew, has delivered three goals in 15 appearances, scoring a goal in each of the two victories West Brom have picked up in their last six games, but with players returning from injury the striker has fulfilled his purpose and it is now time to go.

Dike returned to full team training last month but is yet to make an appearance in the team since he picked up his injury, and Bruce is hoping that he will be able to have a good summer working on his match fitness to reprise his star role as the striker in next season’s charge for promotion back to the top-flight.

With that in mind, keeping hold of 33-year-old Carroll doesn’t make sense in the club’s pursuit to rebuild and recharge for a chance to get back into the Premier League next season, and should be looking to invest in the future of the team, rather than prolonging the contract of a player who is nearing the end of his career.

West Brom needs to reflect on the nightmare season they have had in the Championship and re-evaluate what needs to be done to ensure they don’t find themselves in the same position again this time next year.

It is really important to keep moving forward in the best interests of the team, and accepting Carroll was a short-term solution and moving him on this summer could be the right decision.

AND in other news: Bruce can finally axe “lazy” flop as West Brom plot bid for “superb” 19 y/o sensation

Roy Keane is thought to be back in the running to take over at Celtic, with the stalling move for Eddie Howe causing a U-turn in the Bhoys boardroom.

That’s according to a ‘behind the scenes’ report from Football Insider, who have been informed by a Hoops source that the Irishman has growing support from within the boardroom and is becoming more prominent in the thoughts of the hierarchy.

Keane feared he had been overlooked by Celtic despite talks with the club, but it seems as if he is now back in the frame.

The report suggests that the Hoops hierarchy feel they need a new manager with a strong personality to rebuild a broken team and compete with Rangers, while the faltering move for Howe has also led to a rethink.

Transfer Tavern take

To us, appointing Keane as Celtic’s new manager would be a huge risk. The 49-year-old has been out of the managerial game for over ten years – with his experience in the dugout since then coming as assistant to both Martin O’Neill and Paul Lambert with Ireland, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest respectively.

Howe is another man in the Celtic picture along with Keane, and to us, the Englishman would be a better option, as he proved with Bournemouth that he can rebuild a side, taking them from League Two to the Premier League in the space of six seasons.

Howe also has over 350 games more as a manager than Keane and has been out of work for less than a year, so not only is he the fresher and more current manager, he is also actually more experienced as well.

In other news: Premier League club mandate agents to work on signing Celtic star, find out more here. 

Gianluca Di Marzio has dropped an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s reported interest in a move for Lautaro Martinez.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments cited by FcInter1908 (via Sport Witness), the Sky Sports Italia journalist revealed that, following earlier reports suggesting that Antonio Conte has made the Inter Milan centre-forward one of his priority targets in the summer transfer window, there is a very good chance Fabio Paratici does make another move for the 24-year-old at the end of the current campaign.

Speaking about Spurs’ interest in the Argentina international, Di Marzio said: “Who will Tottenham go to if they qualify for the Champions League? Surely Antonio Conte wants another striker.

“We know that, even before he arrived in London, Fabio Paratici had tried to take Lautaro Martinez, but then Inter sold Lukaku and could not sell both.

“I expect a possible Tottenham offensive for him. Then it is true that he has renewed, but it is possible that Tottenham could present themselves again and we’ll see what kind of offer they might present.”

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Spurs supporters will love Di Marzio’s update

With backup and competition for Harry Kane having been something of an issue for Tottenham in recent years, with the club’s last permanent signing of a centre-forward being Fernando Llorente back in August 2017 – who subsequently left Spurs for Napoli just two years later – the suggestion that Paratici could pursue a deal for Martinez this summer is sure to be an update the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful will love.

Indeed, the thought of the £63m-rated Argentine and Kane linking up in a front two in north London is an incredibly exciting one – not to mention being a duo that would somewhat replicate Conte’s devastating attacking two during Inter’s Scudetto-winning campaign under the 52-year-old.

Last season, in the Italian manager’s preferred 3-5-2 formation, Romelu Lukaku and Martinez scored 41 goals and registered 17 assists between them in the league, with Lukaku averaging an incredibly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.32 and Martinez averaging a 7.17 rating – ranking the duo as Conte’s first and third-best performers in Serie A respectively.

As such, it is clear for all to see that the prospect of Kane – who himself has scored 12 goals, provided six assists and averaged a SofaScore match rating of 7.29 in the Premier League this season – taking the place of Lukaku in this tandem will be a thought that terrifies defenders up and down the country.

And, with it being reported that Inter will be willing to listen to offers beginning at €70m (£59m) for the €125k-per-week (£105k-per-week) striker this summer, a deal for Martinez is one that Daniel Levy could very much afford to sanction.

AND in other news: Conte can finally axe “horrendous” liability as Spurs plot talks for £17m “revelation”

Aston Villa are still looking to sign Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, according to Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: £25m bid

Villa were first linked with a move for the Saints captain at the beginning of June, a day after they agreed on a club-record deal for Emiliano Buendia. However, rumours of a possible Villa Park switch didn’t exactly gather pace in June and most of July.

David Ornstein of The Athletic revealed on Friday that Southampton have rejected a £25m bid from Villa for Ward-Prowse, but it seems as if they haven’t given up hope of signing the 26-year-old.

The Latest: Sky Sports’ claim

Sky Sports reporters Dharmesh Sheth and Kaveh Solhekol ran through the transfer latest on all 20 Premier League clubs live on air, which was shared on Twitter.

When it came to Villa, Solhekol outlined that Villa are closing in on a £30m deal for Leon Bailey, before revealing that ‘Villa also want’ Ward-Prowse.

The Southampton captain, who Pep Guardiola hailed last season as the “best free-kick taker I have seen in my life”, still has four years remaining on his contract at St Mary’s.

The Verdict: Cost more than Bailey?

With Villa’s deal for Bailey rumoured to be in the region of £30m, it appears as if any possible move for Ward-Prowse could cost Villa more than that.

Ornstein admitted Southampton would want ‘far more’ than the initial £25m offer, so Villa may well need to make the Englishman their club-record signing, surpassing Buendia’s £34.56m move.

Villa may easily have the funds to spend big on Ward-Prowse over the coming weeks, though, especially with Jack Grealish linked with a £100m move to Manchester City.

In other news: Many AVFC fans are buzzing over Leon Bailey latest. 

Leicester City should repeat the trick that they successfully used in 2018 to sign Ricardo Pereira with a move for Robin Gosens.

The Foxes have been linked with a switch for the Atalanta full-back in recent days, with Fabrizio Romano revealing that he is their “main option” should Jon Rudkin elect to sign a left-back this summer.

However, the East-Midlanders reportedly face competition for the £31.5m-rated German international, with Manchester City having also been linked in the past.

With current Leicester defender Pereira also being linked with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur ahead of his move to the King Power Stadium nearly three years ago, the Foxes swooped by securing a deal early.

The Portuguese international, who was signed from FC Porto, was announced as a Leicester City player on the 19th May 2018 – just six days after the final Premier League fixture of the season.

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Whilst he did not officially sign his Foxes contract until the following month due to international clearance, the early deal allowed the East-Midlanders to steal a march on their rivals and sign Pereira.

He has certainly been a welcome addition at the King Power Stadium since, making 86 appearances for the club and winning the Player of the Season award in his debut campaign.

So, with Gosens interesting a number of clubs around Europe, it would certainly be useful for Leicester to tie up a deal relatively early, especially with the UEFA European Championships set to take place this summer, an event which could make any transfers later in the window a little more difficult to complete.

Having successfully completed the deal to bring Pereira to the club in 2018, Leicester should certainly take inspiration from that and beat the competition to the signature of the Atalanta man.

AND in more news, find out which former Tottenham starlet Leicester must also secure in the summer…

Former Leeds midfielder David Norris believes that Frenchman IlIan Meslier could be Hugo Lloris’ replacement at Tottenham, but he wouldn’t necessarily expect him to want the move.

Lloris has 12 months remaining on his contract but is expected to see out that deal despite strong reports linking him with a return to France and reunion with former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino.

The 34-year-old, who’ll be hoping to add a European Championships medal to his World Cup this summer, was ever-present last term for the first time in his nine seasons in north London and was one of Tottenham’s few consistent performers.

However, should Lloris not extend his contract, the north London outfit are going to need to replace him for the first time since he joined from Lyon nine years ago.

English goalkeepers Sam Johnstone and Aaron Ramsdale have previously been mentioned, but Norris reckons that his international colleague Meslier could be the man, with Alex McLeish tipping him as a potential replacement last month.

Meslier only turned 21 in March but performed above his years during his debut Premier League season, keeping an impressive 11 clean sheets in 35 appearances.

“Is he better than Lloris at the minute? Probably not yet, but that’s down to experience,” Norris exclusively told The Transfer Tavern.

“What you want as a goalkeeper is to go under the radar and be a steady Eddie, and that’s what Meslier has done. He would be a good signing, but he could be looking at Kane going, Bale going, so would he want that move? So as a replacement long-term? Definitely. Would it happen? I’m not sure.”

Flocking to Twitter, many Fulham fans have erupted over their side’s six-word message involving Jean Michael Seri.

Marco Silva’s men, looking to bounce straight back to the English top flight after being relegated last season, have certainly made a brilliant start – currently sitting third and well in contention for an automatic spot.

The Cottagers have many players to thank for their start to the Championship campaign but one of the main men is arguably Seri.

Starting 10/12 second tier games under Silva, the 30-year-old has been a composed and assured figure in the middle of the park – averaging the highest pass accuracy (89.1%) out of any Fulham player who’s played more than 90 minutes (WhoScored).

Now, in recognition of his fine form, Fulham have dropped the six-word message ‘Ladies and gentlemen…Jean Michaël Seri’ whilst sharing an exclusive interview with the midfield man.

Indeed, Seri shared his gratitude for the backing of Fulham fans with many erupting in response.

Some are even overjoyed that they ‘finally’ get to hear more from the player.

Find all of their reactions from Twitter down below.

Fulham fans erupt over Seri post…

“Best midfielder in the division. The Seri revival has been glorious”

Credit: @SeeJayFFC

“weeeeve got seriiii”

Credit: @DanFoard1

“Great to finally hear from him. Fans need to be able to understand who our players are as people, not just what they do on the pitch”

Credit: @AdamBrightPhoto

“Great to hear such positivity. We are now seeing why the club spent so much on him.”

Credit: @RogerBurbridge

“What a hero, glad he is enjoying his stay now even if it isn’t for a long time top man”

Credit: @Nathan_Footy

“I love this man more than words could possibly describe. The revival of his fulham career has been nothing short of glorious.”

Credit: @SumptuousSeri

“I am in love”

Credit: @AFreitas1308

“Top lad! inspirational! COYW”

Credit: @secravencottage

Leeds United have had an impressive transfer window to date.

They may have lost the likes of Gjanni Alioski and Pablo Hernandez but they have welcomed Jack Harrison to the club on a permanent basis and signed eye-catching full-back, Junior Firpo, from Barcelona.

What’s the word?

Victor Orta’s work won’t stop there and it appears that next on the list is a winger.

Leeds have been linked with the likes of Mikkel Damsgaard and Matheus Cunha but another name on their radar is Noa Lang.

That’s according to Voetbal Belgie who suggest that both the Whites and AC Milan continue to think of the attacker as an option this summer.

Club Brugge are hoping to secure around €25m (£21.3m) so a deal could be fairly cheap for a man of his talents.

Upgrade on Harrison?

The former Manchester City flanker has been absolutely excellent during his three loan spells with Leeds.

Harrison is one of the most hardworking players in the team and if any man epitomises the Bielsa player to perfection, it’s him.

He has gone from strength to strength under the Argentine coach and contributed to 16 goals in the Premier League last term.

It feels like the winger could be on the verge of England recognition but may Leeds actually discover an upgrade in Lang?

Described as a “phenomenon” by Belgian sports journalist Peter Vandenbempt, the 22-year-old has a bright future in the game and is capable of finding the net with great regularity.

Lang scored 17 goals last term, nine more than Harrison, and also assisted 11 strikes.

Of course, he was doing that at a level below the Premier League in terms of quality but those numbers are still remarkable.

His key attacking metrics were all better than the Englishman, though. Lang recorded 2.9 shots, 1.8 key passes and 1.4 dribbles per game last term.

Compare that to Harrison and the differences are clear. Leeds’ flying winger managed 1.3 shots, 1.6 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per game.

Bielsa absolutely adores the 24-year-old and he’s one of the first names on the team sheet at Elland Road but he’d be foolish to ignore someone that could improve them even more.

AND in other news, Get rid: Bielsa must ruthlessly sell £40k-p/w “liability”, he’s rinsing Radrizzani dry…

West Ham United announced the arrival of Nikola Vlasic earlier this morning and Irons fans can expect further deals to be done, according to a very reliable source…

What’s the word?

ExWHUemployee tweeted that the east London outfit were in talks with as many as four players heading into tonight’s transfer deadline, though it remains to be seen exactly who these players might be.

“Talks with 4 players scheduled (we won’t sign all 4),” he tweeted.

The Croatian playmaker has joined from CSKA Moscow in an initial €30m (£25.5m) deal, signing a five-year £66k-per-week contract at the London Stadium. He joins centre-back Kurt Zouma and goalkeeper Alphonse Areola as David Moyes’ third summer signing.

More business to be done!

This latest development should leave many supporters around the club absolutely buzzing as it looks like their side are trying to conduct more business before 11pm tonight.

Moyes could certainly do with another striker, as right now, he risks going into the next few months – when they’ll be playing two times per week – with just one senior option in the role, an injury-prone Michail Antonio.

Indeed, he’s currently the Premier League’s leading goalscorer on four goals but he hasn’t started over 24 league games since 2016/17.

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There is also the small matter of sealing Jesse Lingard’s potential return – something that Hammers assistant manager Stuart Pearce re-iterated his club would like to secure during an interview with talkSPORT last week.

Given the arrival of Vlasic in the no.10 position, it would be hard to see the Manchester United midfielder returning to the London Stadium today but you never know.

Moyes could potentially do with further cover in the full-back positions too, particularly at left-back, where Arthur Masuaku has had long-term injury problems, as well as deeper in the engine room as one injury to Declan Rice or Tomas Soucek means it’s the retiring Mark Noble up next.

All in all, the West Ham faithful should be thrilled to hear that the club is in talks with as many as four players today. There’s surely a good chance they get at least one of those over the line to bolster the Scot’s playing squad.

For now, we can expect the Irons to be busier today.

AND in other news, Moyes could repeat Lingard 2.0 with West Ham deadline day swoop for “unplayable” beast…