All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds United have been linked with a move for Schalke winger Rabbi Matondo.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Bild (via TEAMtalk), Leeds are one of the clubs interested in signing the Welsh attacker this summer.

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As a product of Cardiff City’s youth system, Matondo joined Manchester City’s academy back in 2016.

After making 53 youth appearances for the Manchester club where he scored 19 goals and delivered 11 assists, the Welshman then joined Schalke in the 2019 January transfer window for a fee of £11m.

The next Dan James

Last season saw the 21-year-old spend a loan spell with Belgian club Cercle Brugge where he found the net nine times and delivered two assists in 26 league games.

To further highlight his attacking talent, the winger racked up a higher average of dribbles per game (1.7) than any other player at the Belgian club.

The £3.6m-rated attacker also racked up more shots at goal (75) and shots on target (33) than any other figure in the team.

Described as having “electrifying” pace by Ryan Giggs, Matondo could be Leeds’ next version of Dan James as his Welsh counterpart is also an incredibly quick player at Elland Road.

In fact, during the previous Euros, James managed to accelerate to a speed of 33.5 km/h, the second-fastest in the tournament, which highlights just how quick he can be on the pitch.

Last season saw the former Manchester United attacker score four goals and provide five assists in 34 league games in addition to totalling the second-highest number of shots at goal (52) in the squad.

With that in mind, having the two Welsh wingers in Jesse Marsch’s side could be a real problem for opposition defenders given their lightning pace and ability to score and create goals.

Should Marsch and Victor Orta feel the need to add another attacking figure to his ranks this summer, securing a deal for Matondo would be a good step for the Yorkshire club given his young age and the clear knack he has for being a goal threat.

However, with this report also listing fellow Premier League sides Nottingham Forest and Brentford as well as three French teams as clubs eyeing up the winger, the Whites could have a challenge on their hands to secure his signature this summer.

In other news: Orta can land Leeds’ next Hernandez with swoop for “lethal” £137k-p/w “goal machine”

Darwin Nunez is edging closer to completing a big-money move to Liverpool this summer, according to an update from renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Nunez closes in on Liverpool move

The Uruguayan looks to have chosen Anfield as his next destination, having starred for Benfica over the past 12 months.

Various reports in the last week or so have hinted that Nunez is closing in on a move to Liverpool, as Jurgen Klopp brings in an ideal replacement for the potentially exit-bound Sadio Mane.

It is a transfer saga which appears to be moving all the time, with a new update now emerging.

The Latest: Romano’s update on Nunez

Taking to Twitter on Sunday morning, Romano claimed that Nunez is heading to England to complete his move to Merseyside, stating:

“Darwin Nunez will fly to Spain in the coming hours, then Uruguayan striker will be ready to fly to England in order to complete move to Liverpool once contracts are signed with Benfica.

“Final detail discussed: five or six year deal. Contract could be valid until 2028.”

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The Verdict: Such an exciting signing

Nunez looks a fantastic prospect, having scored 26 Primeira Liga goals last season, not to mention netting six times in as many starts for Benfica in the Champions League, including two goals against the Reds in the quarter-finals.

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At 22, Liverpool could be getting themselves an absolute gem and someone who could be the next darling of the Kop, scoring regularly and illuminating Anfield with his magic.

It was always vital that Klopp planned for life after Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino – by signing Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and potentially now Nunez, he has done just that.

In other news, Romano has also dropped another big Liverpool update. Read more here.

Aston Villa are closing in on a deal to sign Glasgow Rangers youngster Rory Wilson, according to a report from Football Insider. 

The lowdown: Lange not messing around

Wilson could become Johan Lange’s fourth signing of the summer after the Villans confirmed the captures of Diego Carlos from Sevilla, Boubacar Kamara from Marseille and Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona following a successful loan spell.

Villa manager Steven Gerrard and the sporting director are wasting little time in conducting summer business and now appear to be nearing a swoop from the gaffer’s former employers.

Despite never making a first-team appearance for Rangers, Wilson is highly regarded at Ibrox having bagged a ridiculous 49 goals at youth level this season, and Gerrard has seemingly paid close attention to the striker’s situation…

The latest: Move pending

As per ‘Villa source’ for Football Insider, the Midlands club are in ‘advanced talks’ to sign the 16-year-old.

It’s claimed that the Villans are ‘confident of agreeing on a deal’ to bring the prolific Scotland youth international to Villa Park, ahead of interest from Brighton & Hove Albion.

The report also states that the recruitment department are ‘pushing hard’ to make the move happen and are willing to pay the cross-border development fee of £300,000 – due despite Wilson confirming his intention to leave Rangers.

The verdict: Exciting prospect

Albeit still very much in the fledgeling years of his development, Wilson has already impressed and was hailed for his ‘clinical’ finishing by Scotland coach Brian McLaughlin.

Following that extraordinary 49 goals in all competitions for club and country last season, the talented teenager – who was scored eight times in just 11 Scotland U-17 outings – looks certain to be a hit at Bodymoor Heath and for the already flourishing Villa youth sides.

Having watched on as Gerrard successfully integrated academy graduates Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka into the Villa first-team, Wilson can be confident of eventually getting an opportunity should the transfer be completed as expected.

In other news, find out who is now ‘close’ to leaving Ibrox here!

Injury expert Ben Dinnery has been reacting to Manchester United’s move for head of athletic development Matt Walker, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Walker joining Man United

United may not have made any first-team signings for Erik ten Hag as of yet, but the club have agreed a deal to bring in Walker, formerly of Cambridge United.

He has joined the club as head of athletic development and will work closely with United’s youth teams ranging from the under-17s to under-23s.

He was hailed as doing an ‘exceptional job’ with Cambridge as head of performance, and Dinnery believes that a move for Walker is an ‘important’ one for the Red Devils.

The Latest: Dinnery reacts to Walker appointment

Dinnery, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding United’s move to bring in Walker.

The injury expert described it as ‘absolutely massive’ and a ‘fantastic role’, going into detail on Walker’s role with the crop of academy stars:

“Walker is working at an age group where kids are developing into adults.

“You have that transitional phase. You’re moving from functional training to a very serious, goal-driven style of training. You need to understand why you’re doing what you’re doing and the wider picture behind it.

“You need to look at the development and long-term impact of playing in competitive sports. To move on to the next level, these guys in the coaching department are pivotal.

“Without that foundational model and those building blocks, the players are going to be ill-prepared. It’s massive, absolutely massive. It’s important to get that right, and it’s a fantastic role to work with those young people.”

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The Verdict: Good to see

United lifted the FA Youth Cup for the 11th time last month and their first since 2011, defeating Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford in front of more than 67,000 supporters.

It’s clear to see that an exciting crop of future stars are coming through at Carrington, so bringing in someone like Walker to help with the physical transition seems to be a wise move.

The step up to the first team nowadays is huge, so having a head of athletic development in the academy could prove to be a smart decision which goes under the radar in an Old Trafford rebuild under Ten Hag.

In other news: Sky Sports relay big Man Utd news as Ten Hag plots move for English star

Sporting CP midfielder Joao Palhinha is definitely on Wolves’ ‘shortlist’ of potential summer signings, according to reliable journalist Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Constant Palhinha links

The 26-year-old has been constantly linked with a move to Molineux in the summer transfer window, as Wanderers likely have to plan for life without Ruben Neves.

Palhinha has emerged as one of Sporting’s most influential players, not only catching the eye in their midfield but also winning 12 caps for Portugal to date.

Wolves’ interest doesn’t appear to be going away but it looks as though they will have to battle to get their man.

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The Latest: Spiers drops fresh claim

Taking to Twitter, Spiers confirmed that Wanderers want to sign Palhinha:

“Wolves maintain an interest in Joao Palhinha (as do a lot of clubs) and he’s on their midfield shortlist for the summer.”

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The Verdict: Snap him up, Wanderers

Palhinha really does look like the perfect option to come in as Neves’ replacement, with the pair not dissimilar in style, in terms of their deep-lying midfield brilliance.

The Wolves target enjoyed an 87.8% pass completion rate in the Primeira Liga in 2021/22, compared to Neves’ 84% in the Premier League, and he also averaged three tackles per game. Manager Ruben Amorim has called him a ‘special’ player in the past.

The fact that there is interest elsewhere could be a stumbling block – Tottenham have been linked and can offer Champions League football – but Bruno Lage must do all he can to snap up his compatriot if he believes he is the man to replace Neves.

In other news, one Wolves player has been backed to thrive next season. Find out who it is here.

A huge Rangers update has emerged regarding Ibrox machine Connor Goldson heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Gio van Bronckhorst has revealed that the defender looks set to leave the club upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the month.

The Dutch head coach has not completely ruled out a new contract for the Englishman but is being realistic about the chances of the 29-year-old still being at Ibrox next season.

Van Bronckhorst told the Glasgow Times before the Scottish Cup final: “Regarding Connor, the club has been in talks with him to extend his contract. So far, he hasn’t extended it. The chance he will still be a Rangers player after tomorrow will be small.

“I would love to have Connor in the team next year. But as you see quite a lot, when players are getting out of contract, there are two possibilities – to keep playing or to move on and maybe have another challenge.

“I still have in my mind that he will be part of Rangers next year. That’s my feeling more than the reality. We will have to watch in the coming weeks. But I think Connor has been amazing for this team in all of his years as a Rangers player. Will it be his last game on Saturday? I don’t know right now.”

Supporters will be gutted

Gers supporters will surely be left feeling gutted by these comments from the manager, as they suggest that Goldson will be on his way out of the club this summer.

Van Bronckhorst states that the likelihood of the defender staying at Rangers is ‘small’, and this will be upsetting for fans as the centre-back has been a vital player at Ibrox in recent years.

In the Premiership this term, Goldson averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.18 as he started 36 of the Light Blues’ 38 matches. He produced consistently brilliant performances at the heart of the defence as he made himself a reliable option for the head coach.

Last season, he started al 38 top-flight games and averaged a phenomenal score of 7.39 for the Gers as he helped the team to keep a whopping 26 clean sheets on their way to the title. He won an impressive 71% of his duels and made 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game as he played a pivotal role in their success.

Goldson also showcased his quality on the continental stage as he caught the eye in the Europa League, with an average Sofascore rating of 7.00 across 14 starts as Rangers fell short in the final against Eintracht Frankfurt.

These statistics illustrate how impressive he has been for the Glasgow giants and shows why the supporters will surely be gutted by his potential exit ahead of next season.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson plotting Rangers swoop for 16 y/o “teen talent”, GvB will be buzzing…

West Ham United manager David Moyes must finally axe a defender who’s been causing him “problems” in Vladimir Coufal.

He’s already cost them too much, and could contribute to them missing out on a Europa League place if they lose against Brighton and Hove Albion on the final day of the Premier League season.

On the Chalkboard

There is a lot on the line for both sides who face off at the AMEX Stadium this afternoon. The Hammers will be targeting a sixth-place finish and to achieve that will have to win and hope Manchester United drop points. Meanwhile, the hosts could confirm their first-ever top-half Premier League finish depending on how results go elsewhere.

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If West Ham are to secure victory then axing right-back Coufal will help them. The 29-year-old joined the club in 2020 from Slavia Prague for £5m. He has been a solid player at times but isn’t the long term solution and if the club want to keep growing and push for the Champions League places next season they need someone better.

Last week saw the farewell of club captain Mark Noble and an impressive 2-2 draw against Manchester City that has had a huge effect on the title race. However, that result could have been a victory if it wasn’t for an own goal scored by Coufal.

It would have given the club a much better chance at securing a Europa League place. It also meant that the Czech Republic international now has more own goals for The Hammers than he does goals.

Moyes can’t risk starting the £27k-per-week full back again and should start the more promising option of Ben Johnson. The 22-year-old Englishman has made 19 league appearances for the club this season so isn’t short of experience. He also has a goal to his name which proves he can be more of a threat going forward.

Coufal’s contract at The London Stadium expires next summer, at which point he will be almost 31, so it wouldn’t make sense for West Ham to keep him for any longer than that.

They could potentially sell him this summer and try and recoup some of what they bought him for, he’s rated at £10.8m according to Transfermarkt.

IN other news: “It’s my understanding…”: Ex drops big WHU summer update, supporters will be buzzing…

Wolves could ‘definitely’ look to make a move for Brentford striker Ivan Toney in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Josh Holland.

The Lowdown: Toney shines in Premier League

There were question marks over whether or not the Bees hero could take his Championship form with him to the Premier League this season, but he has proved any such doubters wrong.

Toney has scored 12 goals in 31 top-flight starts, helping his team to comfortably pull away from any relegation trouble in the process.

The 26-year-old has been linked with a move to Wolves in recent weeks and it looks set to be a potential transfer saga which rolls on this summer.

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The Latest: Wolves backed to revive Toney interest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Holland claimed that Toney is somebody that Wolves will ‘definitely’ have an eye on during the summer transfer window. The journalist stated:

“I think Ivan Toney, yeah, definitely. He was one who started so well, he went a bit quiet, but now recently, he’s not scoring as many goals as you’d like, but his link-up play is like a shadow of what Raul Jimenez used to do before his injury.

“And as much as we all were delighted to see Raul back, and he got on the goals, I don’t really think he’s being cautious, but you can tell he’s not the same player.”

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The Verdict: Perfect Jimenez replacement

Toney looks like an ideal candidate to come in as Raul Jimenez’s long-term replacement at Molineux this summer, having been hailed as ‘exceptional’ by Barry Fry in the past.

He possesses the Mexican’s pace, power and aerial ability, winning 4.4 headers per game in the Premier League this season – far superior to Jimenez’s tally of 1.8.

Toney is also five years younger than the Wolves striker, whose form has understandably dipped since returning from a skull fracture, so the 26-year-old could come in as an immediate rival for the Mexican’s place and eventually become the undisputed first choice in attack.

The Brentford marksman has proven that he can score regularly in the Premier League, and goals have been lacking at Molineux all season long, so this seems like a match made in heaven for the Old Gold.

In other news, journalist Tim Spiers has bemoaned the decline of one Wolves player. Find out who it is here.

West Ham United have been dealt a huge injury blow to Said Benrahma after he was seen “on crutches” following his star performance in the clubs 4-0 win over relegated Norwich City.

That’s according to Roshane Thomas of the Athletic who took to his post-match Q&A to say: “Antonio (hip) and Dawson (calf) should be fine but Benrahma walked past the mixed zone on crutches. He was so good today. Would be a shame if he doesn’t play again this season.”

Benrahma answered any critics of his with an outstanding performance which saw him get two of the Hammers’ four goals as they marched towards a second successive season where they have secured European qualification.

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They remain seventh in the table but have increased the gap to Wolverhampton Wanderers to five points. It leaves West Ham’s destiny in their own hands with the club only having two games left to play.

Benrahma was given the second-highest rating of anyone on the pitch at Carrow Road by SofaScore at 8.0 with Jarrod Bowen the only player beating him, rating 8.5 after tallying two assists.

Given this performance, Moyes will be gutted as it will be a huge blow to the Hammers if they are without him for their final two games. The manager will be hoping that it doesn’t affect their chances of securing that European place.

He was substituted in the 76th for Nikola Vlasic but it represents a drop off in quality, and anyone brought in to replace the Algerian whilst he’s out injured would struggle to have the same effect.

His two goals move him into double figures for the season and he now sits on 11 proving he is one of the key forward players for the Hammers.

He joined the club from Brentford permanently in 2020 for a base fee of £20m after spending the season before on loan at the London stadium. It’s appearing that that purchase paid off with the player now scoring after struggling last season.

In his 33 appearances throughout the 2020/21 season he only scored one goal.

Moyes will be hoping it’s not too serious and that he can recover in time for next weekend’s game against Manchester City. West Ham have a real chance at pushing Manchester United all the way to the end and potentially securing a Europa League spot instead of a place in the Europa Conference League.

The last two matches will define the club’s season. Last week they were in with a chance of reaching a European final, come the end of may European football could be a distant memory. Hopefully, Benrahma’s absence won’t be the difference.

IN other news: Imagine him & Said: West Ham set to move for 22 y/o “hurricane”, he won’t cost a penny…

Celtic secured a 4-1 victory against Hearts in their latest Premiership game this afternoon, taking yet another step towards securing the league title.

With just three minutes on the clock, the first goal at Parkhead arrived as Jam Tarts striker Ellis Simms put his side ahead with a fine strike.

The Hoops then equalised thanks to a goal from Kyogo Furuhashi before his fellow countryman Daizen Maeda put Ange Postecoglou’s side ahead shortly afterwards.

During the second half, goals from Matt O’Riley and Giorgos Giakoumakis secured the three points for the home side, who are now on the verge of taking the league title off their Old Firm rivals.

Despite the Hoops coming back from behind to seal victory on this occasion, one figure in a Celtic shirt who didn’t have a particularly good game was Anthony Ralston.

Ralston’s poor performance

With the full 90 minutes under his belt, the right-back had 95 touches of the ball in total but wasn’t always particularly useful when he was in possession.

The full-back ended up giving the ball away on 18 different occasions, while with six crosses attempted, the Scotsman couldn’t get even one of them to find its intended target. He also failed to complete four of the seven long ball passes he tried to pull off.

Off the ball, things weren’t much better for the right-back, who committed three fouls and lost five of his nine duels, making him something of a liability for Postecoglou’s side.

This display ultimately earned the 23-year-old a rather underwhelming overall match rating of 6.8/10, making him the lowest-rated outfield player for Celtic according to SofaScore. That was even lower than Carl Starfelt, who was arguably at fault for Hearts’ early goal.

His uninspiring performance also caught the attention of Scottish Daily Express writer Matthew Fulton, who said that Ralston delivered ‘poor service into the area from him and had plenty of Hearts pressure to deal with’.

Having been slammed by Frank McAvennie for his “hopeless” performances for the Bhoys in the past, this isn’t far off what the 23-year-old was for his team this afternoon.

In other news – Enquiry made, then joined rivals: Celtic had the last laugh over “huge” 161 G/A dynamo