All posts by z3u9t.icu

According to a recent report, Tottenham Hotspur have identified three potential summer replacements for Spurs goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris.

The report by The Sun claims that Daniel Levy and his Tottenham transfer team have all three of Dean Henderson, Nick Pope and Sam Johnstone on their shortlist as Hugo Lloris replacements, should the £100,000-per-week 35-year-old leave north London in the summer transfer window.

Indeed, Lloris has been heavily linked with a reunion with the former Spurs manager, Mauricio Pochettino, at Paris Saint-Germain, with The Sun claiming that the Frenchman would be open to the possibility of a return to Ligue 1 at the end of the season.

Transfer Tavern Take

With it being reported that Henderson would be keen to leave Manchester United this summer unless he is installed as the first choice ‘keeper at the club, should this not come to pass, it would indeed appear as if Tottenham could be presented with an opportunity to land the 24-year-old, for whom Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are thought to be demanding around £40 million to part with.

Meanwhile, with both Pope and Johnstone facing the possibility of relegation from the Premier League with their respective clubs this season, should either Burnley or West Bromwich Albion ultimately drop down the Championship, Tottenham could again have a clear path to signing one of the ‘keepers.

However, it should be pointed out that, while Lloris remains at the club, all of these links would seem to be purely theoretical, for now.

In other news: Sources have revealed that Daniel Levy will be “all over” one club targeting multiple Spurs transfers this summer – find out more here!

According to a report by Football Insider, West Ham United midfielder Manuel Lanzini has ‘set his sights’ on leaving east London this summer – coming after he was denied a January move to Paris-Saint Germain.

Lanzini, who has struggled for game time under manager David Moyes, now intends to pursue a summer exit due to the Scotsman barely using him in recent months.

West Ham could lose Lanzini

Moyes, when PSG reportedly came calling in the last window, did not want to lose the playmaker for the second half of this campaign despite the late signing of Jesse Lingard.

Clubs in Turkey and the Middle East were also interested in signing Lanzini, but GSB and the club apparently blocked any move out with the Hammers boss not wanting to let him leave.

The 28-year-old, however, now looks set to push for a summer exit after a lack of opportunities in the first team – coming after Tony Cottee pleaded for him get more game time.

Transfer Tavern take

Indeed, the former West Ham man urged Moyes to utilise Lanzini – branding him the Irons’ ‘best footballer’ on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday (December 26th, 2020, 13:44 via Hammers News).

Now reportedly yearning for a fresh challenge, it seems West Ham could now lose the attacker this summer.

In other news: West Ham fans buzzed at links to this ‘superb signing’, find out more here.

Aston Villa have been urged to move for Norwich City star Emi Buendia this summer by former Villans midfielder Lee Hendrie.

As to be expected, those comments have had a number of Villa fans taking to Twitter to give their thoughts on the matter.

Buendia has starred for the Canaries in the Championship this season, scoring 12 times and registering 16 assists in 34 appearances. As Norwich look set for an immediate return to the top flight, Hendrie wants Villa to land the Argentine ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

Villa are thought to be looking for a wide addition this summer, along with another striker to challenge Ollie Watkins.

They’ve had recent success of signing stars from the Championship in Watkins and Matty Cash, and Hendrie wants them to do the same with Buendia, who was supposedly on Dean Smith’s transfer radar last summer. However, Sky Sports reported in January that Norwich value their man in the £40m-50m bracket.

Talking exclusively to Football Transfer Tavern, cited by Birmingham Live, Hendrie said:

“I would buy him without a shadow of a doubt.

“I know they talked about buying [Ross] Barkley, but Buendia, I would definitely, I don’t know what sort of fee Norwich would be looking for him, but I would certainly pay that fee. I think he’s an outstanding player.”

Villa fans react

Birmingham Live shared the story on social media on Monday, and it didn’t take long for a number of Villa supporters to give their thoughts on a possible deal.

These fans weren’t exactly ecstatic about Hendrie’s comments, though…

“4 million”

Credit: @Ashbooth71

“Buendia won’t be going anywhere with Norwich going up.”

Credit: @OxfordEVCharger

“Is Lee our chief scout in the Championship now? I make that 4 players he’s told Dean we should sign. **he doesn’t actually say anything like this”

Credit: @GuyBradley

“£40 million? No thank you”

Credit: @HoItender

“Should have had him last summer”

Credit: @Mrb47016877

“Honestly don’t think he is that good, better than what we have maybe”

Credit: @DeanKerman

In other news: Many AVFC fans react to end of year financial accounts, find out more here. 

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been giving their thoughts over a potential permanent deal for Ross Barkley on social media.

That’s after Marlon Harewood shared his views on the attacking midfielder, with the former Villa striker believing Barkley will want to make his move permanent in the Midlands.

Barkley initially impressed at Villa Park but he’s managed just one goal involvement in his last 11 Premier League appearances and has had to make do with a place on the bench in recent weeks.

Chelsea’s huge asking price

Reports last month suggested that Villa would need to smash their transfer record, which stands at the £28m plus add-ons deal to bring Ollie Watkins to the club, to land Barkley on a long-term basis.

Chelsea will ask for a fee in the region of £40m this summer, with Thomas Tuchel’s stance on Barkley not yet known.

However, Harewood, talking to Football FanCast, gave Villa the green light in regards to a permanent deal for Barkley.

Harwood’s comments were shared on social media in a story by @AVFC_News on Thursday evening, who asked supporters if a deal will happen.

Villa supporters not keen

“Hopefully not. Will cost us 20-30 million as well. Really needs to step up his game. He hasn’t proven himself yet imo”

Credit: @SSaultyyy

“Ramsey over Barkley anytime and spend the cash elsewhere…”

Credit: @Mrb47016877

“#nothanks”

Credit: @villa_vernon

“He needs to step up then if he wants the move. Imo he’s not done enough for us since joining”

Credit: @villaman101

“Very much doubt it if he can’t even retain his place in the starting line-up.”

Credit: @joeinpoole

“Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!”

Credit: @AstonZillaFC

In other news: Many Villa fans have hit out at Dean Smith for his training ground comments, find out more here.

Southampton are reportedly taking an interest in former Celtic centre-back Jozo Simunovic, with the Croatian available on a free transfer and if he were to sign, it could be bad news for Mohammed Salisu.

According to Goal, Southampton, VFB Stuttgart and FC Augsburg are all vying for the 26-year-old’s signature after his release from Celtic last summer.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have struggled from a defensive point of view in recent weeks, conceding 18 goals in their last five Premier League fixtures, including that heavy 9-0 defeat against Manchester United.

Whilst someone such as Simunovic could steady the ship, the Saints have welcomed back both Jannik Vestergaard and Salisu from injury recently, with the Ghanaian still yet to make an appearance for the South Coast club since his arrival from Real Valladolid in the summer of 2020.

It would be a blow for the 21-year-old’s chances if the 6 ft 3 Simunovic were to arrive, as it could potentially make him fifth-choice centre-back under Hasenhuttl – the likes of Jan Bednarek, Vestergaard and Jack Stephens have all been regulars at the heart of the Southampton defence this term.

Simunovic was solid at Celtic and helped them to five league titles in a row, making 126 appearances in that time, but was released last summer, most likely due to the injury issues that kept him out for large periods during his time with the Hoops.

Signing another injury-prone defender is the last thing Hasenhuttl needs when you consider the number of issues he has had to deal with this season, with Salisu having struggled with fitness and injury problems throughout his time with the Saints.

Therefore, Southampton may be best served by avoiding the six foot three Simunovic due to his injury concerns, as well as the fact that it could seriously harm Salisu’s chances of ever establishing himself in the first-team under Hasenhuttl.

And, in other news… Ruthless Ralph: Hasenhuttl must bench Saints “hero” who is bereft of confidence

Whoever replaces Neil Lennon as Celtic manager will have an almighty task on their hands.

Fans will be demanding and expectant after a torrid campaign that will soon see them relinquish their grasp on the SPFL title.

Their biggest rivals are ahead of them by 15 points and now without a permanent head coach, the future is rather uncertain for the Bhoys.

That could be a positive, though, especially with Peter Lawwell departing in the summer when he retires. Fresh ideas could be exactly what the team and indeed, the hierarchy, needs.

So will be the new man in the hot seat? Well, a number of names have been touted including Roberto Martinez and Frank Lampard.

Another name to be linked with the job is Preston boss Alex Neil. Football FanCast’s regular guest voice Steve Howey exclusively told us last month; “I think he would like that job. Given the fact he’s Scottish, I think he would take it.”

Indeed, it would surely be hard for Neil to turn down a job as big as Celtic. He is just 39 and although young, we’ve already seen fresh faces such as his achieve big things in the game.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is in his 30s and has won the FA Cup while another young coach dreaming big is RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann.

Of course, Neil doesn’t possess the same sort of pedigree but it shows there are benefits to fresh and young thinking. Certainly, the Preston boss could help bring something new to Parkhead, particularly in the way of meticulously thinking and preparing.

Former Hoops goalkeeper Jonathan Gould raved about the manager earlier this week. He told The Glasgow Times: “Alex’s detail, the way he prepares his teams, is impeccable. I have had the privilege of working with a lot of good managers as a player and as a coach. Alex is one of the few coaches who can come up with his strategy on a Monday and can translate that onto a football field on a Saturday.

“He doesn’t do it just by using a whiteboard or a PowerPoint, he does by coaching the lads from Monday to Friday. It is quite a rare quality. It says a lot about him as a student of the game and how much he thinks about football. He has got a certain quality that has seen him be successful.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-on-celtics-managerial-vacancy” title=”Check out the latest on Celtic’s managerial vacancy!”]

You’d expect a modern-day manager to be adept on the training field but with Lennon, that’s often been one part of his repertoire that’s seemingly failed him.

Of course, the Hoops still won the treble under his stewardship last season but everything has come crashing back down to earth this term. Charlie Nicholas thinks that could be because of what’s happened behind closed doors at Lennoxtown.

He said back in December: “For me, Celtic have went lazy. Not just with the signings but in the way they’ve went about it,” he began.

Nicholas continued: “This is not a punishment for Neil Lennon, in terms of what I’m saying here, but they were coached every day without fail by Brendan Rodgers, thorough in every way he went about it.

“But then Neil has changed it a little bit and it doesn’t really look to have a fluency or rhythm. They’re awkward on the ball, Europe has been a problem.”

Forget the results, this alone should have sent shockwaves through the Celtic hierarchy, particularly when Lennon was still using elements of what Rodgers had put in place.

Simon Ferry revealed last year: “I know they still do Brendan Rodgers training, which worries me. If you’re the manager, you can’t be doing someone else’s thing, you need to do what you want to do.”

Thus, Neil has the potential to be game-changing. He is adept on the training pitch and as Gould says, he can translate what happens throughout the week into a match day.

Having someone as capable of him actually coaching players should improve their chances of reclaiming former glories.

Under Lennon, high-quality coaching was evidently lacking on a far too frequent basis.

AND in other news, Forget Klimala: Celtic should unleash “powerful” rarely-seen gem next season instead…

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…

Liverpool are being linked with a move for Wolves’ Adama Traore and if he were to join, it could add a completely different dynamic to Jurgen Klopp’s side.

According to Spanish news outlet Sport earlier this week, Liverpool, Manchester City and Leeds are all interested in signing the 24-year-old this month, despite him struggling for game time in Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

It also suggests that the Old Gold would not be willing to let him leave for less than €40 million (£35.6 million), as his contract their is not set to expire until 2023.

Looking at the impact he could potentially make at Anfield, there is no doubt that Traore would offer something different in this Liverpool side. His searing pace caused Premier League sides all sorts of problems last season, with Andrew Robertson on the end of a difficult game against the winger when the Reds won 2-1 at Molineux.

After that game, Klopp was full of praise for Traore, saying:

“[Traore] is unplayable in moments, it’s unbelievable. What a player – it’s not only him but he’s so good.”

Therefore, the German manager is clearly a big fan of the former Barcelona academy prospect and would perhaps love to see Michael Edwards bring him to Anfield during the current transfer window.

The Wolves man’s form last season was spectacular at times, as he contributed four goals and nine assists in 37 top-flight appearances, resulting in a superb 7.47 average rating.

However, he has struggled for game time and goals this season, starting just 11 games in the top-flight and failing to make a single goal contribution, although his solid average rating of 6.97 suggests he is still performing well.

If he were to join Liverpool this month, he would not only potentially add incredible pace and power into Liverpool’s attack but could be utilised as a right-back for the Reds.

During his time with Wolves, Traore has featured as a right-wing back on a number of occasions and he could even potentially challenge the out-of-form Trent Alexander-Arnold for a spot in Klopp’s first-team.

Liverpool’s full-backs are often given the freedom to attack, as we have seen with Andrew Robertson and Alexander-Arnold providing so many assists in recent seasons, although Traore would add a different dynamic to Alexander-Arnold, as he could use his pace and physicality to beat defenders before crossing from the byeline, rather from deep.

Therefore, if Traore was unleashed as a right-back in Klopp’s side, he could push forward and get crosses into the box, in a similar vein to the 22-year-old defender, who has struggled for form so far this season, averaging a disappointing 6.71 rating for his performances in the top-flight.

So, if Liverpool can sign Traore, it could lead to Alexander-Arnold’s performances improving due to the added competition but if that doesn’t happen, then he could be worried that his spot in the first-team would be under real threat.

And, in other news… Klopp can sign LFC’s next Coutinho in £30m beast who “lacks absolutely nothing”

Glasgow Rangers fans were far from happy with the commentary of Stephen Craigan during their 3-2 win over Standard Liege in the Europa League on Thursday.

The three points secured the Gers’ place in the round of 32. Goals from Connor Goldson, James Tavernier and Scott Arfield got the job done after Liege twice went ahead. The Ibrox outfit can secure top spot next week with a win over bottom-placed Lech Poznan in Group D.

The match was shown on BT Sport in the UK, and that meant Craigan was in charge of the match commentary. He made a couple of mistakes – mainly being surprised that Jermain Defoe was not included despite him not actually being in the Europa League squad – and that was more than enough for the Gers fans to hammer him, with one supporter even labelling him an ‘idiot’.

They took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts… look away now Stephen.

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

In other news, Rangers fans were enraged by this Ewan Murray tweet.

Leeds United have been linked to a move for Chelsea’s out of favour defender Fikayo Tomori. Speaking to Football Insider, Alex McLeish has urged the club to chase down this deal, claiming it would be a big move for both club and player.

Indeed, Tomori has struggled to find his way into Frank Lampard’s first team this season. The arrival of Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma’s strong form means there’s no room for the 22-year-old in the starting lineup. He has made just three appearances so far this campaign, with only one coming in the Premier League (via Transfermarkt).

As a rising talent, there’s only so long he can spend waiting on the bench. Moving to a side like Leeds would help him secure regular minutes and potentially become an ever-present figure in the team.

Why Leeds must land a deal for Tomori

After Chelsea’s lavish spending spree over the summer, Roman Abramovich made it clear that the club must offload some senior players in order to balance the books. With no permanent outgoings yet this season, Lampard could look at fringe players like Tomori to offload and make back some cash.

Because of this, it’s unlikely he will cost much as Chelsea will just be eager to get the ball rolling in terms of sales. Not only could they land him for somewhere near his £15million Transfermarkt value, but he has been tipped for huge success.

Speaking to Football FanCast last year, Shaun Goater waxed lyrical about Tomori, labelling him as a “great talent” before boldly claiming that he could go on to become a “£100m player”.

With praise like this already being heaped on the defender, he just needs a chance to play enough and unleash his full potential. He definitely has the chance to do this at Leeds but it could come at the cost of Diego Llorente’s game time.

The summer recruit has been injured for all but one game of his maiden season at Leeds and patience could be wearing thin. In the absence of Robin Koch especially, Bielsa needs his players to step up.

The arrivals of Tomori could seriously hinder Llorente’s chances of establishing himself at Elland Road.

In other news, Carlton Palmer fears Robin Koch injury is “massive blow” to Leeds…