All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds United have been extremely impressive in the current campaign but they’re still at risk of slipping out of the automatic promotion places if they suffer a dip in form. 

The Whites have already secured the services of Kiko Casilla this month, but there’re a couple of areas that still require improvements at Elland Road, so Andrea Radrizzani has a big job on his hands.

Indeed, Jack Clarke could leave this month amid interest (as per The Sun) from the Premier League and Marcelo Bielsa has already sent Samu Saiz out on loan, so attacking reinforcements are definitely required. And, with Kalvin Phillips filling in at centre-back a lot of the time, it would make sense for the Leeds boss to bring in a defender.

Interestingly, the answer to Leeds United’s winger situation could be Everton’s Yannick Bolasie.

Bolasie is back at Premier League club Everton after activating a break clause in his loan deal with Aston Villa. He was starting to build up ahead of steam under Dean Smith with two goals and five assists to his name, so he would be a great signing for the Whites as he can offer pace and skill, as well as the ability to score and provide.

One of Leeds United’s biggest problems up until this point the current campaign has been finding cover at the heart of the defence, as Liam Cooper and Pontus Jansson have both spent time out the sidelines. Aapo Halme has impressed during his limited appearances, but he lacks the experience required given the Whites’ current position.

So, Radrizzani could play a big part in securing a deal for Bournemouth’s Tyrone Mings.

The Englishman hasn’t been able to secure a regular place at the Vitality Stadium in the current campaign, so a loan move makes sense for the defender. He can operate either at left-back or at the heart of the defence, which is one aspect that would help Leeds massively. And, he has previous experience in the Championship from his time at Ipswich Town, as well as all the defensive attributes needed to become a big part of Leeds’ promotion push.

Leeds United fans – thoughts on potential moves for Mings and Bolasie?

Wolves are having a good start to their Premier League season so far, currently sitting eighth in the table and hoping to take three points today from West Ham which could see them moving above Manchester United.

Bruno Lage has many attacking options at Molineux, all with individual qualities which have helped the team to take five wins from their first 11 games of the season. However with the sheer amount of attackers at his disposal, it’s impossible to play everyone at once.

Adama Traore is one player who has taken a hit when it comes to game-time in Lage’s side, benched for four of the last six fixtures. The 25-year-old winger has had to share his place with Francisco Trincao and Daniel Podence this season.

The £27m-rated Spain international spoke out this week after he was ranked the number one dribbler in Europe in a study by CIES Football Observatory. He said: “I’m proud of that. If I’m the number one dribbler in Europe, it’s because I’m having chances too. I have to be the best that I can be, and if I take the chances I have, I can be the player I want to be in the future.

“This is my mentality, fulfilling that. If you see last season, I was not having the chances that I’ve had this season. But this is my mentality, to grow as a player each day, and then this season now, I’m having more chances close to the goalie and I hope, soon, the ball is going to be hitting the net.”

Lage must unleash the winger, who was once dubbed “unplayable” by Jurgen Klopp, against West Ham today as he would terrify their defenders with not only his proven dribbling abilities, but his forceful and direct attacking approach which sets him apart from many wingers in the Premier League.

These attacking qualities are obviously the reason that many top clubs have taken an interest in the winger, including Liverpool and Barcelona. Lage will need to give Traore game-time and convince him that he is in the 45-year-old’s plans to hold onto him next season.

Wolves will host an impressive and in-form West Ham side at Molineux today and it could be the perfect challenge for Traore to make an impact and try to secure a regular starting place in the team.

In other news: Here is our predicted XI for the West Ham clash

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard is ready to let Bertrand Traore leave the club in the January transfer window.

That’s according to Football Insider, and the recent exit rumour has had plenty of Villa fans talking on social media.

Traore is yet to get going during the current campaign due to multiple injury issues. He suffered a hamstring problem back in August in a behind-closed-doors friendly and has played just 53 minutes of Premier League football so far this season.

The Burkina Faso international then picked up a thigh issue in October and hasn’t featured for Villa since then, with Gerrard happy for the club to listen to permanent or loan offers for Traore in the New Year.

The Villa boss reportedly feels that he has a squad with too many wingers in and has given the green light to a possible winter window exit.

Villa fans react

The AVFC Faithful shared Football Insider’s claim regarding Traore on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon.

Here is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with many not happy over the rumour, possibly due to the fact that Traore was only brought in last year and had a relatively successful first season at the club, contributing to 14 Premier League goals.

“No way that’s true”

Credit: @chazlittlej

“This can’t be true”

Credit: @_shirleyvillain

“Gerrard out”

Credit: @willjonesavfc1

“Bit harsh if it’s true. He’s only been here a week and not seen a fully fit Bertie”

Credit: @Jelly31807434

“NOOOOOO MY BERTIE COULD BE GOING”

Credit: @HarryBatters

“He’s our best outfielder bar Bailey.”

Credit: @ewan_av

In other news: ‘Amazing’ – Many Villa fans buzzing as NSWE eye up move for ‘superstar’. 

West Ham United have been dealt a double injury blow ahead of their upcoming Premier League fixture.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Evening Standard, David Moyes revealed that both Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell look set to miss the visit of Southampton on Sunday afternoon, as both players have failed to recover from their respective knocks.

Speaking about the current condition of Antonio – who missed the 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday evening after testing positive for the ongoing viral pandemic – the 58-year-old manager said: “He has no symptoms and I have to say that he is double vaccinated.

“For all those things hopefully we might have him back, yes. The rules have changed so I think he will have a chance. I never said [he would be back on] Boxing Day though, I said over Christmas. I will find out more a little bit later on and we’ll see.”

Meanwhile, the Scot said of Cresswell’s back injury: “It’s taking longer than we expected. We are missing him. He slid into the post at Manchester City and he’s got a slight, I don’t know if you call it on his rib or vertebrae, but he’s got something that is a problem.”

Moyes will be fuming

Considering just how important a part of the West Ham side both Antonio and Cresswell have been so far this season, the news that both players could once again miss out on Sunday’s fixture is sure to have left Moyes fuming.

Indeed, over Antonio’s 16 Premier League appearances this term, the £10.8m-rated centre-forward has scored six goals, registered four assists and created six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots and making 1.9 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the Jamacia international average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.17, ranking him as the Hammers’ second-best performer in the top flight of English football.

Meanwhile, over Cresswell’s 13 league outings, the £3.6m-rated left-back has helped his side keep three clean sheets, scored one goal and provided one assist, as well as making an average of 1.7 key passes, 0.9 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and winning 64% of his duels per fixture.

These metrics have seen the 32-year-old defender average a SofaScore match rating of 7.15, ranking him as the Irons’ third-best player in the division in the current campaign.

As such, once again being without the stricken duo against Southampton this weekend will undoubtedly reduce Moyes’ chances of picking up all three points in the clash – something which would come as a huge blow to West Ham’s chances of securing a top-four finish in the Premier League come next May.

In other news: Moyes can finally axe “special” £115k-p/w West Ham flop by signing 21 y/o “phenomenon”

Rangers are among the clubs eyeing teenage prodigy Zak Lovelace, according to The Daily Record’s Scott Burns. 

The lowdown

The youngster, who will turn 16 next week, became the second-youngest player in Millwall’s history when he made an appearance from the bench against Coventry City in December.

According to The Telegraph’s John Percy, the striker had to get ‘permission from his parents and his school’ to join up with the Lions squad for the fixture. Lovelace has been called to train with the club’s first team ‘several’ times.

The latest

Rangers have ‘regularly’ scouted Lovelace this season and are hopeful of signing him, as per The Daily Record. They face competition from the Premier League, with Leicester City and Brighton mentioned as prospective suitors.

Millwall are described as ‘desperate’ to keep hold of Lovelace, for whom they have ‘massive hopes’, and they are trying to persuade him to sign a professional contract at The Den.

The verdict

Millwall manager Gary Rowett has waxed lyrical about Lovelace, saying: “Zak is a really good lad. He has come in with a humility and hunger to want to do well – that exuberance of youth. I’d love to see how that develops over the next two or three years because he could be, from what I’ve seen, a top player.”

However, the 47-year-old admitted that the London club might not have full control over the teenager’s next move, so it could come down to who can offer him the clearest or swiftest path to senior football.

Rangers have clearly been impressed on their trips to watch Lovelace if they are interested in signing him, and they may even think that he’s a superstar in the making. After all, journalist Dan Marsh urged fans to ‘remember the name’ when the 15-year-old came on against Coventry.

In other news, Rangers are in a strong position to land this defender

Everton have reportedly entered the race to sign wantaway Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Gini Wijnaldum ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to 90min, the Toffees are one of several Premier League clubs interested in securing the 31-year-old’s signature over the coming months, with Newcastle United, Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham, Leicester and Aston Villa all listed as potential suitors.

The report stated: “Gini Wijnaldum’s representatives have sounded out several Premier League and European clubs with a view to a loan move in January, 90min understands.”

It added that a move to England over Germany and Spain is most likely due to his hefty £300,000-per-week wages, but PSG are far from guaranteed to let Wijnaldum leave halfway through the campaign, with a hectic schedule still to play out.

Rafa Benitez can seal big Everton coup

Wijnaldum briefly played under Rafael Benitez during their time together at Newcastle, and bringing him to Goodison Park would be a significant coup for the 61-year-old.

That’s because the Dutch international established himself as one of European football’s elite midfielders during his five-year stint at Everton’s local rivals Liverpool, scoring 22 goals and providing 16 assists in 237 appearances.

The £27m-rated gem also played a pivotal part as the Reds secured their maiden Premier League title back in 2019/20 and their Champions League success the season before, with his eye-catching performances across Stanley Park earning praise from several impressed onlookers.

“I have no words for Gini’s performances and quality,” former Liverpool and Netherlands forward Ryan Babel told Liverpoolfc.com. “He’s an incredible person. His energy is incredible, he has lungs for days. You can tell when he has the confidence, he’s really unbeatable and very hard to play against.”

However, things have not worked out as planned for Wijnaldum since he swapped Merseyside for Paris over the summer.

So far this season, the creative talent has started only seven Ligue 1 fixtures, completing the full 90 minutes on just four occasions in all competitions as Mauricio Pochettino has regularly picked the likes of Ander Herrara and Idrissa Gueye ahead of him.

With Wijnaldum’s growing frustration at his lack of action appearing to open the door to an imminent exit, Benitez could be reunited with the dynamic midfielder, adding some much-needed star quality to his struggling side.

In other news… Patrick Boyland issues behind-the-scenes Everton claim which should leave fans buzzing

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have shared their thoughts after hearing what new minority shareholder Daniel Kretinsky may now have planned.

The Czech billionaire officially completed his purchase of a 27% stake in West Ham on Wednesday, which is estimated to be worth between £180m and £200m (The Telegraph).

Reliable reports suggest that Kretinsky’s involvement with the club could boost David Moyes’ and his ability to spend in the transfer market, with the so-called ‘Czech Sphinx’ possessing a personal fortune of around £2.9bn.

Becoming a minority shareholder in a deal which will also see him named on the West Ham board of directors, the 46-year-old’s ties with Sparta Prague as co-owner are also viewed as something to keep an eye upon.

Links to their exciting young striker Adam Hlozek have re-emerged as a result of this off-field development, and while not quite going that far, The Telegraph have just lifted the lid on one of Kretinsky’s first plans for West Ham.

They claimed that the Czech magnate ‘will propose a partnership’ between Sparta and the Hammers as a ‘potential player development line’ for Moyes.

With that potentially being the first step towards building a fruitful relationship with the Fortuna Liga giants, it’s little wonder that West Ham fans are excited at the prospect of a budding partnership, with a couple of supporters calling this news ‘exciting’.

Check out some of their best verdicts below.

West Ham fans flock to Kretinsky claim…

“Love that”

Credit: @Mahoney

“Be snapping his arm off to do this as a perfect league to get our players out to develop in the men’s game & also be playing EL football most seasons too. Added benefit will be getting the likes of Hlozek & others as Sparta can “offer” a pathway to the EPL for young Czech players.”

Credit: @mhare641

“I’d better get a Sparta Prague shirt to go with my Slavia one”

Credit: @ShaneBailey92

“Can’t wait to see Hlozek in claret and blue”

Credit: @sharnidanc92

“If they get consistent European football too, would be great for our youth to get experience with them”

Credit: @nathh_whu

“Exciting times lay ahead…Make sure we sign Hlozek too!”

Credit: @SweeneyWestHam

“This sounds exciting!”

Credit: @olliejcoe

In other news: ‘Huge’…Sky pundit thrilled as West Ham eye ‘massive signing’ for Moyes, find out more here.

According to football.london reporter Chris Wheatley, Tottenham Hotspur may still be contenders to sign Dusan Vlahovic in 2022 and may even have a deal ‘in the pipeline’.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Vlahovic move…

Over the summer window, sporting director Fabio Paratici had the Serbia international firmly in his sights for Tottenham as he sought a striking alternative to Harry Kane.

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Those links have continued long into Antonio Conte’s managerial reign with La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) even lifting the lid on a pre-January meeting in London with Fiorentina chiefs.

News recently has indicated that north London rivals Arsenal are favourites over Spurs to sign Vlahovic, but as per their football.london correspondent Wheatley, a Lilywhites agreement cannot be ruled out.

The Latest: Wheatley makes Vlahovic to Spurs claim…

The Gunners journalist, stating Arsenal director Edu is ‘doing everything’ to seal a move for the La Viola striker in January, also claims Tottenham are still well in contention.

According to his sources, Paratici has a close relationship with the player’s entourage and his ‘sources suggest’ a ‘deal could be in the pipeline’ for Vlahovic to join Tottenham ‘this summer.’

The Verdict: Glimmer of hope?

As Arsenal work behind the scenes for Vlahovic, news that Tottenham could be lurking in the background comes as news that provides a glimmer of hope.

The Lilywhites are in dire need of a forward who can also add real goal threat alongside Kane, with Vlahovic’s brilliant haul of 18 goals and four assists highlighting his real quality (Transfermarkt).

Lauded as an ‘unbelievable player’ by insider John Wenham, and a potentially ‘phenomenal signing’ (Football Insider), it’s clear to see why given his prolific nature.

If Tottenham can beat their fierce rivals to the £60 million star, it’s safe to say Paratici would be performing one brilliant piece of business for years to come.

In other news: Spurs agree £33.4m option for ‘sensational player’ after loan spell with EPL rivals, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur insider John Wenham has claimed that Fabio Paratici could complete a swap deal with Villarreal for Pau Torres, with Giovani Lo Celso going the other way.

The Lowdown: Lo Celso impressing at Villarreal

After joining the La Liga outfit on loan in January, the 26-year-old has gone on to make a great impression with his new side, having been awarded player of the match in Villarreal’s shock 1-0 win against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last week.

As a result, a number of rumours have arisen linking the Argentina international with a permanent move to the Spanish club.

This comes amid Spurs’ interest in Torres, after the north London club failed in their pursuit of signing the centre-back last summer.

A recruitment source recently revealed to Football Insider that, once again, the 25-year-old is on Tottenham’s radar ahead of a potential summer swoop.

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The Latest: Wenham’s claim…

Wenham has suggested that Tottenham and Villarreal could come to an agreement over a swap deal for the two players.

Speaking with Football Insider, he claimed: “I think Villarreal are likely to agree a deal for Lo Celso. They actually have several players who are of interest to Tottenham.

“There is no clause in that [Lo Celso] deal but Fabio Paratici likes a swap deal so I’m sure we could work something out there.

“There is previous interest in Pau Torres, he is someone who we have looked at before.

“Danjuma is in great form and they have a good young talent in Yeremi. That is definitely an option we could take.”

The Verdict: Could be a great deal for Spurs

Given Torres’ label as the long-term successor for Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid, it is clear that his arrival at Hotspur Way would be an incredible piece of business for Paratici to pull off.

However, a swap deal between the pair seems unlikely given the differences in their respective transfer values. Torres has a current market value of £45m, whereas Lo Celso is worth just £19.8m.

Therefore, unless Spurs are going to cough up a vast sum alongside the midfielder, the proposed swap deal does not appear feasible.

Either way, it appears that Lo Celso will sign a permanent deal with Villarreal ahead of next season, where he appears to be having a better time of things than he did in north London.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Paratici’s scouting mission to see Djed Spence

Tottenham Hotspur journalist Alasdair Gold expects the club to allow Pierluigi Gollini to return to Atalanta and delay their pursuit of a successor for Hugo Lloris until 2023. 

The lowdown

Spurs signed Gollini on a season-long loan from Atalanta last summer, when Nuno Espirito Santo was the manager.

Under the agreement, The Lilywhites have the option to buy the 27-year-old at the end of the season.

Gollini has made ten appearances for the club, all of them coming in European competition or the domestic cups.

Even then, Antonio Conte favoured Lloris for the first leg of the EFL Cup semifinal against Chelsea, as well as the FA Cup fifth-round tie at Middlesbrough.

It’s believed that the optional fee is in the region of £13million.

The latest

Asked if Gollini is likely to stay, Gold told Football London readers that he can’t ‘see much sense’ for either party ‘in making the deal permanent’.

‘There’s no real sense,’ he says, that Gollini would be in a position to take over from Lloris in 2022/23.

Parting ways with the Italian could see Spurs bring in a new back-up ‘keeper, but Gold says he’d be ‘surprised’ if anyone gave up ‘regular first team football elsewhere’ to serve as Lloris’ understudy.

As such, a successful move for West Brom’s Sam Johnstone is unlikely.

The journalist’s expectation is that Spurs will look to recruit a long-term heir to the veteran skipper ‘the following summer’.

The verdict

Gollini may have to find a new club this summer regardless.

In preparation for his loan departure, Atalanta shelled out £18million on a new no. 1 in the form of Joan Musso.

The ‘excellent’ Gollini won praise in pre-season from former Spurs man Graham Roberts for his ‘fantastic positioning’ and ‘great distribution’, and team-mate Eric Dier has called him ‘amazing’.

But clearly Spurs haven’t seen enough to think he can genuinely challenge Lloris, who tellingly signed a new contract in January with his old deal set to expire.

In other news, a medical expert has shared his verdict on Ryan Sessegnon.