All posts by z3u9t.icu

David Moyes is in line for a potential injury boost at West Ham United following the March international break, with Arthur Masuku touted for minutes with the Under 23s.

That’s according to Claret & Hugh, who claim that the DR Congo defender may be given a run-out at Rush Green against Leicester City’s junior side on Friday night.

Masuaku has been missing for the Irons since December 5th after undergoing career-saving knee surgery, as he sought to solve an issue that had caused pain for nearly two years.

It was expected that Masuaku would not be able to make his return to action until the middle of April at the earliest, having suffered an apparent setback in his recovery.

But Moyes confirmed last week that the 27-year-old had been back in training over the previous few days and carried out sessions with the U23s, though remained lacking match fitness.

“Arthur’s trained two or three days this week with the U23s and trained with me for a couple of days now, so Arthur’s getting much closer to match fitness and all-round fitness generally,” Moyes said ahead of West Ham’s trip to Manchester United.

The Irons may now look to test Masuaku’s knee with a run out in the academy ranks against Leicester on Friday, with a view to his potential inclusion in the senior fold once the Hammers regroup after the international break.

Masuaku was Moyes’ number one choice at left-back before his operation, having opened 10 of West Ham’s initial 11 Premier League games and only departed the action before the final five minutes on one occasion.

Aaron Cresswell has often been Moyes’ go-to in the role since losing Masuaku, but has begun to be utilised in a centre-back capacity once more with academy product Ben Johnson earning frequent minutes at wing-back instead.

Masuaku proving his fitness against Leicester’s U23s will no doubt be a big boost for Moyes as he looks to secure West Ham a place in next season’s Champions League, having lost ground to Chelsea in the top-four race after last week’s defeat at Manchester United.

The Irons now trail the Stamford Bridge natives by three points and will not overtake Thomas Tuchel’s side by winning their game in hand, with West Ham claiming an inferior goal difference by nine.

Masuaku had been an influential part of the Hammers’ early-season form with no player yet to eclipse his average 2.2 successful dribbles per game from left-back, with Cresswell only bringing play out from the back 0.1 times from 0.2 attempts and Johnson from half of his one dribbles a game, per WhoScored.

The absent 27-year-old’s defensive impact had been superior to what Cresswell has since brought to the side, as well, with Masuaku registering 1.7 successful tackles to his teammates’ 1.1 while blocking 0.4 more crosses and 0.6 more passes a game.

Masuaku’s form sparked praise from former Irons striker Frank McAvennie back in October, who believed the £7m-rated full-back had responded well to Moyes’ tough treatment.

“You need managers to say that if you do this, you play and if you don’t do it, you’re not playing. I know you have to wrap players in cotton wool these days but sometimes you need to give them a kick up the backside,” he told Football Insider.

“That was possibly the wee kick up the backside he needed because he has been a different player of late. It is all a lot better now.”

It obviously remains to be seen what sort of impact Masuaku’s lengthy absence will have had on his productivity, but Moyes will surely be glad to have another body available after the international break.

AND in other news, David Moyes has made a £25m forward his top target to fill Seb Haller’s void at West Ham…

After falling to a dismal 2-1 defeat to Leicester last week in the Premier League, Aston Villa return to top-flight action when they take on Leeds United on Saturday afternoon at Elland Road.

Dean Smith’s side have enjoyed an incredible second campaign back in the Premier League, staying well in the hunt for a shock European place next season.

And while things have been rosy for a number of months now, a couple of chinks in the Villa armour have started to emerge. Injuries to both Jack Grealish and Matty Cash have robbed the side of two key players in the starting eleven, while Smith must make a big call on the woefully out-of-form Ross Barkley.

The Chelsea loanee has had a rough time as of late, struggling to recapture his early season form following his comeback from a hamstring injury. In seven out of the last eight Premier League games, he’s been taken off before the full-time whistle, and Smith must finally say enough is enough, and take him out of the line-up when they visit Leeds.

Speaking after he was hauled off yet again in the second-half against Leicester, Sky Sports pundit Alex Scott slammed the midfielder for his display, saying: “For me it’s another missed opportunity for Ross Barkley to show up and demand, he’s been subbed off again and you can see in his face he’s not happy. But how many chances does a player need?

“You need to take it upon yourself. There’s only so many chances that he can be deserving. He’s missed another opportunity today.”

The Villa boss however was quick to dismiss any suggestion that Barkley’s move at Villa had gone sour, insisting: “It’s a long way off the mark to say things aren’t working out for him. His numbers have been really good in terms of his output on the pitch and we have to remember he’s been out for six or seven weeks with a hamstring injury and then had to play games to recapture that fitness because we haven’t been able to train.

“But he’s certainly getting back to where we want him to. I just needed to change the game at that time.”

While it’s rather unsurprising Smith leapt to his player’s defence, it is a slightly baffling take to claim that Barkley is getting back to his best. The England international has scored just one Premier League goal since mid-October when he netted the winner against Leicester, and for a player playing in his position of just behind the striker, that simply isn’t enough.

His lack of goals may not be that much of an issue if he were setting his teammates up instead, but his assists total have badly dried up too – he hasn’t done so since a 3-0 victory over Arsenal in early November.

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans suggested on the 1874 podcast that Barkley appears to be “playing with a bit of fear”, and admitted that the attacking midfielder “needs to be dropped” following his latest lacklustre display against the Foxes.

Valued at £17.5m by CIES, Barkley simply needs to be taken out of the firing line when Villa make the trip to Leeds on late Saturday afternoon.

Leeds United have received a welcome boost in their pursuit of Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kokcu.

Kokcu to Elland Road?

The 20-year-old is clearly highly rated as he has been linked to several Premier League clubs in the last 12 months, with Sky Sports previously stating that Arsenal and Everton are keen on securing his services.

Kokcu, who is valued at £11.7m by Transfermarkt, has scored once from 14 Dutch Eredivisie appearances this season.

Voetbal International revealed that Leeds have now entered the race to sign Kokcu, along with Leicester City and that a loan option is available to both clubs.

Cited by Sport Witness, the Turkey international confirmed himself that Feyenoord “did not want to cooperate” when a possible move was presented to him but was reassured that clubs are still monitoring his progress.

Transfer Tavern Verdict

Kokcu still has a contract at the Dutch outfit until 2025, which probably means that his price tag will be a lot higher than his Transfermarkt valuation.

But given the fact that he is only 20 and has already made 68 senior appearances for the Rotterdam club, the Turkish central midfielder is certainly a player for the future.

He averages an 84.6% pass accuracy in the Eredivise, while his possible rival for a midfield spot in Mateusz Klich sits at just 82.3% this term – both players boast 1.5 key passes per game.

Because of this, we believe Leeds should go all out to capture Kokcu next summer, especially if Raphinha is tempted by a move to Liverpool as the midfielder could turn into another young gem to build around.

In other news, Victor Orta eyes Marcelo Bielsa replacement for Leeds amid summer exit whispers – report.

Liverpool’s defensive issues this season have overshadowed the steady rise of 18-year-old centre-back Billy Koumetio, with the defender becoming the Reds’ youngest ever player to feature in the Champions League earlier in the season.

Injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip have meant that Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams have established themselves as first-team regulars so far this season but it seems as if the Merseyside club have another extremely talented youngster waiting in the wings, in the form of Koumetio.

The French defender joined Liverpool from Orleans U19 in January 2019 and has clearly impressed in his time with the Reds, as he has been training with the first-team since he was just 17 and made his debut for the senior side in the 1-1 draw with FC Midtjylland in December 2020.

Klopp is certainly a fan of the Frenchman, having included him in his pre-season training camp back in August 2020, dubbing him a “big talent”.

He also signed his first professional contract with the club in 2020 and looks destined for an excellent future with the Reds, so perhaps it won’t be too long until we see him make his first appearance in the Premier League.

Certainly, Rhys Williams’ vulnerability was exposed in the 4-1 win against Aston Villa recently, when he was left in the dust by 17-year-old Louie Barry, so perhaps Klopp should consider promoting Koumetio instead.

Barry Lewtas, who is now manager of the U23 side at Liverpool, described the defender as a “real imposing figure at centre-back” so you can definitely make a comparison to Van Dijk and his style of play, with the Dutchman regularly dominating his opponents with his strength and aerial ability.

Whilst the former Southampton man recovers from his cruciate ligament injury, therefore, perhaps we should see Koumetio start to feature more for the Reds’ first-team, as he could prove to be Liverpool’s next Van Dijk.

And, in other news, Transfer update on “aggressive” 6 ft 2 LFC beast proves Klopp doesn’t trust him…

Glasgow Rangers legend Derek Ferguson has recently claimed Leeds United may have revived their interest in Ryan Kent, but the 54-time Scottish champions simply can’t afford to let go of their star man in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

Steven Gerrard confirmed Rangers rejected a £10m bid for Kent from Leeds United in the summer and insisted he is not for sale.

However, Marcelo Bielsa is a big admirer of the 24-year-old, and Ferguson believes their pursuit of Aberdeen’s Scott Wright could signal an Ibrox exit for Kent.

He told the Open Goal podcast: “The other thing is, we don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes at Rangers. Is somebody coming in for Kent?

“There obviously has been interest from Leeds United at certain times so maybe there’s something happening there. Maybe they look at (Wright) as a replacement.”

Even though Leeds find themselves ensconced in the middle of the Premier League table, they are on the lookout to strengthen their squad by adding more pace and power to their attack.

Both Manchester City loanee Jack Harrison and Brazilian Raphinha have been in decent form this season, as The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smythe has explained, but it seems the newly-promoted club are on the hunt for a new winger, as they have been linked to all and sundry, including Adama Traore and Michael Olise.

But Kent could be next on their agenda and despite Victor Orta’s recent claims that the 54-time Scottish champions were difficult to deal with, Bielsa is still a big fan.

However, from Rangers’ perspective, Kent is a first-team starter they simply cannot afford to lose.

Stand firm

It goes without saying that Kent is far too important for their prospects of getting their hands on the title for the first time since the 2010-11 season.

Other than James Tavernier, no player has made more goal contributions than Kent in all competitions, having bagged six goals and 11 assists this season so far, via Transfermarkt. Whilst that might not seem like a lot, when you consider the fact that only five other players have scored more goals than Kent, his creative influence becomes all the more apparent.

Just to give you a better understanding of his importance, Gerrard once described him as being “fantastic to work with” after he was named the Scottish Premiership Player of the Month in September last year.

If Kent were to leave for Leeds United, his departure would create a gaping hole on the left-hand side of their attack, as it’s fair to say that neither Brandon Barker nor Jordan Jones currently meet the requirements.

Indeed, both back-up options out wide have offered very little in terms of end product when it comes to the final third, with just three goals between them this season, as per Transfermarkt, which suggests that they would be incapable of filling Kent’s boots should he depart Ibrox in the near future.

Without wanting to sound too dramatic, whilst Leeds could land themselves quite a coup, it would be nothing short of a disaster for Gerrard to lose one of his most prized assets at the halfway stage of the season. After all, there are simply no other options out there.

AND in other news, Rangers dealt huge transfer blow over Siriki Dembele, Wilson must act now…

Everton could land a huge upgrade on Yerry Mina in SSC Napoli defender Nikola Maksimovic, who is reportedly set to leave the Serie A side as a free agent in the summer.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Ciro Venerato, while speaking on Radio Kiss Kiss via Napoli Magazine, Ancelotti is still a fan of Maksimovic’s talents and is considering the benefits of a move for the Serbia international with his £36,000-per-week contract due to expire at the end of the season.

Napoli are prepared to lose the 29-year-old for nothing as they are loath to paying what the centre-half feels is an adequate wage for his stature at the Stadio San Paolo, despite being often omitted from the starting line-up since his arrival in 2016.

Maksimovic featured in just eight Serie A fixtures during the 2016/17 season after joining on loan from Torino and enjoyed a Napoli career-high 22 outings last term, but has played just 44 minutes during the current campaign as Gennaro Gattuso persists without him.

Everton were said to have been in the hunt for Maksimovic’s services during the summer window before landing Ben Godfrey from Norwich City, with reports suggesting the Blues had joined AC Milan and AS Roma in courting the centre-half Napoli valued at €20million (£18m).

It remains to be seen if Everton revive their interest next summer with Maksimovic set to become a free agent, a year on from Ancelotti originally considering the 6 ft 3 titan for the Toffees.

Huge Yerry Mina upgrade

While Maksimovic is struggling to feature for Napoli amid his standoff with the Serie A side, the Serbia international would serve as a huge upgrade on Mina should Ancelotti convince Everton to position the club front and centre ahead of the defender becoming a free agent.

Mina had begun the campaign as one of Ancelotti’s first-choice centre-halves alongside Michael Keane, but the Colombian lost his place in the side in parallel with Mason Holgate’s return from a toe injury and again dropped out following a recall at Fulham.

Ancelotti has even stated how he expects Mina to make a mistake when given the chance to play, having been accused of shattering the 26-year-old’s confidence by axing him for last month’s 3-1 loss at home to Manchester United.

“No, I don’t think he was affected by this. It was not a good game,” Ancelotti said, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo. “The character of Yerry is strong, he is a strong character. Unfortunately, sometimes he makes mistakes, as all of the players do. But he is still confident and has no problem to play.”

Maksimovic made just one error that led to a shot in the Serie A last term and gave away one penalty, but registered 1.6 successful tackles, 2.8 clearances, 1.4 interceptions, won 4.2 duels (56%) and lost possession just 5.3 times a game, per SofaScore.

Mina, meanwhile, has already committed one error that led to a goal in the Premier League this season, and registers just 0.6 successful tackles and 3.6 duels won a game – including 2.5 aerial duels won (69%).

Glasgow Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack has been ruled out of the crunch Old Firm clash with Celtic after picking up a knee injury against Aberdeen.

What’s the news?

Rangers’ worst fears have now been realised and Light Blues boss Steven Gerrard confirmed the news to Glasgow Times’ Christopher Jack (no relation to Ryan).

Gerrard said: “I made it quite clear that it was important we got someone in the door before the window shut.

“Getting Bongani [Zungu] up to speed was the priority because over the course of the season, with the schedule we have, we were always going to get a knock or two.

“Ryan Jack being out for the amount of time he has has been a real disappointment for me.

“Scott Arfield’s absence is a bit of bad luck from a challenge he had against Hibs. So it does make us slightly light in that area.”

Jack has been sidelined since November after he suffered an injury against his former club Aberdeen. He was replaced by Steven Davis who could now find himself thrown in for the game against Celtic.

Likely impact?

The 28-year-old’s absence will be a bitter blow for the Ibrox boss in the midfield as he has established himself as an integral part of Gerrard’s side.

Jack’s injury struggles have been well-documented but he has still managed to start 12 of his 13 appearances in the Premiership this season, via Transfermarkt.

With games coming thick and fast this month, the timing couldn’t be any worse for Gerrard, who already faces the prospect of juggling domestic and European competitions without two of his key men for the foreseeable future.

Steven Davis has done a stellar job for Gerrard in his absence and he is another option for the Rangers manager ahead of the pivotal Premiership clash with Celtic trailing 16 points behind the league leaders.

However, the 35-year-old midfielder was far from his very best against St. Mirren – he lost possession 11 times, as per SofaScore – which will no doubt give Gerrard some real cause for concern heading to the clash with their arch rivals.

The only real other option is Zungu, who arrived at Ibrox from French Ligue 2 side Amiens on an initial loan deal with the option to buy on transfer deadline day.

But the Bafana-Bafana midfielder has yet to start for the Gers in the Scottish top flight this season as he has so far failed to find the back of the net or record a single assist in 10 appearances across all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

Jack has shown time and again that he can be a big-game player for the 54-time Scottish champions. After all, he scored in the first half to inflict former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers’ first defeat in the Old Firm in 2018.

This game could be make-or-break for Gerrard’s managerial career, who faces some tough decisions before kick-off on Saturday afternoon. He will certainly have to consider his midfield options very carefully indeed as he simply cannot afford to slip-up.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must recall Ryan Kent to face Celtic in Old Firm derby…

Tottenham Hotspur continue their Europa League quest later this evening with a trip to Belgium to face Royal Antwerp in the early kick-off slot.

Spurs began their Group J campaign with a resounding 3-0 victory against LASK Linz whilst on Monday night, Jose Mourinho’s side continued their unbeaten streak with a last-gasp win over Burnley.

Having had to endure a gruelling qualification campaign to get here, the north Londoners have had a hectic schedule, which means there could be alterations to the starting lineup.

But what sort of XI will Mourinho select at the Bosuilstadion? Here’s what we are predicting…

In terms of injury problems, it is only young defender Japhet Tanganga who is expected to miss this encounter.

Mourinho could make as many as nine changes with Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg the only two likely to keep their places.

In goal, back-up shot-stopper Joe Hart returns, replacing skipper Joe Hart and he’ll be protected by a back four of Sergio Reguilon, Davinson Sanchez, Serge Aurier and Dier.

Pairing the Danish powerhouse in midfield could be Harry Winks. He was dropped for the match against Burnley, so he gets a chance to stake a claim once again.

There’s still no place amongst the starting XI for Dele Alli, although he’s likely to feature from the bench as he has travelled to Belgium. Instead, Giovani Lo Celso gets the nod behind the striker. He needs game time after a spell on the treatment table.

Gareth Bale comes back into the lineup at the expense of Lucas Moura. These midweek matches could prove to be valuable for the Welsh superstar in his pursuit of regaining match fitness.

The sooner that happens, the sooner he’ll be starting alongside the £67.5m-rated Heung-min Son and Harry Kane in the Premier League.

That prolific duo will be rested here this evening with Erik Lamela and Carlos Vinicius the like-for-like replacements.

Tanguy Ndombele, Jack Clarke and Toby Alderweireld should all be named on the bench.

AND in other news, Spurs swoop for £36m maestro could be FINAL nail in the coffin for Dele Alli…

Leicester were unable to find a win last night as Sporting Braga dug in their claws and refused to let them leave with anything more than a point. The two sides battled out a fierce 3-3 draw, with the Foxes coming agonisingly close, but no cigar.

Goals came from Harvey Barnes, Luke Thomas and substitute Jamie Vardy, who struck the equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time. The red-hot striker came on in place of Kelechi Iheanacho, who seriously struggled to make an impact up front.

Another of Brendan Rodgers’ players who seemed to struggle, was goalscorer Thomas. Whilst he may have found the back of the net, his overall performance left a lot to be desired and it could see him dropped for Leicester’s next Europa League game.

Luke Thomas vs Braga

Whilst his first senior goal is certainly an occasion to celebrate, the 19-year-old looked slightly out his depth in an unnatural position. The teen is a left-back by trade, by Rodgers opted to play him further up the pitch in midfield.

According to Sofascore, Thomas was caught out on 27 occasions where he gave up possession of the ball. He was also unable to complete a single accurate cross or long ball despite attempting seven in total.

His passing accuracy was a disappointing 54%, despite his solid contribution to the defence by making two interceptions and a block.

Thomas plays primarily in defence when he features for the reserve team and has risen into the spotlight with his strong performances across the backline. His goal last night certainly proves that he has the capability to get forward and contribute, but it’s perhaps too early to attempt to fully transition him into a midfielder.

In other news, Ricardo Pereira’s U23 appearance is exactly what Rodgers needed…

Fulham need to be busy on deadline day if they’re going to give themselves any chance of staying in the Premier League this season.

The Whites are desperate for defensive reinforcements and have been linked with a wide range of centre-halves from across Europe, but one shock link has emerged on Monday, with a loan move for Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek now being widely reported.

A move for the England international is certainly exciting, and the Cottagers have been in the market for another midfielder, failing to land Florentino Luis after a long transfer saga earlier in the window.

The 24-year-old would be an exciting signing for a number of reasons, of course, signing an England international is always going to be seen as good business, but the prospect of seeing him link-up with Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa is nothing short of mouth-watering.

When the pair are at their best, they’re both progressive and creative ball-carriers, and with Fulham struggling for goals at the moment, that’s exactly what they need from their midfielders.

Anguissa averaged the fourth-most dribbles per game in La Liga last season with 2.4 per game, and whenever Loftus-Cheek gets a chance as a starter he has similarly impressive dribbling stats, racking up 3.6 per game during Chelsea’s Europa League run in 2018/19, while also averaging 3 per game during his loan spell with Crystal Palace.

Scott Parker’s side are going to be under the cosh quite a lot this season, as shown by their current league position, but if they are to improve on that, they need players who can relieve defensive pressure, while also springing attacks to drive the team forward, and a midfield pairing of Anguissa and Loftus-Cheek could be just what the doctor ordered at Craven Cottage.