All posts by h716a5.icu

Wolves are among a host of clubs interested in signing Hull City forward Keane Lewis-Potter this summer, according to a new transfer report.

The Lowdown: Lewis-Potter excels for Hull

The 21-year-old has emerged as a bright young player in the Championship, scoring 12 goals in the competition last season, as well as registering three assists.

Hull will do well to keep hold of Lewis-Potter moving forward, with his current deal expiring in 2023, meaning they could have to sell him this summer to ensure they do not lose him on a free transfer.

It appears as though a move to the Premier League is on the cards, following a fresh update on his future.

The Latest: Wolves eye up move

According to Football League World, Wolves are one of five English clubs eyeing up a summer move for Lewis-Potter, although West Ham are the current front-runners.

The other teams in question are Watford, Brentford and Bournemouth, with a source stating the following:

“West Ham pushing and are favs… Brentford, Watford, Bournemouth and Wolves still also trying… but seems they now want £20 million for him.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“398117″]

The Verdict: Hugely exciting prospect

Wolves are in need of attacking reinforcements in the summer transfer window, with their quality in the final third too often lacking last season. They only scored 38 goals in as many league games and it proved costly to their European hopes.

[freshpress-poll id=“399044″]

Lewis-Potter is someone who could add a sprinkling of magic in wide attacking areas, having been hailed as a ‘special talent’ by Hull manager Grant McCann.

At 21, he has years ahead of him to improve further and become an even more formidable player, and Bruno Lage could utilise him in a variety of positions if Fosun can get a deal over the line.

Phil Hay has dropped an update on the remaining summer transfer business of Leeds United.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, The Athletic journalist revealed that, following the impending arrivals of Tyler Adams and Luis Sinisterra, Victor Orta now has just one major target left on his shortlist ahead of the Whites’ 2022/23 Premier League campaign.

According to a number of previous reports, this is more than likely to be the addition of a new centre-forward, with the position known to be a priority for the Spanish director of football in the summer transfer window.

In his tweet, Hay said: “With Tyler Adams and Luis Sinisterra on the way, Leeds United find themselves in the second week of July with only one major deal left to target.”

Supporters will be gutted

While it is undeniable that the signings of Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca, Darko Gyabi, Tyler Adams and Luis Sinisterra are all extremely impressive additions to Jesse Marsch’s first-team squad, should Orta’s only further signing this summer be that of a centre-forward, the Elland Road faithful will undoubtedly be left gutted.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Indeed, with left-back very much having been something of a problem position for the Whites last season – as Junior Firpo endured a rather torrid debut campaign following his £13m move from Barcelona and Stuart Dallas picked up a femoral fracture that will see him remain out until the turn of the year – many supporters of the club, including Conor McGilligan, believe Leeds should be targeting the signing of a new player in the position this summer.

Furthermore, while Hay did suggest in a recent article for The Athletic that the club have spoken about the possibility of signing a more experienced and recognised backup to Illan Meslier between the sticks – as, despite being an exceptionally talented young goalkeeper, the French U21 international was in rather patchy form last time out – there appears to be little to no movement on this front at present.

As such, despite the impressive business Orta has already completed this summer, should the Spaniard fail to address Leeds’ lack of depth in goal and at left-back, in addition to completing the signing of a new striker, whether or not it has been a truly been a good window for the director of football will remain up for debate in LS11.

AND in other news: Victor Orta could form “beautiful” duo as Leeds plot bid for “enormous” £35m talent

Nottingham Forest have been heavily linked with signing Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White in recent weeks and the 22-year-old would arguably be an upgrade on James Garner in Steve Cooper’s side next season.

Reports have suggested that Forest, along with Everton and Crystal Palace, are interested in the £30m signing Gibbs-White following his impressive performances out on loan at Sheffield United last season.

After the loan signing of Dean Henderson from Manchester United, Forest fans have been consigned to the knowledge that Garner won’t be returning to the City Ground again next season, unless the Red Devils can be convinced to let him go permanently, which seems unlikely at this stage.

Premier League rules mean that you can only loan one player from another side and thus Cooper must look for a replacement for Garner in his midfield after the 21-year-old played a huge part in Forest’s promotion last season.

The United academy graduate would make 44 appearances in the Championship, contributing four goals and eight assists, averaging an impressive WhoScored rating of 7.09 for his performances, which were enough to establish him as a fan favourite at the club.

However, while he was undoubtedly superb, Gibbs-White enjoyed arguably a better season with the Blades, and could be a better long-term addition if he joins on a permanent deal.

The Wolves man would contribute 12 goals and 10 assists for Paul Heckingbottom’s side in the Championship, while also impressing in the playoff semi-final game at the City Ground, with WhoScored awarding him a 7.14 average rating for his performances.

While Garner is arguably better at the defensive side of the game, Gibbs-White can definitely offer more going forwards and also has far more experience in the top-flight, having made 46 appearances in the Premier League with Wolves.

Therefore, now that a move for Garner is off the table, Cooper should definitely push to bring the “outstanding” Gibbs-White to Nottingham this summer.

AND in other news: Cooper plotting NFFC bid for £15.3m-rated “incredible talent”, he can replace Garner

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has delivered an optimistic injury update on Ben Davies after he was forced off the pitch during their clash against Sevilla on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Concern for Davies

The Lilywhites have now completed their pre-season tour of South Korea in preparation for the new Premier League campaign after securing an emphatic 6-3 victory over Team K-League, before playing out a 1-1 draw with the La Liga outfit over the weekend.

However, there was a bit of a dampener put on the events in Asia as Davies, who came on as a substitute during the match against Julen Lopetegui’s side, was unable to finish the second half and had to be removed from the action after sustaining what appeared to be a serious ankle injury.

The Latest: Davies injury update

However, speaking in his post-match press conference, Conte issued an update on the Welshman and hopes that the situation might not be as bad as first feared.

The Tottenham manager said of the 29-year-old: “Yeah, he finished the game with a bit of pain in his ankle. Honestly I hope that’s nothing serious. The rest of the team is okay.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Huge potential boost

Ever since Conte’s arrival in N17, Davies has grown to be a key player in the manager’s three-at-the-back formation, so knowing there’s a chance that the injury might not be as serious as first imagined will come as a huge boost to Spurs.

The 29-year-old has only missed one game since the Italian took charge last November, highlighting just how important a figure the manager views him to be in his starting XI.

Davies is a vital cog in Spurs’ squad, and much of the club’s fortunes for the upcoming campaign could be riding on his fitness, so here’s hoping that Conte will be able to get the defender back on his feet as soon as possible, with less than three weeks until the new Premier League season starts.

Leeds United are weighing up a move for Stoke City left-back Josh Tymon, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: Interest registered

The Whites have been extremely busy this summer, with six new signings made at a cost of £95m. Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers Enterprises aren’t planning to stop there, though, with a striker also wanted at Elland Road.

A new left-back seems to be on the agenda as well following Junior Firpo’s latest injury, and after Victor Orta registered Leeds’ interest in Tymon last week, a move could well materialise.

The Latest: Transfer update

The Dailly Mail provided a Leeds transfer update in the early hours of Thursday morning, looking mainly at the club’s interest in PSG striker Arnaud Kalimuendo.

The report included a mention that the Whites are ‘also weighing up a move’ for Tymon due to Firpo’s injury.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-6/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Needed now?

With Firpo out for eight weeks, Jesse Marsch risks heading into the new season with limited options at left-back.

Therefore, a move for 23-year-old Tymon, who was a regular for Stoke last season, could be a shrewd piece of business in the short-term and over the long run.

Described as the ‘nutmeg king’ following 14 such instances in 2021/22, Tymon can also play further forward if required, which could be handy if Marsch wants to tinker with formations in his first full season in charge at Elland Road.

It would add strength in depth to the Whites’ full-back ranks, and with Stuart Dallas also out for the foreseeable future, now could be the time to act when it comes to Tymon.

Antony remains a top target for Manchester United this summer but it could prove difficult for Erik ten Hag to lure his former player to Old Trafford.

What’s the word?

The Red Devils have been strongly linked with the Brazilian winger in recent weeks, which is no surprise considering his impressive form under the 52-year-old at Ajax.

However, the Eredivisie champions have already sold star players Ryan Gravenberch, Noussair Mazraoui, Sebastien Haller and Lisandro Martinez this summer, so they are under no pressure to partw with Antony.

In a recent interview with GiveMeSport, Fabrizio Romano provided the latest update on United’s interest in the 22-year-old.

He said: “Antony has always been a top target, but Ajax have already sold many important players and the last one was to Manchester United – Lisandro Martinez, of course. This is why, at the moment, it is not easy to negotiate with Ajax.”

Supporters will be gutted

While Ten Hag has made three promising signings so far this summer, strengthening the defence and midfield, he is yet to bring in a new attacker.

Last season was a particularly disappointing one for United’s wingers, as Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford managed just seven Premier League goals between them.

Meanwhile, Antony contributed eight goals and four assists in just 23 Eredivisie appearances for Ajax, averaging a superb 7.47 rating from WhoScored for his performances, so he could definitely add some quality out wide for Ten Hag at Old Trafford.

The United manager will be desperate to add some more quality in the wide areas this summer, but with less than two weeks to go until the new Premier League season begins, it seems as if time is running out for United to sign Antony, unless they increase their bid for the Brazilian.

Given that Ten Hag has made it clear in the past that he wants to bring the former Sao Paulo gem to Old Trafford, supporters will be gutted to hear this update from Romano.

AND in other news: Man United have “genuine” interest in signing £25m “phenomenon”, forget about De Jong

Liverpool have been having a clear out this summer with nine players leaving the Merseyside giants over the last few weeks, with only three new faces joining the ranks there is definitely an argument to be made that the club have weakened the squad.

In terms of the forward line, despite securing a fantastic contract extension for Mohamed Salah the loss of Sadio Mane and Taki Minamino will surely be felt with Mane a consistent performer scoring 120 goals over his six-year tenure and Minamino was the top goal scorer in both domestic trophy victories last season.

In addition to the confirmed departures of three goal-scorers this summer, there is now speculation that Juventus are in advanced talks to snatch the services of Liverpool’s Brazilian number nine Roberto Firmino, a decision that would prove unpopular with the Anfield faithful as the player has become a fan favourite.

There is no doubt that Firmino’s game time has been dwindling over the past few seasons following the arrival of Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, but the attributes the 30-year-old star brings to the team are unmatched with Klopp labelling the player “the best offensive defender I ever saw in my life”.

With that being said, if FSG do decide to give Bobby the boot this summer there is one player who could be the perfect replacement for Liverpool to continue to take advantage of having an attacking player with solid defensive attributes in the advanced role in the team.

Martin Terrier has been linked with a move to the Red side of Merseyside on numerous occasions this summer, and has proven over the last season that he has what it takes to offer the full package Liverpool could be looking for.

The Stade Rennais star who has a reported price tag of £34m, scored 21 goals, delivered three assists and created five big chances, making 1.1 key passes, 1.5 tackles and taking 2.4 shots per game, as well as winning the majority of his duels (53%) over 37 league appearances.

Terrier was the third top goal scorer, ranked second for the most shots on target and ranked sixth for chance creation in the entirety of Ligue One last season and when it comes to positioning can play effectively in the attacking midfield, striker and left winger role.

The Frenchman has been lavished with praise by his manager Bruno Génésio who hailed the rising star “high-level” in a quote from the Ligue One website:

“Martin Terrier has all the qualities of a high-level player, tactically and in his movements. He’s attacking more aggressively too.”

It will be interesting to see how Liverpool react to the interest in Firmino, especially with the player in the last 12 months of his contract currently and whether they will have a replacement lined up ready to step into his role should the Brazilian leave this summer.

AND in other news, FSG plotting Liverpool bid to sign “daring” £42m phenomenon, imagine him & Nunez…

Crystal Palace have suffered a huge injury setback ahead of their opening Premier League fixture of the season against Arsenal tonight.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to reports by London World, who spoke to Patrick Vieira about the availability of some of his players.

The Eagles manager confirmed that Michael Olise would miss the clash against the Gunners after suffering a foot injury whilst away with the France under-21s. Having also missed pre-season due to that complaint, there is cause to believe that it is not just tonight’s fixture that the 20-year-old will miss.

Vieira was quoted as saying: “Yes, it’s the same foot injury he picked up with the French U21 team, but he has started working with the team today so he is getting there and he is looking much better now.

“We have a plan in place, and it is important for him to have a proper pre-season. We’re not going to rush him, we’re going to work properly because it is an important season for him, and it is an important season for us.” Vieira will be gutted

Since his move from Reading last summer, Olise has impressed with his speed and trickery, gliding past defenders and getting supporters at Selhurst Park off their seats. He featured 26 times in the Premier League last season for the Eagles, scoring twice and setting a further five goals to mark an impressive debut top-flight campaign for the 20-year-old.

A 6.91 average SofaScore rating is also impressive given his youth and inexperience at this level. He ranked seventh amongst his Palace teammates in 2021/22 from the statistical website, further outlining his importance to Vieira’s side.

However, the lack of a pre-season for Olise could frustrate the manager, who not only will have to wait for the injury to heal but will then have to get the youngster up to match fitness.

Branded “phenomenal” by journalist Ryan Taylor, the 20-year-old’s absence can be somewhat mitigated by the return of Eberechi Eze, who missed large parts of last season due to a ruptured Achilles.

Although that may soften the blow regarding Olise, Vieira will still remain gutted that one of his breakthrough stars of last season seems set to miss the start of the new campaign. The French youngster could have been instrumental to Palace’s hopes of to snatching victory over the Gunners.

Newcastle United took all three points from their first Premier League game of the season in front of their home supporters at St James’ Park against Nottingham Forest, and Eddie Howe will surely be delighted with what he saw this afternoon.

This is now the seventh successive time that the Magpies have notched a home win against the Reds, and it will be a great feeling for everyone involved at Newcastle to have three points on the board, with a promising first impression on how they will set out to challenge for a comfortable top-half finish at the very least this term.

Despite the game ending in a comfortable 2-0 home win, Forest were stubborn in the first half in their resistance to not allow Newcastle to open up a lead early into the game.

The visitors held off the constant attacking threat on their goal from their hosts, completing 20 clearances and with Dean Henderson making five saves as Steve Cooper’s side saw out the first half to keep the scoreline at 0-0 when the half-time whistle was blown.

However, it wasn’t long until Newcastle managed to break their opponents down in one of the best ways possible when Fabian Schar hit a stunning 25-yard shot at Henderson in the 58th minute, leaving the Manchester United loanee with no hope of keeping it out.

Newcastle doubled their lead 20 minutes later to seal victory when Callum Wilson found the net, leading the Magpies to not only their first win of the season but also a clean sheet, something with which Howe will no doubt be delighted.

Despite Schar’s superb strike, one player who effectively went about his business dominating the centre of the pitch today in the absence of Jonjo Shelvey was January signing Bruno Guimaraes.

The talented Brazilian showcased a range of attributes as he led the midfield by example, with 95 touches, an 89% pass completion rate and three key passes, completing 12 of his 18 ground duels and four of his seven dribble attempts.

Howe will be relieved that Guimaraes comfortably covered the position with no signs of weakness in the stead of Shelvey, who is currently injured for the foreseeable, and the manager will be hoping that the 24-year-old can continue to dominate in the role as he more than compensated for his stricken team-mate’s absence.

The Newcastle manager and the St James’ Park faithful will be absolutely delighted with the performance they saw today from their team, and more displays like this from Guimaraes should certainly help them to build upon this result to have a positive season overall.

The agent of Roma winger Nicolo Zaniolo is in contact with Tottenham Hotspur to see whether a resolution can be reached over a potential transfer.

The Lowdown: Zaniolo links

On Monday, Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Spurs remain interested in the 23-year-old, but their current offer – a loan with an obligation to buy for £21.14m – doesn’t meet the Serie A giants’ valuation.

Tottenham were handed a boost in their pursuit when Juventus, another club interested in the youngster, pulled out of the race, having switched their attention to alternative targets (via Football Italia).

However, Roma have still refused to lower their £42m price-tag on Zaniolo, leaving the two clubs stuck at a crossroad.

The Latest: Agent now involved

According to the print edition of Il Tempo (08/08/22 – as relayed by Sport Witness), Zaniolo’s agent, Claudio Vigorelli, is “talking to Tottenham to see if there are margins for an offer in line with AS Roma’s demands: €50m cash, with no counterpart.”

Giallorossi boss Jose Mourinho would apparently like to keep the Italy international, but it is thought that if a suitable offer came in, the Serie A outfit would cash in on the winger.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Great signing but seems unlikely

Given his underlying statistics, it seems Zaniolo would certainly fit in well playing in Antonio Conte’s fast-flowing side.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the 23-year-old ranks in the 93rd percentile for shots total and in the 90th percentile for progressive passes received, boasting similar traits to Adama Traore, another target for Conte.

Once dubbed a ‘lethal playmaker’ by journalist Zach Lowy, Zaniolo would add further depth and quality to the Lilywhites’ squad.

However, with the two clubs so far apart in their valuations, this appears to be an unlikely deal if Spurs aren’t going to budge on their offer.