All posts by h716a5.icu

Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to the news that Leicester City and Aston Villa are interested in defender Filip Helander.

According to Sportbladet, the two Premier League sides are eyeing a move for 27-year-old Helander. The Sweden international has been an important player for Steven Gerrard’s squad this campaign, making 21 appearances in the Premiership (Transfermarkt) – incredibly, since he made the move to Scotland from Bologna in 2019, Rangers have still not lost a league game in which he has played.

The Ibrox outfit have been defensively wonderful throughout the season, conceding just 10 goals in the league (BBC) – Helander has contributed heavily to that. Given the success they have enjoyed this term, the Gers must surely do all they can to keep him at the club.

The Rangers fans have been reacting to the news in their droves, and it seems many are eager to see him stay with the 55-time Scottish champions. The supporters took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Helander news below

“Would like to think we won’t be selling any of our assets tbh. If Barisic has a good euros we will struggle to keep him. We would command big money for someone of his quality.”

Credit: @LoyalistGranda

“International centre half, winner, european pedigree….£20million is a bargain”

Credit: @WalterW31347418

“Another Rangers player being touted for a move away from Ibrox. Looks like we are in for a long few months with a lot our players being in demand.”

Credit: @AHW140

“£85 Million to get a seat at the table”

Credit: @steviesouness

“Bids starting at £30 mill IMHO”

Credit: @WilliamMoore27

“We shouldn’t be selling ANY players cheaply. If they want him, nothing less than £15m plus add ons!”

Credit: @Renegade_uk100

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at an update on this 34-year-old.

Steve Bruce can land Newcastle United’s new Salomon Rondon in VfB Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic, who Fabrizio Romano claims is a target for the St James’ Park natives.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Give Me Sport, transfer guru Romano confirmed that Newcastle are one of several Premier League clubs currently tracking Kalajdzic’s situation at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

The Magpies were recently linked with a potential move for the 23-year-old by Tutto Juve, who cited Tyneside as well as Everton, RB Leipzig and Juventus as potential destinations for the striker dubbed the next Erling Haaland.

Stuttgart are reported to value Kalajdzic at between €20m and €25m (£17m-£21.5m) after the 6 ft 6 target man struck 13 goals in 25 Bundesliga games during his first year of German top-flight football to sit sixth in the scoring charts going into the international break.

Romano does not believe that Newcastle are currently leading the race for Kalajdzic’s signature, but expects opportunities to arise for the four-cap Austria international to test himself in the Premier League next season.

“I think yes, he has chances to join Premier League,” Romano said. “To be honest with you, I don’t know about the club because all the clubs you mention are scouting this player, he’s an amazing player.

“So, they are looking at him, like information about him, also what they say about the player and the potential. At the moment, there is still nothing advanced, but I think yes, he has chances to join the Premier League. A lot of clubs are looking at him.

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“So, he’s the typical opportunity and this kind of summer where we have after the pandemic, we are obviously in a difficult situation about economic and financial point of view. Having this kind of opportunity is interesting also for English clubs.

“So, I would say yes, I see him as a good opportunity in Premier League, but let’s see if they will pay what the club are asking. So, it’s still so long, but I think it’s an opportunity.”

Should Newcastle sign Stuttgart’s Kalajdzic?

Much can change between now and the end of the season but a move for Newcastle to sign Kalajdzic would appear somewhat unlikely, with Stuttgart valuing the forward in the region of £20m and United’s budget expected to be small – if there is any money with which to work.

However, Bruce should urge Toon owner Mike Ashley to fund a pursuit of Kalajdzic as the Stuttgart star can prove to be Newcastle’s new Rondon, who was named as United’s Player of the Year for the 2018/19 term during his season on loan from West Bromwich Albion.

Rondon won the hearts of Toon supporters during his year on Tyneside, and some fans have frequently shared hope on social media of the Venezuelan returning when opportunities have arisen.

The 31-year-old left a lasting impression having been highly influential under Rafa Benitez, with 11 goals and seven assists in 32 Premier League games including pivotal efforts against Bournemouth, Everton, Huddersfield, Watford and Manchester City. No player was involved in more goals for the Magpies than Rondon that season.

Kalajdzic has the potential to offer the same impact next term and in the years ahead, with Stuttgart not planning on offering the 23-year-old a new contract despite being their top scorer and helping fire the Baden-Wurttemberg club to ninth in the Bundesliga table.

The towering Austrian is tipped to explode in the near future and take his game to an even higher level too, despite Kalajdzic entering the international break on the back of scoring eight goals in as many top-flight games. That’s a run of form which Bruce would surely love for Newcastle.

Click here to see the full interview with Fabrizio Romano.

AND in other news, a “more than fantastic” 46-year-old is keen to replace Steve Bruce at Newcastle…

At the age of 26, most would have expected Eric Bailly to have firmly established himself in the Manchester United starting XI by now.

After all, the Ivorian defender enjoyed an extremely impressive first season at Old Trafford following his move from Villarreal in 2016.

Now though, Bailly finds himself down the pecking order at Old Trafford and linked with a move to Serie A giants Inter Milan, who are reportedly monitoring his situation according to Eurosport.

It might now be time for the Red Devils to cut the defender adrift.

Since that fantastic first season under Jose Mourinho, Bailly has made just 44 starts for Manchester United in the four seasons since.

A number of injury issues, as well as the respective arrivals of Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire have seen his opportunities at the club dwindle and his starts decrease season upon season.

Indeed, he is currently not available having contracted COVID-19 so is self-isolating in the Ivory Coast.

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Once hailed as “immense” by Solskjaer, it now appears that the Norwegian can simply not rely on the defender for fitness or performances on a regular basis. With the Red Devils’ boss also intending to sign another centre-back in the summer window, this would then see Bailly fall even further down the pecking order.

Considering the way in which Bailly’s transfer valuation continues to fall as he enters the final year of his Old Trafford contract, this summer might be the best time to sell.

Once rated at £31.5m, that has fallen all the way down to £13.5m – a trend that is only going to continue as his deal in Manchester continues to run down.

Couple that with his failure to really stake a claim in the Manchester United starting XI and the potential interest from Inter Milan, it all leads to a convincing argument over selling Bailly sooner rather than later.

AND in more news, a transfer update has handed Manchester United a big blow in their right-winger search…

Marcus Bent has exclusively told Football FanCast that Declan Rice and Michail Antonio are the “backbone” of West Ham’s team amid their recent double setback.

Rice, whose recently been wearing the armband in the absence of Mark Noble, is the heartbeat of the Hammers midfield alongside Tomas Soucek, whilst only the Czech Republic international has scored more than Antonio this season (7).

However, following on from Rice’s knee problem which is expected to keep sidelined for around four weeks, Antonio’s campaign might be over completely having sustained a hamstring injury during their victory at Wolves on Monday.

West Ham boss David Moyes said that Antonio “didn’t feel too bad” after the game at Molineux, although scans has revealed that Antonio’s hamstring is worse than first feared – with the former the Sheffield Wednesday man set to spend around four to six weeks on the sidelines in what’s quickly turned into a wretched week for the European hopefuls.

With Sebastien Haller sold to Ajax in January, the Hammers have no other senior striker in their squad, and Bent told Football FanCast that it’s going to be difficult for them:

“He’s their only recognised striker at the moment. Personally he’s doing well, so to get an injury at this crucial time in the season is a big blow to West Ham and himself.

“Two players going missing that are kind of the backbone of the team, it’s going to be hard for them.

“Football has a way of hitting you in the back of the head when you’re least expecting it. They’ve got players in there.”

Charlton Athletic midfielder Marcus Maddison has announced he is taking a break from football after having his loan spell at Bolton Wanderers cut short this week.

The 27-year-old wouldn’t have been able to feature for the Addicks anyway, so it gives him an opportunity to evaluate his options for the long term, having cited the “abuse, pressures and monotony” of football finally getting to him.

In the summer, Maddison was released by Peterborough United after a six-year stint, and it was Lee Bowyer and the southeast Londoners that finally took a punt on him in October.

The former Hull City loanee agreed to a one-year deal with the option of a second as the third new arrival of the Thomas Sangaard era, so that does leave the Addicks with a decision to make themselves.

“He brings goals. His stats over the last few years are excellent, he regularly gets to double figures in goals and gets a lot of assists, so he brings about 25 goals to a team in a season, claimed Bowyer. “He’s an experienced player that knows this league inside out.”

Indeed, Maddison’s vast experience in this division was an appealing attribute. He has played 220 times in League One, where he has provided 53 goals and 76 assists, via Transfermarkt.

But after just two goals in ten appearances, he was shipped out on loan to League Two but again, struggled for game time starting just four matches for Ian Evatt’s side.

Bowyer’s attitude towards him soon changed within months, as following his loan move in February, he told the official website: “We took a gamble bringing him in, but it hasn’t quite worked out as we hoped. We wish him the very best for the future.”

That gamble is now something the current Addicks set-up are paying the price for, possibly this was the 44-year-old’s final mistake at The Valley, leaving the likes of Nigel Adkins, Steve Gallen and Sandgaard with a tricky call to make.

Maddison’s potential in this division is undoubted, after all, he was once lauded as an “unbelievable talent” and a “match-winner,” so if Charlton remain in the third tier, it could be worth activating that year extension following some time off but if they don’t, then this may be a risk too far.

Either way, the 27-year-old’s health should be his top priority right now and perhaps a fresh start elsewhere for 2021/22 could be what’s needed.

AND in other news, Adkins could save Sangaard a lot of money this summer in “strong-willed” Charlton gem…

According to reports from Italy, Southampton centre-back Jannik Vestergaard is attracting interest from AS Roma, with Ralph Hasenhuttl facing a battle to keep the defender at Saints this summer.

The report by TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness) claims that Roma have made contact with Southampton regarding a deal for Vestergaard, with the Serie A side submitting an enquiry about the defender.

The 28-year-old, who has averaged a highly impressive WhoScored match rating of 7.08 over his 23 Premier League appearances so far this season, is also thought to be of interest to Tottenham Hotspur, with Jose Mourinho keen to strengthen the centre of his defence in the upcoming transfer window.

As such, with Roma now reportedly joining the race for the £60,000-per-week Denmark international, it would appear as if Hasenhuttl faces a huge battle to keep the defender at St Mary’s come the end of the season.

Transfer Tavern Take

With Vestergaard currently ranking as Southampton’s best performer in the top flight this season, it would appear highly unlikely that Hasenhuttl will be receptive to parting with the Dane this summer, whom Alan Shearer dubbed as “outstanding” earlier on this season.

And, considering the centre-back’s current Transfermarkt valuation of £16.2 million, Southampton will no doubt be demanding a considerable amount of money in order to even consider sanctioning the sale of the defender.

Having said that, with Roma now adding to Tottenham’s interest in the 28-year-old, it would indeed seem as if all things do ultimately point to Vestergaard moving on to pastures new this summer.

In other news: ‘Give him a lifetime contract’, ‘Love that’ – Many Saints fans gush at ‘brilliant’ contract talk – find out more here!

David Moyes may be made to regret allowing Oladapo Afolayan to leave West Ham United in January as he continues to impress at Bolton Wanderers.

Afolayan joined the League Two side on loan for the rest of the season as a late window pick-up for Ian Evatt, but has an uncertain future in claret and blue with his contract set to expire this summer.

The 24-year-old was relaxed about his situation when speaking to the media last month, and could be offered a permanent stay at the UniBol as Evatt is hopeful that a long-term deal can be agreed.

Afolayan has proven to be a regular of Evatt’s plans in Greater Manchester since his mid-season switch, with the forward starting 16 of his 18 outings and is yet to miss a League Two fixture for the promotion-chasing Wanderers.

He was in scintillating form on Tuesday night as Bolton beat Carlisle United 1-0 and played a key role in Eoin Doyle’s winner, but Evatt was unhappy at the treatment he received nor the protection given by referee Martin Coy.

“Dapo was brilliant [in the] first half, breathtaking,” Evatt said, via quotes by The Bolton News. “I just wish he’d get more protection because the amount of fouls and kicks that he gets, and referees need to do more to protect these skill players. He is bruised and battered, and he doesn’t deserve that.”

Afolayan was officially fouled four times by Carlisle and was denied a penalty in the second period when George Tanner appeared to trip the attacker – no player for either side was fouled more or as often, per SofaScore.

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It has been a frequent trend of his time at the UniBol for fouls to be given for challenges on Afolayan, who has been fouled 3.1 times per game on average, which ranks the London-born forward second across League Two just shy of Exeter City’s Will Dean (4.5).

Afolayan coming close to his first Bolton goal when the West Ham product rattled the base of the post before Doyle struck home will have given him encouragement to keep doing what he’s doing, as well, after two assists in his 18 Wanderers appearances to date.

But Evatt describing Afolayan’s first-half display as being “breathtaking” will be particularly worrisome for Moyes, who may be left to rue allowing the forward to leave the London Stadium with just six months left on his contract.

Afolayan is bound to have a suitor in Bolton when his Hammers terms expire, and is showing great progress in his development by taking the bumps and bruises from League Two opposition without dropping his head.

The character that will build is certain to be beneficial to his continued development as he forges a career in the game, most likely away from West Ham having only played one senior game when he scored from the bench against Doncaster Rovers in the FA Cup in January.

AND in other news, West Ham have been rocked by a double injury blow ahead of hosting Chelsea…

Marcus Bent has exclusively told Football FanCast that Everton should sign Ismaila Sarr, who they were tentatively linked with last summer, with the ex-Toffees striker believing he is approaching the peak of his career.

Sarr joined Watford the summer before last, and became their club-record signing from Rennes, although he almost left the club following their relegation to the Championship last season.

The Senegalese winger was involved in a transfer saga with Manchester United, who were heavily linked, but he ended up staying at Vicarage Road and has lit up the second-tier with a number of sparkling performances.

Sarr has scored 13 goals and provided 10 assists to help Watford bounce back at the first time of asking, with his brilliant form likely to once again attract interest from the Premier League.

And with Everton in need of another winger themselves, with neither Alex Iwobi nor Bernard cutting it, Bent would be happy should his former side move for Sarr.

He told Football FanCast:

“He’s stayed at Watford and he’s scored a load of goals and got them promoted. He’s on the rise, but he’s coming to an age where he’s showing maturity about his game.

“Being promoted, he’s still buzzing, playing in the Premier League, and he’s done really well. I think that would be a good move for him and Everton.”

The Sheffield Wednesday owner, Dejphon Chansiri, has failed to pay his players for the month of April.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by The Telegraph, who claimed that the Wednesday players’ salaries for the month of April were due to be paid last Friday – less than 24 hours before the Owls faced Nottingham Forest in a crucial Championship clash – however, Chansiri was unable to pay his playing staff.

It is also claimed that Darren Moore’s men are still yet to receive their wages for the month of March, too, meaning that this is now the third month of the season in which Wednesday players have not been paid on time, as the same thing happened back in November.

Incompetent owner

While Wednesday’s point in their goalless draw with Forest on Saturday was already rather impressive, as the result just about keeps the club’s hopes of avoiding relegation to League One alive, the fact that the players put in such a shift, despite having gone two months without pay, makes the result even more remarkable.

However, with the news now becoming public, exactly how the players deal with the situation ahead of what could well be a straight relegation shootout with Derby County this Saturday, remains to be seen.

Indeed, it is not a difficult scenario to imagine that, along with the stress of being in the midst of a very tight fight for survival, not being paid will have a negative impact on the players’ mental state, something that could easily lead to a reduced level of performance, which, it goes without saying, brings with it the possibility of relegation.

And, if the worst should happen against Wayne Rooney’s side on Saturday, it would seem abundantly clear that there will be a lot of blame on Chansiri, with Moore likely to be furious at the owner’s incredible levels of incompetence – especially at such an important stage of the season.

In other news: Won 60% duels: Wednesday star who made three interceptions gives Moore final day hope – opinion

When Wolves welcomed Fosun and Nuno Espirito Santo to the club when they were still in the Championship, it caused a bit of a stir.

They suddenly went from a middling second-tier team to one dominating the rest of the league in unrelenting fashion. They broke the Championship transfer record to sign Ruben Neves but there were some even shrewder deals which have gone under the radar.

One of Jeff Shi’s most impressive acquisitions has to be Willy Boly. The Ivorian was playing in Portugal, unsurprisingly for a Wolves transfer target, when he joined on loan from Porto in 2017.

He spent half a season with the Molineux outfit before they turned his temporary switch into a permanent one in the winter of 2018. Boly was worth just £4.5m at the time and his market value has risen astronomically since then.

The defender has become an imperious unit at the back for Wolves, becoming a vital cog in the machine for Nuno alongside Conor Coady. He has played 134 times for the Old Gold and is one of the most imperious centre-backs they’ve had in a long while.

Boly is astute with the ball at his feet and is dominating in the tackle. He may be an introvert but his performances are never quiet. He crashes through players in an eye-catching fashion but then brings the ball forward from defence with poise and grace.

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He is now worth £14.4m via Transfermarkt (a rise of 180%) and has become one of the most underrated players in his position in the Premier League.

Speaking about the defender previously, Tim Spiers commented: “Boly is just ridiculous. I mean, it looks like he’s never been away. He looks a better player to me.

“Boly makes such an impact, he rarely makes mistakes, is so dominant in both boxes and vastly underrated by anyone outside the club.”

The colossal 30-year-old has made such an impact in English football that he’s been linked with £30m moves to the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham in recent years.

Why is he so pivotal to Wolves? Simple – after returning from a three-month ankle injury layoff last season, he completely revived Nuno’s defence.

During his absence, Wolves played 15 league matches and kept just one clean sheet in that timeframe. Once Boly returned, they didn’t concede over the next 283 minutes of league action.

They had let in 13 goals in their last eight league games before he returned but conceded just two in their first six matches after he was back.

His influence has also been telling throughout the current season. During 15 matches in which Boly was absent from due to injury and illness, Wolves kept only four clean sheets.

It’s easy to see why he’s suddenly become so valuable; he is the glue which binds this defence together. Without him, they’d be a lot worse off, and the numbers show that.

AND in other news, Forget Kilman: Wolves should unleash “outstanding” rarely-seen 18 y/o instead…