All posts by h716a5.icu

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly made contact over a Serie A defender this week…

What’s the word?

According to Sport Italia journalist Gianluigi Longari, Spurs are one of several European teams to register interest in out-of-contract Juventus teenager Radu Dragusin.

He claims that the Serie A giants are working to tie him to a new deal, but the north London outfit alongside Newcastle United and RB Leipzig are trying to poach him on a pre-contract agreement.

The 18-year-old only signed a one-year deal with Juventus in September having joined from Regal Bukarest’s U18 squad in 2018.

The future Van Dijk?

This certainly isn’t going to be a move for right now, nor will the 6 foot 3 Romanian colossus be the “pacey” centre-back Spurs boss Jose Mourinho wants to reportedly sign before the transfer deadline on February 1st.

But it would still be a smart decision as it shows there is still one eye on the future and under the Portuguese veteran, plenty of academy stars have been given a fair opportunity – Alfie Devine, Oliver Skipp, Harvey White and Dane Scarlett, to name just a few.

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Interestingly, I Bianconeri manager Andrea Pirlo has trusted the youngster with game time this term. Dragusin made his senior debut for the club last month, coming on as a substitute against Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League group stages.

After which, Pirlo praised him publically, claiming: “He’s physically very strong. He’s very young and must develop on a technical level, but he will have time to do it, training every day with great champions.”

Dragusin has since done the exact same in the league, featuring from the bench against Genoa before starting their Coppa Italia encounter less than ten days ago, so clearly he’s very well thought of by one of the game’s greats, and that should be enough for a team like Spurs to strike.

If it’s not, then perhaps his likeness to Virgil van Dijk can be more convincing.

Indeed, the rising starlet has told reporters about how he’s modelled his entire game on Liverpool’s defensive monster. The pair are both physically imposing figures, the Dutchman being only one inch taller.

Not to mention the pair having very similar hairstyles, undoubtedly the young centre-back admires the Reds’ beast considerably.

Whilst Dragusin has also admitted that he has tried to “steal” secrets from Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini in training, so if he can even become half the player of any of the three aforementioned stars, then he’s certainly going to be one hell of a player one day.

Obviously, a lot needs to be done as he’s only 18, but the fact that he’s making waves at Juventus already, rather than having to make a name for himself at a Groinigen or a Celtic like Van Dijk is a hugely promising sign.

If Levy can seal him on a pre-contract agreement ahead of the Italian giants, then it could prove to be quite the coup later down the line.

AND in other news, Spurs interest in the next Vidic spells trouble for £42m flop…

After grabbing all three points in a controversial Premier League encounter with Southampton, Aston Villa will be looking to make it two wins on the bounce when they host West Ham United this Wednesday.

Dean Smith’s side are still hoping to nab a European place come the end of this campaign, but the Hammers have aspirations of their own after a surprise season. David Moyes’ side were beaten by Liverpool last time out, but they had racked up an incredible six wins in all competitions prior to that result.

Smith is not expected to make major changes for the clash with the Irons, but we expect a couple of tweaks, and below is a look at how Villa might line up.

In goal, Emiliano Martinez will be hoping for yet another clean sheet after sealing his tenth of the season with a superb performance against Southampton, as the Argentina international continues to cement himself as one of the top flight’s finest shot-stoppers.

Matt Targett has been superb recently and should not lose his place, so we don’t forsee any changes in the back four. The Villa boss confirmed an injury issue for Kourtney Hause in the build-up to this match, so keeping Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa fit over these coming weeks will now be essential.

In midfield, Morgan Sanson is pushing for his full debut after joining from Ligue 1 giants Marseille, and although he hasn’t exactly set the world alight so far, Smith seemed to hint that the Frenchman is in his plans to get his first start against Moyes’ men tonight.

The 26-year-old’s availability gives Smith somewhat of a selection headache, but if he does start, Douglas Luiz looks to be the likely partner given the defensive balance he can bring, meaning popular Scotland star John McGinn would be the one to miss out.

Further forward, £40,000-a-week winger Anwar El Ghazi is surely due a chance to break back into the side after losing his place to Bertrand Traore – the Burkina Faso forward hasn’t exactly made the spot his own despite some flashes of good form.

All in all, after the win against Southampton Smith is unlikely to completely overhaul his XI, but we think these couple of tweaks could make all the difference to give Moyes a headache of his own.

Predicted XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Luiz, Sanson; El Ghazi, Barkley, Grealish; Watkins.

Preston North End manager Alex Neil has been named as a possible successor to Celtic boss Neil Lennon.

Neil to replace Lennon?

Those were the words of former Premier League centre-back Steve Howey, who reacted to the immense pressure currently on the Northern Irish tactician’s shoulders.

The Green Brigade have been vocal on their displeasure towards Lennon, with his team 18 points behind arch-rivals Rangers after their 2-1 victory over St Johnstone on Sunday.

Not only that, but their trip to Dubai in December was heavily scrutinised not just by the fans, but by Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon with the country still in lockdown due to the pandemic.

Speaking to FootballFanCast, Howey stated that Neil would be a solid fit for the Glaswegians with Lennon’s position on the line.

“I think he would like that job,” he said. “Given the fact he’s Scottish, I think he would take it [the Celtic job].”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

Neil was previously described as an “excellent” manager by former Hamilton boss Martin Canning (via Not The Old Firm), but supporters may want someone more ambitious.

From 182 matches in charge of Preston, the Scot has averaged a points-per-game tally of 1.43, which is marginally worse than what the 39-year-old managed at Norwich before the Canaries dismissed him (Transfermarkt).

Having previously had the likes of Brendan Rodgers and Martin O’Neill in the hot seat, we think that this appointment would upset the Green Brigade.

In other news, Football finance expert believes that Celtic fans will not carry out empty threats amid revenue reveal.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella recently and judging by his superb performance at the weekend against Genoa, he would be an excellent addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

The 24-year-old is unsurprisingly attracting interest from the Premier League as he continues to star in Antonio Conte’s side, who currently sit top of Serie A.

So far this season, the Italian international has made 24 appearances in the Italian top-flight, contributing three goals and five assists, resulting in an impressive 7.09 average rating.

Since joining Inter from Cagliari on a permanent deal in the summer transfer window, after impressing on loan last season, the young midfielder has seen his value soar, with Transfermarkt now valuing him at a hefty £49.5 million.

Barella was at his best once again at the weekend in a 3-0 win against Genoa, with SofaScore awarding him an 8.2 match rating for his performance, which was only bettered by Romelu Lukaku, whose goal and assist earned him an 8.4 rating.

The midfielder was regularly involved throughout his time on the pitch, completing 44/52 passes from midfield, whilst also hitting the crossbar with an excellent curling effort.

However, it was the quality of his passes which perhaps best emphasise just how good Barella can be, as he contributed as many as seven key passes during the game – four more than any other player on the pitch.

In that sense, the Italian maestro was allowed to run the show at the San Siro, with his quality clearly proving to be too much for Davide Ballardini’s side to handle.

Barella certainly looks as if he could handle the physical demands of the Premier League too, as he won 6/8 of his duels during the game, which shows that despite him only being five foot eight, he is not afraid to get stuck in.

Following the game, former England manager Fabio Capello suggested that Barella is in the top three midfielders in European football at the moment, and therefore it seems fair to suggest that he could be a quality addition at Liverpool.

If Barella continues to play as he did in this latest exceptional display, the German manager should do everything he can to bring him to Anfield this summer.

And, in other news… LFC signing gem with “extraordinary quality” would surely spell the end for £50k-p/w dud

Marcel Brands hit gold with Everton’s deal to sign defender Ben Godfrey from Norwich City, with Tottenham Hotspur now reported to have been left incensed after missing out.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, some senior Spurs executives have launched an inquest to see what lessons can be learned from missing out on signing Godfrey in October.

The centre-back moved to Goodison Park for £20m after a year in the Premier League with the Canaries, in which he helped Daniel Farke’s side keep two clean sheets in 30 games as the Carrow Road natives were relegated back to the Championship.

Everton are thought to have faced the greatest competition from newly-promoted Fulham in their quest to sign Godfrey, despite the 23-year-old being a player about whom Tottenham had first enquired more than a year before.

Spurs are claimed to have contacted Norwich to discuss Godfrey’s availability ahead of the January 2020 transfer window after discussions over a summer 2019 deal fell through, at which point they were made aware of the Canaries’ £20m-25m valuation.

It is not suggested that the north London outfit returned in the off-season with a new approach, but questions are now being asked as to why Jose Mourinho’s side did not push the Toffees harder before Godfrey penned a five-year deal at Goodison Park.

The England under-21 international has featured in all but three possible games since joining the Blues, having twice been rested and benched once due to a hamstring injury, while starting 22 of his 23 appearances across all competitions.

A Brands masterclass

As well as being a regular across the Everton backline since joining the Toffees, Godfrey has earned more than his fair share of admirers having established himself comfortably against competition from Michael Keane, Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate for a central defensive role.

No admirer appears to come bigger than Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti, who Football Insider note considers the £77,000-per-week enforcer to be his best central defender and the one with the most potential.

His performances at full-back after stepping in to replace Lucas Digne following the French ace undergoing surgery on an ankle ligament injury earlier in the season have also garnered rave reviews from former Toffees defender David Weir.

“He’s really stepped up to the plate. We all knew he was a good player when Everton signed him and had high hopes, but he’s exceeded those expectations by the level of his performance, both in central defence and also in full-backs as well,” Weir told Football Pass last month.

Godfrey’s displays in the Everton backline so far this season have returned a higher average number of successful tackles per Premier League game (1.58) than Mina (1) and Keane (0.72), along with a greater haul of ground duels won (2.47 to 1.58 and 0.96), plus more interceptions (1.21) than Mina (1.11), per SofaScore.

The York City product establishing himself so well as Ancelotti’s favoured option will go down as a masterclass by Everton’s Director of Football Brands, who – along with his team – was responsible for bringing Godfrey to Merseyside.

“He has surprised me because I didn’t know him so well,” Ancelotti said of Godfrey, via quotes in the Liverpool Echo last month. “The signing from the club, from our scouts has been good. He has been able to adapt very quickly to different positions.”

AND in other news, Everton can sign a £13.5m-rated brute Carlo Ancelotti thinks is “excellent” for free…

David Moyes should urge West Ham United to launch a summer swoop to sign Bologna FC 1909 goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski.

What’s the word?

According to TuttoBolognaWeb, several Premier League sides are monitoring Skorupski’s situation at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara after his impressive run of form in the Serie A.

The 29-year-old Poland international has kept four clean sheets in 18 Italian top-flight outings this season, as Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side strive to secure a mid-table finish.

Skorupski has been Mihajlovic’s number one between the sticks whenever fit this term, having only sat out seven fixtures throughout the 2020/21 campaign as a result of a fractured hand sustained in December.

West Ham are thought to be the keenest side considering pursuing a deal for the four-cap shot-stopper, likely as a result of his compatriot, Lukasz Fabianski, currently being set to leave the London Stadium as a free agent in the summer.

Crystal Palace, Brighton and Hove Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers plus Aston Villa are also in the running, should they look to cause a shake-up in goal during the off-season.

Fabianski revealed in December that he had been in discussions with the Irons hierarchy over a new, long-term deal, but he is yet to put pen to paper despite entering the final three months of his current £65,000-per-week terms.

The Hammers have also been linked with potential replacements in Manchester United outcast Dean Henderson, who would command a £40m asking rice, and Sheffield United’s number one Aaron Ramsdale, who intends to remain at Bramall Lane regardless of what division the Blades are playing in next season.

Should West Ham sign Skorupski?

While Fabianski is still capable of pulling off remarkable and sometimes unbelievable saves, it would appear that West Ham are testing the waters to see if a suitable replacement can be found in the summer transfer market for the goalkeeper who turns 36 in April.

Skorupski would be a much more lowbrow signing than a Henderson, who earns £100k-p/w at Old Trafford, or Ramsdale, who is being eyed for a senior England call-up, but the Bologna favourite is one of the best-performing shot-stoppers in the Serie A this season.

The £3.5m-rated ‘keeper averages the second-most saves per game (4.06) in the Italian top-flight to Cagliari Calcio’s Alessio Cragno (4.08), along with the second-most from shots faced inside the penalty area (2.72) by players who have featured at least five times, per SofaScore.

Skorupski has also only been beaten by three of 26 shots faced from attempts taken outside of the box, while Fabianski averages 2.88 saves per Premier League game and has conceded from five of 34 shots struck outside the area.

Skorupski has also appeared to turn his reputation around in Italy, having been described as being “very arrogant” by Empoli FC President Fabrizio Corsi after a loan spell at the Carlo Castellani Stadium before sealing a €9m (£8m) move to Bologna from parent side AS Roma in 2018.

Now, the Poland ‘keeper leaves no stone unturned in his pursuit of helping I Rossoblu secure points and does not put himself above the team, as shown by his comments a few weeks ago.

“We are working on penalties, watching videos of our opponents and I waited to the end. Fortunately, I went the way he took it and saved the spot-kick,” Skorupski told Sky Sport Italia, via quotes by Football-Italia, after beating SS Lazio 2-0 in February.

“I made a couple of good saves in the second half too, but the whole team did really well and earned these three precious points.”

If Moyes is looking for a suitable Fabianski replacement and if he is keen to operate on a strict budget – ruling out moves for Henderson et al. – then he should urge West Ham to launch a swoop on Bologna for Skorupski.

AND in other news, West Ham have been dealt a huge blow with a David Moyes favourite ruled out until mid-April…

Leeds United goalkeeper Kiko Casilla has hinted at a summer exit from Elland Road in a cryptic social media post on Tuesday night.

The 34-year-old has been at Leeds since the summer of 2019, following a spell at Real Madrid that brought with it three Champions League titles.

Casilla has had to watch on from the substitutes’ bench for the vast majority of this season, however, starting just once in the Premier League and playing second fiddle to Illan Meslier. He didn’t even make the matchday squad for Monday’s 2-0 defeat at West Ham.

Casilla’s post hints at Leeds exit

The Spaniard’s current Leeds deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2023, but he has hinted that he may move on to pastures new before then.

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, Casilla posted a message that was translated by The Boot Room, saying the following:

“I’m slow to leave, because I believe in change. I wait, I endure, but one day I get tired. Without saying anything, I leave, and leave everything. Once I get tired, I will not come back. I give everything before leaving.”

Transfer Tavern take

It certainly looks as though Casilla is eyeing up a fresh challenge, perhaps feeling like his spell at Elland Road has reached its natural conclusion.

It seems highly unlikely that the former Madrid man is going to suddenly become Leeds’ first-choice goalkeeper again, but this may be a concern for the likes of Victor Orta at Elland Road, who will have to splash out on an experienced deputy for Meslier if Casilla leaves – you are unlikely to find such an experienced player happy to play second fiddle.

In other news, Phil Hay has provided an update on Pablo Hernandez. Read about it here.

Since signing in January, Willian Jose has had a torrid time in the Midlands. Wolves look no better with him leading the line, and it looks increasingly unlikely they’ll sign him permanently.

Jose was an eye-catching arrival. The Spaniard has proven pedigree in La Liga but he has struggled in the Premier League. He hasn’t scored in a Wolves shirt, registering just 19 touches in the area during 11 hours of football.

In that time frame, he’s had just ten shots at goal; clearly he is not the Raul Jimenez replacement Wolves were so desperately seeking.

Fabio Silva has hardly provided much either. The Portuguese was signed for big money last summer, £35.6m in fact, and has scored just twice in the top-flight.

Jimenez is still to return but you sense that Wolves could do with some added firepower when the transfer window opens.

One player they could target is Ivan Toney. The Brentford striker has been sublime this season in the Championship and as such, is attracting the eyes of not only the Old Gold but also Arsenal, Leicester and Leeds United.

The Bees have slapped a £30m price tag on his head and you can understand why. Toney has been exhilarating this term, bagging 27 goals in just 35 matches following his arrival from Peterborough.

Toney is also creative. The forward has registered nine assists in the second tier this term, proving to be a complete all-round player.

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It’s hard to deny that he isn’t better than Jose at this moment in time. Everything the Wolves target touches seemingly turns to gold while everything Jose touches goes awry.

Signing the Brentford striker, therefore, could be game-changing. He knows where the back of the net is and has pace in abundance.

He would also arrive with glowing appraisals. Before signing for the London outfit, Posh owner Barry Fry commented: “He’s turned into a tremendous all-round footballer. It’s important to remember Ivan is not just an exceptional goal-scoring forward, he’s also an outstanding defender.”

Those sentiments are also felt by Brentford manager Thomas Frank: “Ivan is a special, special player,” he said.

£30m would be a lot to pay, but as Shi proved with the arrival of Silva last summer, he is willing to pay up. Considering how lethal Toney has been, he’d definitely be worth the investment.

AND in other news, “The first thing I’d say to him” – Exclusive: Wolves icon Bull offers Fabio Silva unusual advice…

David Sullivan must strive to reach an agreement with Manchester United for the transfer of Jesse Lingard, amid claims of a potential permanent move to West Ham.

What’s the word?

According to TransferMarketWEB, the Irons are adamant that Lingard will stay at the London Stadium beyond his initial half-season loan.

The 28-year-old has proven a huge hit in claret and blue, with Lingard striking five goals and providing three assists in seven Premier League games.

Only against Fulham in February’s goalless draw at Craven Cottage has the England international failed to influence the scoring since leaving Old Trafford in January.

The Red Devils are expected to cash-in on Lingard’s blistering form under David Moyes, with the 24-cap maestro set to enter the final year of his £100,000-per-week contract in June.

Moyes recently declared aspirations of West Ham reaching an agreement with Manchester United to sign Lingard permanently, noting via quotes by the Daily Mail:

“He’s joined a good group of players. We’ve got international players and I’m hoping we can add to that in the coming transfer window. The job is to try to add to that. But I would hope Jesse sees this as a good place if it’s possible to be done, and if we think that we want to do it at the end of the season.”

West Ham were previously said to have sought the inclusion of a £15m purchase clause in the £1.5m loan agreement for Lingard, though Eurosport claim Manchester United rejected the terms as they expect his value to be upwards of £20m this summer.

Should West Ham sing Lingard?

Lingard’s promising early form at West Ham will undoubtedly help Man United set a higher asking price at the end of the season, but Sullivan must strive to strike a deal that sees the Warrington-born playmaker remain in east London.

Lingard hit the ground running for Moyes despite rarely getting a look in at Old Trafford under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this season, with the 2017 Europa League winner’s only action before joining West Ham totalling 179 minutes.

Former Hammers head coach Alan Curbishley believes his time spent in the wilderness gave Lingard the fire in his belly to thrive at West Ham, telling Optus Sport: “He has been a revelation.

“He has come into the West Ham side angry because he cannot get into the team at Old Trafford. He has also come in hungry and that’s the sort of player you want.”

Not only has he been a revelation, but Lingard is arguably now West Ham’s most important player, with his intensity in behind Michail Antonio and emerging relationships with the likes of Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen bringing Moyes’ attack together.

Lingard’s ability to cause problems has also been at an unparalleled level, as shown on Sunday when he was alert enough to play a quick free-kick to catch Arsenal asleep, having already produced a sublime finish to fire a half-volley into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Curbishley and Moyes’ comments, plus Lingard’s incredible form, must surely act as distinct messages to Sullivan that West Ham have to seal a deal for the midfielder this summer.

AND in other news, a West Ham ace who joined at the “perfect moment” has seen his market value of crash by £16.5m…

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting angrily to a tackle on Reds star Naby Keita during the international break.

Keita has suffered from over ten separate injuries since moving to Anfield (Transfermarkt), leading fans to shudder at what’s happened now.

Liverpool don’t play again until next Saturday evening, when they make the trip to Arsenal for a must-win game in the Premier League top-four race.

A number of a Reds stars are currently away on international duty, as Jurgen Klopp looks on and hopes they return to the AXA Training Centre injury-free.

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One of those who is off representing his country is Keita, who is the star man for Guinea, having won 37 caps to date, also scoring eight goals.

A clip has emerged of the 26-year-old being kicked nastily in his nation’s clash with Mali on Wednesday – a match in which Keita’s men won 1-0.

Considering Liverpool’s No.8’s past injury woes, it was immediately concerning to see him be on the wrong end of such a bad tackle, but it doesn’t look as though any lasting damage has been done.

Liverpool fans fume at tackle on Keita

These Reds supporters were still not happy with what they saw, however, providing their thoughts on the challenge on Twitter.

“No wonder Klopp doesn’t wanna send them. Completely pointless nasty challenge out of pure jealously probably”

Credit: @RMarsden94

“Glad he got up, they are too rough”

Credit: @oni_kzz

“Needs to retire from international football if he wants to have a long career”

Credit: @okabandai

“Out for the season”

Credit: @BillyVidal10

“If he doesn’t retire internationally he doesn’t have a future here”

Credit: @kevinhopatcong

“Players for their country with that standard of football shouldn’t be allowed. It’s like a Prem player going to play for a pub team and getting whacked by big Dave because it’s funny”

Credit: @BMacritchie

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been lauding an injury update on one Reds player – read about it here.