All posts by z3u9t.icu

A new name has emerged in Tottenham Hotspur’s search for their next manager…

What’s the word?

According to Italian news outlet Tuttomercatoweb, Spurs are one of three teams who have approached former Lille head coach Christophe Galtier, who left the Ligue 1 champions just days after clinching the league title.

It’s claimed that the 54-year-old has already rejected French rivals Lyon, though the North London outfit will face competition to hire Galtier from Real Madrid, who are looking for Zinedine Zidane’s successor, and Serie A side Lazio, where Simone Inzaghi – who had been linked to the Lilywhites – has left for Inter Milan.

He’ll be replacing Antonio Conte, another name that has mooted to the Spurs vacancy in recent weeks.

Transformative figure

Galtier is an interesting candidate for Spurs.

He’s enjoyed a long and successful career in France, managing just two clubs – Saint-Etienne, where he clinched the Coupe de la Ligue in 2012/13, and Lille, where he has just won them their fourth Ligue 1 triumph and their first in a decade.

During his time at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, the Frenchman amassed a 51.3% win-rate across 152 matches in charge whilst this campaign, which rose to 63.2% in the league this campaign as they beat financial heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain to the trophy.

His Les Dogues side have made life difficult for ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, who has been linked with a sensational return to North London in the past week.

Lille were able to pull off a shock title win, destroying the three-year run of league wins by PSG and Pochettino’s hopes of winning a league title as a manager.

Lille were unbeaten against the defending champions this term, recording a 0-0 draw against them in December before frustrating them again in April, with Pochettino in the dugout.

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Galtier’s men recorded another clean sheet against PSG’s superstars, with the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria all starting.

The 54-year-old’s coaching has earned glowing praise, especially in regards to his development of young players, which is thought to be a key attributed desired by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.

As explained by the Guardian’s Adam White, Lille have been one of the most competitive teams in French football since Galtier’s appointment in 2017, all whilst contending with the big budgets of PSG, Monaco and Lyon.

He claims that their current squad cost a little over £66m, a fraction of the price that PSG paid for Neymar and Mbappe.

Galtier has made Lille hard to bypass, conceding a league-low 23 goals, whilst also proving to be dangerous in front of goal, with him seemingly being able to find a solution no matter the problem.

His transformation of Jonathan David has been particularly eye-catching as the summer signing struggled with just two goals in his first 25 matches at the club before ending the season with ten goals in 22 games.

Swansea flop Renato Sanches is another fine example of a player benefitting in abundance from Galtier’s coaching and management.

It’s no wonder Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe dubbed him a “great manager” to Canal+ (via GFFN). “Every day he is there for us, whether it is in terms of football or outside of football, he is a coach who adds a lot from the human side of things too,” he added.

Similarly, Jose Mourinho has waxed lyrical about this to the Ligue 1 official website. He said: “Taking his side to the Champions League, second on the table, with quality football while developing young talent. He is the man of the season.”

Also dubbed “priceless”, it’s evident that Galtier could bring an air of transformation to North London and after destroying Pochettino in the league since the turn of the year, he could be a genuine and attractive alternative.

If Levy wants to revive Spurs then he should look to the 54-year-old guru this summer. He’s now available for nothing and that’ll only make him even more appealing, though he must act quickly.

AND in other news, Spurs dealt crushing blow in bid to bring Mauricio Pochettino back…

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Wilfried Singo to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that Spurs are one of a number of English clubs who have sent scouts to watch the Torino right wing-back in action ahead of a potential swoop at the end of the season.

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The report then goes on to specify Spurs’ interest in the 21-year-old, who is believed to consider a move to the Premier League this summer as an unmissable opportunity, while it is also stated that the Serie A side would be willing to part with the Ivory Coast international, as long as they were to receive an offer in the region of €30m (£25m).

Conte would love him

Considering how impressive Singo has been in Italy throughout the current campaign, it is easy to see why Antonio Conte would be interested in a deal to bring the right-back to north London this summer.

Indeed, over his 32 Serie A appearances this season, the £25m-rated wing-back has been in breathtaking form for Ivan Juric’s side, scoring three goals, providing four assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.2 shots, making 0.7 key passes and completing 1.1 dribbles per game.

The £5.4k-per-week defender has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 0.6 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 1.3 clearances, and winning 5.7 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the player who Matteo Bonetti dubbed a “revelation” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.97, ranking him as Torino’s joint seventh-best performer in the Italian top flight.

As such, with Singo being a talent who is just as effective going forwards as he is sturdy in defence, it is clear to see that the 21-year-old would be something of a perfect fit for Conte’s right wing-back role.

And, with the player appearing to be extremely keen on a switch to north London, in addition to the fact that £25m is a very affordable figure for Spurs, it would seem as if Paratici is now on course to land a deal for the Ivorian starlet this summer.

AND in other news: “Not going to be at Tottenham…”: Gold drops update on £118m Spurs talent, time’s up

Steven Gerrard has been boosted by the reported news at Rangers that Britt Assombalonga will take a wage cut in order to join the Ibrox outfit this summer.

According to teamTALK, the 28-year-old is close to agreeing terms with Rangers, having been linked with a move from Middlesbrough in recent weeks, despite interest from Championship, German and Belgian clubs.

They suggest that the former Nottingham Forest man will take a significant wage drop in order to join Gerrard’s side this summer, which will undoubtedly put him in the good books of the 40-year-old manager and sporting director Ross Wilson, considering he reportedly earns £35k per week with the Championship side.

Whilst Assombalonga hasn’t lived up to his £15m price tag with the North East club, he has enjoyed prolific spells with Nottingham Forest and Peterborough United in the past, so Rangers will be hoping that he can rediscover his goalscoring touch at Ibrox.

In total, the powerful striker has managed 131 goals in his senior career, which suggests that, with a bit more confidence, he can definitely find the net on a regular basis in Gerrard’s side next season.

Certainly, the fact that he is willing to take a pay cut in order to join the Premiership champions bodes well for his future with the club and fans will be hoping that he works hard to prove himself and compete with the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten in Gerrard’s attack.

Whilst you wouldn’t expect Assombalonga to displace the Colombian as Rangers’ star man up front, the fact that he is likely to join on a free transfer due to his contract at Middlesbrough expiring means that this is a very low-risk transfer for the Light Blues and it gives them some added squad depth ahead of next season.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]

Considering that both Jermaine Defoe and Greg Stewart are set to leave this summer when their own contracts expire, depth up front is certainly something that Gerrard will have been looking to add, and it looks as if Rangers have managed to get their first piece of summer business done very early.

And, in other news… Gerrard masterclass: “Outstanding” Rangers beast’s value has risen 533% since moving to Ibrox

An update has emerged on Aston Villa target Leon Bailey, regarding the club’s latest bid for his services…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa have had an opening offer of £30m rejected by Bayer Leverkusen for Leon Bailey, as Dean Smith attempts to improve his attacking options heading into next season.

The report claims Todd Cantwell and Bailey are both being eyed by Villa, with the latter said to be valued in the region of £38m – the same fee the club paid for Emi Buendia.

Lange must work his magic

Villa chief Johan Lange must now work his magic to reach an agreement with Leverkusen over the transfer of Bailey this summer. He could be a terrific signing for the club and Lange should not give up after one offer for his services and, instead, return with a second bid for the Bundesliga ace.

Bailey enjoyed a terrific season in Germany for Leverkusen as he racked up nine goals and eight assists in the 2020/21 campaign, starting 25 games. In the Premier League, Jack Grealish managed six goals and 10 assists in 24 starts, meaning he had Bailey had one more direct goal contribution in one more start in comparison to the Villa captain.

This suggests that he could come in and provide a similar level of quality to the England international, strengthening the overall quality of Smith’s attacking options. Alongside the likes of Bertrand Traore, Ollie Watkins and Emi Buendia, Villa could have a frightening attacking lineup if they can keep hold of Grealish whilst also bringing the Leverkusen attacker to the club.

Ex-Ajax coach Ronald de Boer once hailed him as an “exceptional” player. He said: “He’s so fast it’s not normal. His speed, combined with his technique, is very rare. Exceptional. He has no weak points.”

Leverkusen’s sporting director Rudi Voller has also previously sung his praises. He said: “He’s got extraordinary pace, he’s very skilful with the ball, and he will give further impetus to our attacking department.”

The £70k-per-week beast, who was once touted with an England call-up, could, therefore, be a sublime signing and elevate Villa’s frontline to a new level by bringing the overall quality up. This is why Lange must not be deterred by his first bid being rejected and should now return with a second offer closer to the £38m the German side could be asking for.

AND in other news, Big update emerges on “wonderful” gem that will surely leave Villa fans gutted…

Glasgow Rangers fans are not best pleased with an official club update ahead of fans being able to return to stadiums in the Premiership this coming weekend.

The Gers will kick off their 2021/22 campaign on Saturday afternoon against Livingston at Ibrox. Rangers, of course, won the league in style last term and will therefore be looking to defend their title – unfortunately, fans were unable to attend grounds across Scotland due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Fortunately, this season, some fans will be able to watch the games at stadiums – 23,000 will attend for the opener at Ibrox (The Herald). However, the pandemic is not yet over, meaning there will be a number of restrictions and rules still in place. This does not seem to have gone down too well with the supporters at all.

The news of the rules were shared on Twitter by Rangers’ official Twitter account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the Gers supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

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

“But at end of game everyone can leave at same time. Don’t understand that lol.”

Credit: @dave_n84

“Then come full time ye see everyone pile oot together”

Credit: @darin1872

“Looks like something Nicola Sturgeon would put out as her roadmap out a lockdown.”

Credit: @StevenWFox2

“Shocking the way tickets are distributed all fans or no fans unfair on the ones left out. All paid season tickets and getting nothing but rtv which i can get cheper than a season ticket. Playnig on the fact we love our club”

Credit: @robertarthur83

“I do what I want mr rangers”

Credit: @troikadeus

“Complete nonsense”

Credit: @Agchef1

In other news, this pundit slams Alfredo Morelos after a recent update.

Greg Docherty has revealed he knows he made the right decision by leaving Glasgow Rangers to sign for Hull City.

The Lowdown: Docherty enjoys Hull success

Docherty made 19 appearances for the Gers, racking up six assists (Transfermarkt), but he never really received a chance to impress on a regular basis and instead spent the majority of his time out on loan across England and Scotland.´

Last summer, he completed a permanent move to Hull, and has managed six goals and four assists in all competitions as the Tigers have earned promotion to the Championship.

The Latest: Docherty shares delight

Speaking to the PA News Agency (via Football League World), Docherty shared his happiness at swapping Ibrox for the KCOM Stadium. He said:

“I spoke to Steven Gerrard when I was leaving Rangers and he said he thought Hull would be a good challenge for me as we could try to win the league. 

“But it’s so easy to say ‘go win the league’ – it’s nowhere near as straight forward as that.

“To pip Peterborough we’ve had to go the last 14 games unbeaten, winning 11 of them.

“It’s a majorly gruelling league with 46 fixtures. At the start of the season, there was probably eight or nine teams thinking they could challenge.

“So there’s a lot of relief that we’ve got promotion. Once we clinched that, I thought to myself, ‘Naw, that’s not enough. I want a medal’.

“I’ve always wanted to win trophies. I’m 24 and I can now say I’ve ticked that off. A lot of people have brilliant careers but never win anything, so that’s why I’ll always remember this season and this moment.

“Since Christmas I feel like I’ve grown and really kicked on. I definitely made the right call coming down here.”

The Verdict: The right move

In terms of prestige, Hull cannot compare to Rangers. The latter regularly compete for trophies and will embark on a run in the Champions League next season, while Hull have never once competed in Europe and are only now getting out of the third tier of English football.

However, for Docherty, the move made perfect sense. Unfortunately, he clearly wasn’t a part of Steven Gerrard’s plans at Ibrox, but he has played in all but two games in the league for his new club. Hull have won League One comfortably, and now Docherty can attack the Championship as he continues to improve. At 24, and with 27 goals to his name throughout his career, he has plenty of room for development. There is no doubt he made the right decision.

In other news, Alan Hutton has suggested this man could replace Filip Helander at Rangers.

Last season, Wolves earned a glimpse of what life is like without Raul Jimenez.

Unfortunately for the Old Gold, it was a rather bleak sighting for supporters. They witnessed their club finish 13th in the Premier League with a distinct lack of goals plaguing their campaign.

Jimenez has been scintillating since penning terms at Molineux, netting 48 times in 110 outings.

The Mexican has been a cult hero in the Midlands, scoring a bucket load of goals on the way to lifting Wolves into the top half.

Without him, however, they faded. Jimenez sustained a fractured skull last November and hasn’t been seen since.

The after-effects will impact him for the rest of his career but fortunately, he has made a full recovery.

Though, without any match action for eight months, there is no guarantee he finds form instantly upon his return.

On the chalkboard

With Wolves’ top scorer, Pedro Neto, finding the net on just five occasions last term there is a greater need to invest in their forward area.

One player they could look towards is Youssef En-Nesyri. The print version of the Daily Star (via West Ham Zone) suggests that Bruno Lage’s men are weighing up a £35m move for the Sevilla forward.

They will face competition from the Irons but Lage must ensure his side are in pole position.

At the age of 24, En-Nesyri is yet to hit the peak of his powers but once he does, the Moroccan could dethrone the older Jimenez at Wolves.

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He bagged 24 goals for the Spanish outfit last term, six of which came during the club’s Champions League run.

Like Jimenez, he is adept in the air, winning 2.5 aerial duels per match in La Liga during the 2020/21 season.

Blessed with height and athleticism, En-Nesyri has everything in his locker to be a huge threat in the Premier League.

Speaking about his progression last campaign, La Liga expert Terry Gibson commented: “My opinion, until this season, has been that one minute he looks like a world-beater, the next he looks like a novice; gangly, trips over the ball.”

Gibson added: “But, when you look at his attributes, he’s as good in the air as anyone now. Not only is he tall, he’s got that athletic ability to leap as well. He seems to really enjoy aerial challenges.

“He’s quick, he’s strong, great attitude, his finishing has improved, his first touch has improved, his movement has improved – all those things you expect players to improve on, he is doing.”

That’s a glowing review of a player destined for big things; whether that be at Wolves or with Sevilla in Spain.

Jimenez was the beacon of Nuno Santo’s tenure at Molineux but Lage must find his own legacy; En-Nesyri could help him achieve that.

He is proven in Europe’s top five leagues and is yet to reach his prime; this would be a truly exciting acquisition.

AND in other news, Wolves eye swoop for 28 y/o who’s been “outstanding” at Euro 2020, Lage must sign him…

Newcastle United could now replace Steve Bruce with Chris Wilder, according to journalist Lee Ryder.

The Lowdown: Bruce under pressure

Bruce is certainly under pressure to get some results in the board, as the Magpies currently sit 19th in the Premier League, with no wins and a mere three points from their first seven games (Premier League).

That said, Mike Ashley seems to be sticking by his man for now, and the international break could not come at a better time for the Tyneside club.

The Latest: Bruce replacement?

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Ryder has revealed that Wilder is among a list of names who could replace Bruce should he leave St James’ Park, with both Eddie Howe and Frank Lampard also being mentioned.

Wilder would reportedly ‘love’ to get the Magpies job and would be a contender if the position did become vacant, according to this report.

The Verdict: Wilder in

Given Newcastle’s poor start to the season, and with a lot of fans calling for Bruce to go, the international break seems to present itself with a perfect time to change manager and get prepared for when the squad returns.

In this case, they should look no further than Wilder. Although Sheffield United were relegated in his second top-flight season at Bramall Lane, the 54-year-old guided the Blades to a very impressive ninth-placed finish the previous term, having just been promoted up from the Championship.

Joe Cole has noted the ‘fantastic’ brand of football that Wilder’s teams often play, and given that his preferred formation is to play with three central defenders like Bruce does, the players should not find it too difficult to adapt to his system and tactics.

He is currently out of the job at the moment, so Newcastle should look to get him in before another club beats them to the chase.

In other news, find out what ‘massive boost’ Newcastle have received

Douglas Luiz has recently hit out at a Brazilian pundit following his comments about Aston Villa.

And, as to be expected, a number of Villa supporters were quick to flock to what their midfielder had to say on social media.

Luiz earned a late call up for his country after Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro had to withdraw with a tooth problem.

The defensive midfielder, who has been a regular under Dean Smith this season, didn’t feature against Venezuela in the first of three World Cup qualifiers, with Brazil running out 3-1 winners.

Former footballer-turned-pundit Jose Ferreira Neto had his say on the 23-year-old’s call up, as cited by Birmingham Live, where he hit out at Villa.

“Does anyone know who plays for Aston Villa? Does anyone in this country know where Aston Villa are in the Premier League?”

Luiz reacted to Neto’s comments, relayed by @villareport, saying:

“I didn’t like the way he said it. He said Aston Vila are a Portuguesa Santista who speak English. I looked at his resume and he hasn’t played in any big team outside Brazil. Who’s Neto to talk about Aston Vila, who for me are European giants.”

Villa fans react

@villareport posted Luiz’s comments on Twitter on Thursday afternoon. This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with one ‘delighted’ at the midfielder for defending the club and another labelling it as ‘class’.

“announce lifetime contract @ villa”

Credit: @catrinavfc

“Class, finally we have players who stick up for us”

Credit: @chepnificent

“Villa has a new Deadly Doug. Delighted to see a player sticking up for the club, well done Douglas”

Credit: @BannisterMonty

“Dougie Luiz getting his elbows out! Lovely.”

Credit: @mgmatt1983

“NEVER LEAVE, PLEASE!”

Credit: @GaryBolton91

“Love how he took it personally and defended his club”

Credit: @BruceRioch4

“That’s lovely to read. What a man”

Credit: @LincolnClarets

In other news: ‘Surely not?’ – Lots of Villa fans erupt as transfer news emerges. 

Aston Villa could be set for an exciting future boost amid Christian Purslow’s recent reveal about improving Villa Park.

What’s the story?

The Express and Star’s Matt Maher delivered an insight into Villa’s plans to eventually expand the capacity at their stadium, revealing what it will be dependent on in the process.

He said: “Villa have now begun exploring long-term options to improve their home ground and eventually increase capacity.

“Chief executive Christian Purslow told a recent meeting of Villa’s fans consultation group a strategy to gradually expand Villa Park over the next decade is being developed, with the waiting list for season tickets a key indicator of demand. Any increase in capacity would be dependent on a sustained run of strong results on the pitch and likely be done in three to four stages.”And in response, former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny dropped his verdict.He said: “I’m sure the plan is to challenge for Europe. They’ve got super-rich owners and they are looking to expand the stadium so they have more money to spend in the transfer market and things like that.”I’ve played there a few times obviously and it’s an unbelievable place to play. I’m sure if they add another 9,000 or 10,000, it will be an even more amazing place to play. It just goes to show you the bigger picture in terms of where they want to go.”It’s been two seasons since they got promoted. They stayed up in the first year and did really well last year. I’m sure now they’ll be looking to push on from that and challenge for Europe over the next few years. This is unbelievable news for Villa fans.”Exciting times for VillaGiven the impressive season Villa just had in the Premier League – the Midlands club were on course for a surprise European place before a late decline in form saw them slip out of the top ten – this is definitely a club on the up.That much has been shown by the work Dean Smith’s side are doing in the transfer market this summer, with the likes of Emi Buendia and Ashley Young arriving, and bids going in for Arsenal starlet Emile Smith Rowe.That has been a real statement of ambition about where NSWE are looking to take Villa, and the next step on that ladder is ensuring that Villa Park is at its absolute best so it can match the biggest and best stadiums not just in England, but across Europe too.It’s exactly why news that Villa have begun exploring ways of improving Villa Park and expanding the stadium capacity is just another sign of the exciting times right now at the club. This is a great time to be an Aston Villa supporter.Meanwhile, Villa are now interested in this “unbelievable” star…