All posts by n8rngtd.top

Premier League champions Liverpool will reportedly offer Celtic Divock Origi plus cash in a summer deal for Odsonne Edouard.

That’s according to an exclusive report from Anfield Central, who claim that the Reds are hoping they can get the Belgian to head to Celtic Park in a permanent move.

Klopp eyeing Edouard

Edouard, 23, has scored 20 goals in 34 appearances this season for the Hoops, and it seems as if Jurgen Klopp is the latest manager to have his eye on the Frenchman.

Reports earlier this month claimed that Leicester City were closing in on a £15m deal for Edouard, however, Celtic seem to value the forward, who has just over 12 months left on his Parkhead deal, at the £20m mark.

Transfer Tavern take

The potential inclusion of Origi is certainly an interesting one. Charlie Nicholas actually urged Brendan Rodgers to bring the Reds man to Glasgow in 2019.

Origi is valued at £14.4m by Transfermarkt, £900,000 more than Edouard’s valuation. Still just 25 years of age, the Belgian, should he be open to a reported move, could thrive in the Scottish Premiership.

He’s struggled for regular game time on Merseyside in recent seasons but has still notched up over 150 appearances for the Reds, scoring 35 times.

Becoming first-choice at Parkhead could well be just what he needs at this point in his career, but only time will tell if a reported player-plus-cash move appeals to him.

In other news: 23 y/o Celtic ace keen on summer exit, find out more here. 

Former Leeds United hero Noel Whelan has spoken of his delight at Max Dean signing his first professional deal at Elland Road.

The 17-year-old signed on the dotted line last Friday in what was a proud moment for him and his family. Dean has signed a two-year deal which will take him through to the summer of 2023, by which point he will ideally have broken into the first team squad.

The teenager forward has featured for Leeds’ under-18s, under-21s and under-23s this season, impressing across all age groups and scoring four goals in eight appearances for the latter in Premier League 2.

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Whelan delighted with Dean news

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan was overjoyed at the news of Dean signing his new contract, hailing it as “a great achievement”:

“It is brilliant news. For Dean personally, it is a massive deal to sign his first professional contract.

“It is a great achievement because he has been fighting among other players in and around him and only a few get taken on. It can be very ruthless in academies.

“It is a great moment for the young man and a good moment for Leeds because he looks to be another exciting youngster coming through the ranks.”

Transfer Tavern take

It is always tough for any player to make the step up to the first team, but Dean is certainly a player who is highly regarded at Elland Road.

For now, he just needs to keep progressing in the youth team and ensure he doesn’t rest on his laurels after such a huge moment for him personally.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly interested in signing a forward who is in excellent form this season. Read more here.

Alan Hutton believes that Jordan Jones has played his last game for Glasgow Rangers despite his impressive form on loan at Sunderland in League One.

Hutton thinks Jones is finished at Ibrox

Jones moved to the Stadium of Light on loan in January and has done well so far for the Black Cats, scoring twice and providing three assists in nine league matches (Transfermarkt).

However, speaking to Football Insider, Hutton does still not believe the 26-year-old has a future at Ibrox. He said of Jones:

“It’s one of those ones where he had opportunities at Rangers. Gerrard put him in and sometimes we would see the best of him but not enough.

“Obviously the Covid issues, hampered by injuries, I’m not going to say I’m on the fence. I believe the time’s passed. He’s went down, he’s moved on, he’s playing well at a decent level and scoring goals.

“I just feel his time that Rangers, he’s had enough opportunities, it’s not quite worked out. The player has to think of himself as well, he obviously wasn’t happy when he was there.”

Difficult

On Wearside, Jones has shown he has plenty of talent, but it is hard to disagree with Hutton. Jones did break into the Gers’ starting line-up towards the start of this season, even scoring in a 5-1 win over Motherwell, but he betrayed the trust of both his teammates and Steven Gerrard when he broke virus regulations to attend a house gathering along with George Edmundson. That led to a seven-game ban (BBC), preventing him from playing on a regular basis for the 55-time Scottish champions.

In 19 matches for Rangers since making the move from Kilmarnock, that goal against Motherwell is the only time he has hit the back of the net. Quite frankly, that is not good enough, especially when he has Ryan Kent to contend with on the left wing. It seems only a matter of time before Jones leaves Ibrox on a permanent basis, as Hutton has predicted.

In other news, many Rangers fans hammered this man’s performance against Celtic.

In a recent interview, Alan Hutton praised the Glasgow Rangers manager, Steven Gerrard, for his keeping of Gers’ traditions.

Speaking recently to Sky Sports, Rangers’ majority shareholder and former chairman, Dave King, claimed that Gerrard has always insisted on keeping the traditions that 10 times Scottish championship-winning manager Walter Smith instilled in his time at the club.

One of these traditions included the Gers boss wearing a suit and tie for the club’s fixtures, and, in a recent interview with Football Insider, Hutton heaped a considerable amount of praise on Gerrard for upholding these particular customs of the club.

He said: “This is the thing. It’s the little things that make the difference. They all build-up to the collective, what you’re looking for.

“He’s totally right. When you think back to the likes of Walter Smith, it was always that – the navy blazer, grey trousers and brown shoes. That’s how Rangers were.

“It’s good to hear that Steven Gerrard was buying into all of that. He wanted to be part of all the little things that make Rangers, Rangers. It’s brilliant to hear.”

Transfer Tavern Take

Whether or not Gerrard’s maintaining of Smith’s traditions directly had an effect on the players, it certainly does not appear to have done them any damage, with the Liverpool legend leading the club to their first Scottish top flight title for 10 years this season.

And, hopefully – for fans of the club, at least – it is not only Smith’s dress sense that Gerrard brings back to Gers but also the unprecedented levels of success the 73-year-old did during his time spent in Glasgow – with the former Everton boss winning 10 league titles, six Scottish League Cups and five Scottish Cups at Rangers.

In other news: some Rangers fans slammed this politician’s comments – find out more here!

When it comes to Wolves’ promotion-winning squad of 2017/18 there are a host of names that’ll spring to mind.

Ruben Neves will be one, Diogo Jota is probably another. John Ruddy’s immense campaign will even be remembered with fond memories too.

Although his football has been limited since they were promoted to the Premier League, it has not been as worse as Roderick Miranda’s.

The centre-back played 17 games en route to gaining promotion but unfortunately, he’s not made a single appearance for the Old Gold since they came up to the top-flight.

That means that despite still being on Wolves’ books, his last appearance for the club came in 2018. Considering he’s now 29, it’s dumbfounding to think that he still holds a contract with the club.

Signed for an undisclosed fee four years ago, his £10k-per-week contract at Molineux finally ends in the summer but the player is hoping a resolution to his future is found soon. After all, he is merely blowing a hefty hole in Jeff Shi’s pockets.

He’s earning a wage at Wolves but isn’t playing and after a set of loan spells at Olympiacos and Famalicao, is training with the youth players at Compton.

It’s a sorry state of affairs for a player who was actually quite important in the back half of their triumphant Championship-winning season.

He was named in their Premier League squad for the current term, but unsurprisingly, he’s not played a single minute and has become nothing short of a flop in the Midlands.

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He’s watched the likes of Max Kilman picked ahead of him, while he couldn’t even earn a spot on the bench when Wolves travelled to play non-league Chorley in the FA Cup.

Instead, young defenders Lewis Richards and Nigel Lonwijk were among the substitutes instead. It’s damning that even in a game of this magnitude he is ignored.

If Wolves can’t find any suitor for him this month, they’d be wise to just terminate his contract entirely. It’s a method Arsenal used with wantaway defender Sokratis so it’s certainly not unfashionable to do so.

The Old Gold have tried desperately to find a new striker this month and after securing the signature of Willian Jose, must take it upon themselves to get rid of deadwood.

That starts with Roderick. He isn’t good enough for Wolves and Nuno clearly has no plans to use him.

AND in other news, Shi must seal Wolves swoop for “outstanding” 6-goal gem, he’s shades of Bakary Sako…

To suggest that Rafa Mir’s time at Wolves has been a disaster would be putting it lightly.

The Spaniard has played just four times for the senior side and has struggled to ever really make an impression on Nuno Santo.

In fact, he has found life difficult in England as a whole. Mir hasn’t scored in English football and endured a dismal loan spell at Nottingham Forest, where he didn’t find the net.

However, back in his native Spain, the 23-year-old has been a joy to watch this season. He is finally making an impression and because of that, Nuno should be taking note.

Mir has always been highly thought of. The very fact he had two years in Barcelona’s famous La Masia is evidence of that. Though, like a lot of players that pass through their gates, he has not achieved much since departing.

The striker hasn’t lived up to his true billing and he hasn’t met expectations either. When he penned terms in January 2018, former Wolves star Diogo Jota said; “He’ll be a good signing for us.”

That has been anything but the case. Mir has struggled with the language and has never settled in the Midlands.

Unfortunately, the forward’s time at Wolves could be coming to an end just as his career takes off. On loan at Huesca, the Spanish outfit have an option to buy the player.

Though, if Nuno and Jeff Shi have any sense, they will try and convince him to stay. After all, his form this season dictates he could be a valuable option for the club next term. Wolves have their own option to buy Willian Jose who is currently on loan from Real Sociedad but by bringing Mir back in the summer, they could save a fair amount of cash in the transfer market.

Wolves supporters are unlikely to be convinced by the striker but he has been a force in Spain this season. In total, Mir has racked up nine strikes in just 22 outings. Six of those have come courtesy of recent hat-tricks.

The tall and quick attacker knocked three goals past CD Marchamalo in the Copa del Rey in December before scoring another trio of goals when Huesca defeated Real Valladolid last Friday.

Mir was in inspired form, demonstrating attractive all-round qualities. He completed both of the dribbles he attempted and won a colossal six aerial duels. Based on that, he feels like the complete striker. He is quick, physical and importantly, he can now find the net.

With Raul Jimenez injured for the last 14 games, Wolves have won just four matches. One of the reasons they’ve struggled so much is down to a lack of firepower. Fabio Silva has scored twice all campaign for instance.

Thus, Mir could give Nuno’s men some much-needed firepower in 2021/22. He must be given the chance.

AND in other news, Forget Jota: £75k-p/w ace who goes “under the radar” has been a bigger miss for Wolves…

According to a recent report, Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho is plotting a summer move for Ciro Immobile should Harry Kane leave Spurs.

The report by Spanish outlet Fichajes (via Sport Witness) claims that the current relationship between Mourinho and Kane is ‘not very good’, with the England captain being linked with a summer move to Mauricio Pochettino’s Paris Saint-Germain.

Should Kane depart north London this summer, it is reported that Mourinho could look to Serie A in order to replace the 27-year-old in the shape of Lazio centre-forward Ciro Immobile, who has 14 league goals to his name so far this season.

Fichajes claimed that the £40.5m-rated 31-year-old is one of the most ‘underrated footballers on the market’, as well as being ‘very much to Mou’s taste’ – before stating that the signing of the £79k per week striker would ‘not be a problem’ for Spurs following the injection of cash from Kane’s potential sale.

Transfer Tavern Take

Recent reports in England have directly contradicted Fichajes’ claim that Kane could be leaving Spurs this summer, with The Telegraph stating that the £108m-rated man looks set to say in London for ‘at least another year’ – if true, this would immediately render the club’s links with a move for Immobile redundant.

However, in the theoretical event that Kane does leave Tottenham this summer, then it would be difficult to argue that the 31-year-old Immobile would be a bad fit for Mourinho’s side, with his proficiency in goalscoring in both European and domestic competitions over recent seasons speaking for itself.

In other Tottenham news, this Spurs transfer admission lifted the lid on a failed Daniel Levy coup with Pochettino – find out more here!

After almost three weeks away from playing Premier League football, Aston Villa returned to top-flight action on Wednesday night as they took on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

Dean Smith’s side were in the contest until well into the second-half, when controversy struck with just ten minutes to go. Tyrone Mings was adjudged to have played Rodri onside after the Spaniard stole the ball off him after coming from way behind, and Bernardo Silva stuck one into the corner of the net to set City on their way to victory.

And whilst VAR played a massive role in Villa’s 2-0 defeat to Pep Guardiola’s men, Bertrand Traore was a bit of a let-down for his manager too.

The Burkina Faso international was given the nod to start ahead of the in-form Anwar El Ghazi, who’s scored five goals in his last games in the Premier League.

And but for one of those stand-out ‘did you see it?’ moments where Traore made Kevin De Bruyne look a fool with an incredible first touch, it just wasn’t the former Lyon man’s night.

Too often he got himself into promising situations but couldn’t deliver a good enough end product, and his reliance on his stronger left foot meant that City could play him far more easily and just force him onto his weaker right.

In the 68 minutes that he was on the pitch, he lost possession 10 times, and given that he only 23 touches of the ball, he conceded possession with every 2.3 touches – by far the worst of any player on the pitch, and an indication of how much he still needs to adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League.

Traore failed to find his man with any of his three attempted crosses, whilst he only made four successful passes in the entire time that he was on the pitch. It certainly didn’t help his team that he wasn’t much of a help for Matty Cash defensively, which is quickly becoming a theme whenever he’s playing.

Whether it was Joao Cancelo who recognised that he could have a field day with Traore not tracking back, or Guardiola making that a part of his tactical blueprint before-hand, it was no surprise to see the Portuguese left-back be one of City’s chief creators on the night.

He had three shots, one of which hit the woodwork, completed 100% of his dribbles and had a whopping 108 touches of the ball – the joint-most of any City player, and showing how much City attacked down Traore’s side.

Writing in his post-match player ratings, The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece said that he was “guilty of losing him as the City full-back burst forward to link up with Foden” and that he was “a bit wasteful on occasion”.

VAR might take the headlines, and rightly so given how it’s cost Villa. But Smith will also be very disappointed with Traore’s showing after showing him the faith to start him over El Ghazi.

Meanwhile, Villa may already have the perfect Jack Grealish back-up…

West Brom manager Sam Allardyce is reportedly eyeing a reunion with one of his former players this January transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to the Sunday Mirror [10/01, page 72], the Baggies could want Bordeaux striker Josh Maja on a loan deal for the rest of the season.

It’s claimed that the Midlands outfit could sign him permanently in the summer should they keep their top-flight status, which right now looks to be in serious jeopardy.

Maja was a 17-year-old rookie at Sunderland when Big Sam was in charge back in 2015/16.

Shades of Berahino?

The need for a new striker at the Hawthorns has increased tenfold in recent weeks.

Allardyce’s side already ranked among the Premier League’s worst attacks having scored just 11 goals in 17 outings – only better than two other teams in the division.

And now they have moved on Charlie Austin, who has rejoined former club QPR on loan, despite the devastating injury blow to summer signing Karlan Grant, who is now out for the next six weeks at least.

Against Blackpool in the FA Cup on Saturday, the 66-year-old had to deploy a strikerless formation which saw Matheus Pereira act as a false nine – they were subsequently knocked out, so it clearly didn’t go to plan.

The 22-year-old, who earns a reported £57k-per-week, could be an interesting solution to this nightmare.

Maja enjoyed a very decent run in Ligue 1 last term, bagging six goals, primarily from the bench as 15 of his 21 appearances were as a substitute, though this season, he’s not been able to replicate such form with just two goals in 11 starts, per WhoScored.

Despite the way he acrimoniously departed the Black Cats in 2018, the young striker still received many plaudits from his time at the club – former boss Jack Ross lauded him “fantastic” to work with on and off the pitch, whilst his ex-Bordeaux manager Paulo Sousa dubbed him a “scorer” with “sharp and strong qualities.”

At 5 foot 11, he’s the exact same fit and profile of former Albion frontman Saido Berahino, especially as Jermain Defoe mentored him at the Stadium of Light – a player who Victor Anichebe compared to the controversial striker in 2013.

Two years later, Berahino bagged 14 goals in 38 games for West Brom in the top-flight, Allardyce would surely love to see Maja come in and replicate such form.

Once dubbed a “unique talent” by local Sunderland journalist Phil Smith, Maja could be a bargain solution to Big Sam’s increasing problems.

AND in other news, Allardyce must axe £38k-p/w disaster after another pathetic display…

Glasgow Rangers may have concerns over whether or not Ryan Kent will sign a new contract, but that doesn’t mean that the board should forget about Glen Kamara.

Kamara has been in scintillating form since the start of the season, having made 22 appearances in all competitions for the club so far, which has coincided with Rangers’ remarkable unbeaten streak.

However, the defensive midfielder is still of interest to Leeds United, whilst he has also been linked with Everton and Juventus, and Steven Gerrard has pleaded with the Rangers board to tie him down to a new deal at the earliest opportunity.

Speaking in the post-match press conference after the Light Blues beat Lech Poznan in the Europa League, Gerrard was effusive in his praise for Kamara after the win over Poznan, as he urged Ross Wilson to act quickly.

The Ibrox boss said:

“I thought Glen Kamara again showed why everybody is talking about him and there’s a lot of fuss about him.

“I thought he was outstanding from start to finish and my advice to the club is to move that situation along as quickly as they can.”

Kamara is currently under contract with the club until 2023 but his recent performances have surely warranted a new deal with ex-Ger Neil Murray recently describing him as an “excellent” colossus.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, former Aberdeen striker Noel Whelan believes it is the “perfect” time for the club to offer the midfielder a new contract.

It’s no secret Gerrard has wanted a box-to-box player who can add a genuine attacking threat in the midfield for some time, as the Gers signed Bongani Zungu from French Ligue 2 side Amiens on an initial loan deal with the option to buy before the close of play on transfer deadline day in the summer.

But Zungu arguably offered very little in his last outing, as he failed to register a single shot on target or record a single key pass in the entire game.

In comparison, the Finland international certainly has the capacity to offer an alternative threat in attack if he is allowed the freedom to roam further up the pitch.

Per WhoScored, in six appearances in the Europa League, Kamara has already scored once so far this season, whilst he is averaging 1.8 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 1.2 dribbles per game, which shows that he can evolve into a true midfield all-rounder if he is given the chance to do so.

Whilst Kent has become an integral part of Gerrard’s side, Kamara’s importance in the Rangers engine room equally cannot be underestimated.

It’s safe to say that he has turned out to be a complete and utter bargain, especially when you consider the fact that the Bears signed the Arsenal academy graduate from Dundee for £50,000 on a four-year pre-contract deal. The same is true of Steven Davis, who adds an engine and an ability to unlock defences with layoffs.

AND in other news, Zungu and Hagi miss out, Morelos starts: Predicted Rangers XI vs Dundee United…