All posts by h716a5.icu

According to a report by 90min, Liverpool are monitoring West Ham midfielder Declan Rice and if he were to join, he could be the perfect man to succeed Jordan Henderson in Jurgen Klopp’s side.

What’s the word?

According to 90min, Liverpool and Manchester City have joined the race to sign the Hammers midfielder, with West Ham reportedly willing to sell him for just £50 million, which is £30 million less than they demanded for him last summer when Chelsea were heavily interested.

Jordan Henderson’s heir?

Rice has established himself as one of the best young players in the Premier League in recent years and despite being just 22-years-old, he regularly captains West Ham’s team in the absence of Mark Noble.

The England international has made 130 appearances for the Hammers’ first-team now, contributing three goals and five assists in that time.

The former Chelsea youngster’s performances both last season and this season have been extremely consistent, averaging a 7.01 and 7.02 rating across for his appearances in the top-flight.

He has also shown himself to be adept at playing as a centre-back and a defensive midfielder, and given both Henderson and Fabinho have featured in defence for Klopp’s side so far this season, it seems as if he would be a good fit with the Merseyside club.

From a defensive perspective, Rice looks to already have the edge on Henderson, as he has averaged 1.8 tackles and 2 interceptions per game this season, compared to the Liverpool captain’s 1.3 tackles and 1.4 interceptions in the Premier League season.

Whilst the 30-year-old plays significantly more passes per game than Rice, this can be attributed to Liverpool’s style of play, and again, the West Ham man has a higher pass success rate and plays more key passes per game than Henderson.

Earlier this season, David Moyes was full of praise for his midfielder, saying:

“He is such an improved player. I really think he is doing a great job as a player and we are building up hope that he will be an outstanding captain.”

Therefore, Rice appears to have very similar attributes to Henderson, and whilst the former Sunderland man will have no intention of losing his starting spot at Liverpool anytime soon, if Michael Edwards were to bring him to Anfield, he could be the perfect man to succeed the Reds’ captain in the future.

And, in other news… Liverpool should swoop for “extraordinary” 20 y/o dubbed the new Neymar

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham Hotspur have been scouting RB Leipzig midfielder Marcel Sabitzer…

What’s the word?

Speaking on a ‘transfer special’ with popular Spurs Youtuber Chris Cowlin, Romano said:

“Sabitzer is a player Tottenham are pursuing, they are scouting him [and have done] for two years. They like the player.

“It’s not easy to negotiate with Leipzig because they know that they are going to sell Upamecano next summer, so they will make money with Upamecano and [it] won’t be so easy to sign, also in the same summer, Sabitzer.

“A lot of clubs are interested. Jose likes this kind of player – he has quality, he’s also a fighter, running. He’s not just a quality player, he’s really ready for Premier League football.”

Forget Eriksen

Spurs have just been dealt a blow in their chances to bring Christian Eriksen to the club, according to Romano there is “no chance” the Dane returns before tonight’s deadline.

This has a knock-on effect as it means Dele Alli will be unlikely to seal a move to Mauricio Pochettino’s Paris Saint-Germain but perhaps Sabitzer provides a solution that suits all parties.

As Romano claims, it will be difficult to get him in the future given the situation at Leipzig, so they should swoop now – and he’d be a better option than Eriksen anyway.

Since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, Sabizter has delivered 19 goals and 15 assists across all competitions compared to Eriksen’s struggled in Inter, where he has only managed five goals and two assists.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-deadline-day-latest-news-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=”Deadline day is here: Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

It’s no wonder that the Leipzig talisman was dubbed a “goal threat” by his boss, Julian Nagelsmann.

It is also thought that Mourinho wants a box-to-box midfielder rather than an out-and-out no.10, as per The Times’ Duncan Castles, which is again why Sabitzer is a better fit than Eriksen right now.

Not only has the Austrian beast provided creativity, but he too attempts 2.8 tackles per 90 at a success rate of 57%, and has averaged 1.7 interceptions per 90, via WhoScored.

That shows his impressive work-rate, one that isn’t matched by the former Spurs star as during his time in north London, he never managed more than 1.6 tackles or 1.1 interceptions per 90, also via WhoScored.

Indeed, Sabitzer also fits the profile as Romano has said before – he’d be “perfect for Jose Mourinho” and similarly, former Leipzig coach Ralf Rangnick lauded his development as a “leader” as “remarkable.”

Alli, who has played only 472 minutes in all competitions, is clearly not going to break into Mourinho’s plans anytime soon, so a move to PSG would suit him and with the blow over Eriksen, Spurs really could do with someone like Sabitzer before tonight’s deadline.

The Athletic believe he could be available for £30m or under given his contractual situation.

Daniel Levy must look to sanction this sooner, rather than later.

AND in other news, Spurs must swoop for “fearless” 26-cap beast amid Romano claim

Manchester City are continuing to be linked with Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria ahead of the summer, and with Fernandinho widely expected to depart, the Swiss international could arrive as the Brazilian’s replacement.

According to Sport Bild (via Sport Witness), the 24-year-old is one of four Monchengladbach players who could depart this summer due to their contracts expiring in 2022, and Manchester City are ‘especially interested’ in adding the defensive-midfielder to their squad.

There are currently no signs to suggest that Fernandinho will sign a contract extension with Pep Guardiola’s side before the end of the season, so it seems likely that the former Shakhtar Donetsk man will depart the Citizens this summer when his current contract expires.

Whilst the 35-year-old has given way for Rodri in recent seasons he has still featured on a fairly regular basis for Guardiola in cup competitions this season, so they will arguably need to add someone such as Zakaria who can compete with the Spaniard for a starting spot in this City side.

Considering the 24-year-old’s performances for Marco Rose’s side in recent seasons, he could be a superb addition to Guardiola’s squad.

In 23 Bundesliga appearances last season, the Swiss midfielder averaged a superb 7.15 rating, averaging 2.1 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game in Germany’s top-flight.

Fernandinho meanwhile, would average 1.7 tackles and 0.8 interceptions in the Premier League last season, which certainly emphasises that the Monchengladbach man could step up as his replacement.

Zakaria also scores impressively on FBref when it comes to his defensive attributes, despite arguably not being at his best this season, perhaps due to a knee injury that kept him out for much of 2020.

However, it seems clear that the £36m-rated Zakaria is a quality defensive-midfielder when he is at his best, and if Fernandinho does end up departing this summer, City’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain should definitely try and bring the Swiss international to the Etihad as his replacement.

And, in other news… Ilkay Gundogan voted Premier League fans’ player of the month for January

While Leeds United remain in the hunt for a surprise European place for next season, attentions already seem to be turning towards how the Premier League side can strengthen ahead of the new campaign.

Reports in recent days have suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side have earmarked Torino centre-back Nicolas Nkoulou as a possible new addition, with the Cameroon international’s contract at the Serie A club coming to an end this summer and thus being available to join on a free transfer.

Bielsa may feel that Nkoulou could form a centre-back partnership alongside summer signing Diego Llorente, whose debut campaign in English football at Elland Road has been severely restricted by injuries – he’s only managed a measly three appearances in the Premier League.

Given the money they spent on Llorente, there’s no questioning that if he does get his fitness back, Bielsa will be keen to get him into the starting line-up.

And in Nkoulou, he could find him the perfect partner. The 6 foot powerhouse has got a tonne of experience playing for the likes of Torino, Monaco and Lyon, whilst it was at Marseille that he played under Bielsa himself.

He played 26 games in all competitions for the Argentine back in the one season that the duo were at the Stade Veledrome, with Nkoulou a permanent fixture in the starting line-up when fit – the only games he missed were as a result of suspension, injury and being involved at the African Cup of Nations.

In that 2014/2015 season, Nkoulou proved he’s the ultimate Bielsa centre-back, being superb at reading the game and being aggressive, and having a fine ability to play out from the back.

The Cameroonian arguably played the best football of his career under Bielsa, with his defensive numbers from that campaign really telling the full story.

As per Whoscored, he managed a career-high 3.3 interceptions per game in Ligue 1, while in only his first two seasons of professional football did he make more than the 2.1 tackles per match that he recorded in that 2014/2015 campaign – to compare that to Leeds’ players right now, no-one can match those interception numbers, while only four others have made more tackles.

But, not only was he a defensive stalwart, but Nkoulou also looked assured with the ball at his feet. He averaged a 90.8% pass accuracy and 48 total passes per game, which are both significantly higher than his career average.

The defender played his best football under Bielsa, and so the Leeds boss will be fairly confident that he could get the best out of him once again at Elland Road. And that could see him partner Llorente come the start of next season.

Some fans of Manchester City have been reacting to a post on Twitter which relayed a report regarding the club’s reported interest in a move for Robin Gosens this summer.

According to the report by TuttoMercatoWeb, Pep Guardiola is ‘trying to bring’ the £25.2m-rated Atalanta left-back to the Etihad Stadium this summer as a potential replacement for Oleksandr Zinchenko, for whom the club are said to be open to offers.

So far this season, Gosens – who can also play further up along the left flank, as well as in central midfield – has been in remarkable form over his 20 Serie A appearances for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side, scoring eight goals and providing four assists, as well as averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.47 – ranking the 26-year-old as the fourth-best performer across all of the Italian top flight.

However, despite his impressive displays this term, after City Xtra relayed the report regarding Guardiola’s interest in Gosens on Twitter, many fans of the club appeared to be less than convinced at the prospect of their side making a move to sign the left-back this summer.

So, what exactly did these Manchester City fans have to say in reaction to the report regarding Pep Guardiola’s interest in Robin Gosens?

“Would prefer Theo Hernandez.”

@skye_jack

“As much as I’m all in favour of strengthening the squad, surely the focus should be on a new striker? I’ve read a few articles linking us with defenders but just look how well the defence is doing versus how the goals have dropped off. Strikers, not more defenders please Pep.”

@AtBloke

“He’s not really a LB, more of a LM. Would be a good second option on the wing but we don’t really need him.”

@xjuanxmartinezx

“I don’t know about this.”

@mancitymj14

“Nah.”

@SilkyCyrus_74

“Absolute trash. With got Zina & Mendy. Stop that nonsense.”

@skrealand

In other news: some Man City fans were baffled by one ’embarrassing’ comment – find out more here!

Carlo Ancelotti must begin to see more from Beni Baningime during his loan spell with Derby County if the midfielder is to prove that he has a future at Everton next season.

The 22-year-old moved to Pride Park on Deadline Day of the winter transfer window, but has struggled to establish himself under Manchester United and England icon Wayne Rooney.

Baningime has made just one Championship appearance lasting just three minutes with the Rams to date, while he’s been omitted from two of his former Goodison Park teammate’s following five matchday squads.

Baningime had been a fixture of David Unsworth’s Under 23s before leaving Merseyside last month, starting all 13 available PL2 fixtures and captaining the side on six occasions after being omitted from Ancelotti’s initial 25-man Premier League squad.

Ancelotti had named the DR Congo native on the bench for eight top-flight fixtures last term, though the last of Baningime’s 12 senior Blues outings remains a 21-minute cameo beside Rooney away to Swansea City in April 2018.

Rooney’s assistant coach, Liam Rosenior, has now explained why the midfielder has also struggled to get a look in at Derby since joining the Rams in a last-ditch move, while fellow winter arrivals Lee Gregory, George Edmundson, Teden Mengi and Patrick Roberts have featured frequently.

“Beni is another outstanding character,” Rosenior said, via quotes by Derbyshire Live. “All five players we signed in the window fit our culture and what we are trying to build here, which is a team ethic. He gets on great with the players.

“Beni has not played first-team football for quite a while but what he has done, and because we train so intensely, his fitness levels and sharpness have gone through the roof in the time he has been here.

“He is pushing, he is really pushing. He has been outstanding in training, he is pushing the other midfield players and I am sure, sooner rather than later, you will see him maybe come off the bench or even start a game. He is a huge part of our squad, like every member is.”

Ancelotti will have to see Baningime fulfil Rosenior’s expectations in the coming months if the Everton product is to prove that he deserves a future back at Goodison Park next season, as life on the bench is only proving his move to be a disaster so far.

It is not the first time that the DR Congo native has tried his luck at life away from Merseyside and flopped, either, having joined Wigan Athletic for the second-half of their 2018/19 Championship season, where he only featured once.

Like with Derby, his sole outing with the Latics came early into his time at the club – starting and playing the full 90 minutes at the second available chance – but he failed to make another matchday squad whilst the DW Stadium natives narrowly staved off the threat of relegation.

Baningime will now also have just a year remaining on his £8,000-per-week contract when he returns to Everton, so the Blues would have to look to move the academy graduate on if he cannot establish himself at another second-tier outfit, let alone one in the Premier League.

Much was expected of the youngster when he was given a surprise debut in the Carabao Cup away to Chelsea in 2017, with the talented prospect replacing Morgan Schneiderlin due to a late illness and delivering a crunching challenge on Ethan Ampadu to leave his mark.

But years have passed since that cold Autumn night in south west London and Baningime is still waiting to establish himself at Everton. Failing to even get a game at Derby will likely spell the end of his Everton chances

AND in other news, Everton are tracking a prolific 15-goal winger backed to reach another level…

In a recent interview, Alan Hutton praised the Glasgow Rangers manager, Steven Gerrard, for his keeping of Gers’ traditions.

Speaking recently to Sky Sports, Rangers’ majority shareholder and former chairman, Dave King, claimed that Gerrard has always insisted on keeping the traditions that 10 times Scottish championship-winning manager Walter Smith instilled in his time at the club.

One of these traditions included the Gers boss wearing a suit and tie for the club’s fixtures, and, in a recent interview with Football Insider, Hutton heaped a considerable amount of praise on Gerrard for upholding these particular customs of the club.

He said: “This is the thing. It’s the little things that make the difference. They all build-up to the collective, what you’re looking for.

“He’s totally right. When you think back to the likes of Walter Smith, it was always that – the navy blazer, grey trousers and brown shoes. That’s how Rangers were.

“It’s good to hear that Steven Gerrard was buying into all of that. He wanted to be part of all the little things that make Rangers, Rangers. It’s brilliant to hear.”

Transfer Tavern Take

Whether or not Gerrard’s maintaining of Smith’s traditions directly had an effect on the players, it certainly does not appear to have done them any damage, with the Liverpool legend leading the club to their first Scottish top flight title for 10 years this season.

And, hopefully – for fans of the club, at least – it is not only Smith’s dress sense that Gerrard brings back to Gers but also the unprecedented levels of success the 73-year-old did during his time spent in Glasgow – with the former Everton boss winning 10 league titles, six Scottish League Cups and five Scottish Cups at Rangers.

In other news: some Rangers fans slammed this politician’s comments – find out more here!

Rangers’ 22-year-old midfielder Jamie Barjonas is looking set to seal a loan move away from the club.

Barjonas is yet to play even once in the Scottish Premiership for the Gers this season, and it seems as if he is set for a temporary move away from Ibrox.

Barjonas could to Ayr United move

The Athletic’s Rangers journalist, Jordan Campbell, has recently reported about Barjonas’ situation at Ibrox. He claims that the 22-year-old is now training with Ayr United and the expectation is that he will seal a loan move away from the Gers soon enough.

His contract at Rangers expires at the end of the season, but the journalist provided no further information about when the loan deal at Ayr United will expire.

The Leeds-born midfielder has been on the bench for the Gers multiple times in the Europa League this season. He’s also made it to the bench a couple of times in the Premiership (as per Transfermarkt).

Loan move could benefit Barjonas

The midfielder is a product of the Rangers youth academy, but he has spent multiple loan spells at clubs like Partick Thistle, Raith Rovers and even Bury (as per Transfermarkt). He has played only nine times for the Rangers first-team and his last appearance came in the 2017-18 season.

It is time for the Gers to part ways with him and in the summer, they should allow him to leave Ibrox permanently so he can find more consistent playing time.

In other news, Kevin Campbell has discussed the future of Alfredo Morelos – read more about it here.

Red Bull Salzburg boss Jesse Marsch won’t be the next Celtic manager, according to reliable reporter Christian Falk.

The American recently admitted it was an “honour” to be linked with the Celtic job, describing the role as “interesting”.

That led to several Celtic fans urging the Hoops to seal a deal for the 47-year-old, with Parkhead chiefs admirers of Marsch, but those fans will now be disappointed after the latest update.

Marsch makes Celtic contact

However, Falk simply ended a tweet on Thursday morning claiming he has ‘confirmation’ that ‘Jesse Marsch won‘t join Celtic FC’.

Falk’s earlier post claimed that Marsch told the Celtic board that the interest is an honour, but he will not be available in the summer for the vacant job.

Transfer Tavern take

Even though Marsch is now out of the running to succeed Neil Lennon, we feel that the club can take heart in the fact that a boss with an impressive record was full of praise for the club and the available position.

The Hoops, we feel, should now be full of optimism over the coming months in their pursuit of a new manager.

The successful director of football candidate will also have a role to play in that search, and if the club get both appointments spot on, fans could well see an immediate response in the 2021/22 season following this season’s disappointing campaign.

In other news: In-demand Scot ready to quit Celtic as unlikely transfer destination emerges, find out more here. 

When Diogo Jota left Wolves, there was an assumption from the hierarchy that they’d get on fine this season.

Indeed, it was clear to see why that thought process was put in place. Jota scored just once in his final ten league games of 2019/20, regularly being dragged off just after the hour mark or being introduced as a substitute.

He was becoming merely a bit-part of the Wolves side so when Liverpool offered £41m to prise him away from the Midlands, Jeff Shi gladly accepted.

Little did he know, however, that Raul Jimenez would suffer a horrendous fractured skull just a matter of months into the new season.

In hindsight, Wolves’ decision to sell the Portuguese sensation looks like extremely poor business. Fabio Silva was signed as his replacement but he has scored just twice since moving from Porto for a club-record £35.6m.

Combine the fact that Adama Traore hasn’t scored all season in the league with Willian Jose’s goalless rut and the decision to sell Jota looks even worse.

On his day, the attacker is one of the best in the Premier League. Despite an injury-hit first campaign at Anfield, he has netted ten goals in only 21 outings; that includes a Champions League hat-trick.

Keep in mind Wolves currently occupy a place in the bottom half of the Premier League and it becomes evident that they need more firepower. Fortunately, the top brass at Molineux have already identified some targets.

Goncalo Guedes is one to have been linked with the Midlands but so too has Lucas Ocampos. The Sevilla winger has a pricey release clause of £62m but Wolves are hoping to tie up a deal below that valuation.

If he does move to the Premier League, he could be the ideal replacement for Jota. The Argentine is capable of playing on either wing and also through the middle; though it’s his ability to beat his man and find the net that bears the greatest similarities to the former Wolves star.

Ocampos has scored seven times this term, providing a further four assists for his troubles. However, when it comes to dribbling, there are few better in La Liga. So far this term, the £27k-per-week earner has completed 2.2 dribbles per game.

For context, there are only five players with better averages in the Spanish top tier; one of which is Lionel Messi.

If we compare this to Jota, there is a clear likeness. The Liverpool forward completed 1.9 dribbles per game last season and has managed 1.4 in this term’s Champions League.

With Wolves stuttering this season, they’d more than benefit from an extra bit of quality in the final third.

Dubbed “electric” by Fede Prami, a journalist and River Plate fan, he looks like the ideal player to take on the mantle from Jota. This would be an inspirational addition from Shi.

AND in other news, Valued at £6.3m in 2019, now worth £31.5m: Wolves gem fast becoming a “world star”…