All posts by z3u9t.icu

Celtic take on St. Johnstone in the SPL tomorrow at home as they look to extend their lead at the top of the table.

Before then, however, manager Brendan Rodgers would like to see some more signings arrive with transfer deadline day fast approaching, though there is still a lot of work that needs to be done if that is to happen.

The Breakdown

According to the Daily Record, the Celtic boss is desperate to add at least one new full-back to his squad with Borussia Dortmund’s Jeremy Toljan one player he hopes his superiors can land ahead of Thursday’s deadline.

With Mikael Lustig’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, Celtic definitely need to start looking at names for that position with Toljan being a great one.

However, even if the Bhoys fail to sign the German right-back or any other player for that matter before Thursday, they can still be pleased with the work that has been done this month.

The additions of Timothy Weah and Oliver Burke are quickly proving to be very good ones, while the Glasgow club still have Vakoun Issouf Bayo to come into the team.

Ultimately, Celtic now look to have the necessary firepower to win yet another SPL title, and thus can afford to be patient in their pursuit of a new right-back.

Aston Villa have seen many players walk through the door at Villa Park over the years, either on loan or permanent deals.

However, as tends to be the case with most clubs, not all transfer deals that take place end up being particularly successful or worthwhile.

One questionable transfer that took place at the Midlands club was their 2015 move for striker Rudy Gestede.

During the 2015 summer transfer window, under the management of Tim Sherwood, the Villans secured a deal to bring the striker to Villa Park from Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £6m.

Having been described as a “menacing” figure on the pitch by Sherwood, the Benin international was anything but that for his side, finding the back of the net only five times in 32 Premier League appearances throughout the 2015/16 campaign.

Also, despite appearing in the majority of their league games, the attacker could only rack up 18 shots on target in total, which is fewer than the number of fouls (24) he committed, meaning he was more of a liability for his side than a capable attacking threat.

With fewer goals scored (27) than any other side in the top flight that season, Villa eventually found themselves at the bottom of the league table and destined for the second division.

After Villa’s relegation at the end of Gestede’s debut campaign with the Villans, things didn’t get much better for him in the Championship either.

In 18 appearances, the centre-forward only scored four goals before joining Middlesbrough in the 2017 January transfer window, bringing an end to his uninspiring time as a Villa player after just 523 days.

Even with his lack of regular goals at the Midlands club, it seemed as though they were right to let him go when they did, as the striker only managed to bag eight times in 71 appearances for Boro following his exit from Villa Park.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that Sherwood had a shocker by bringing Gestede to Villa, who ultimately wasted a total fee of £8.1m from his transfer fee and £28k-per-week wages by having him on their books for as long as they did.

In other news: Gerrard can now axe awful flop as AVFC eye bid for £50m gem with “bundles of ability”

Liverpool have enjoyed ‘incredible growth’ under owners FSG after some key figures emerged, according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

The Lowdown: FSG divisive owners

Since taking over in 2010, there is no doubt that FSG have divided opinion at Anfield, with some praising their ownership and others struggling to warm to them.

They have funded plenty of top-class new signings and have expanded Anfield impressively but they have also made some bad missteps along the way.

The Americans were in favour of the European Super League and were also forced to reverse their decision to furlough staff when the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020 after fierce backlash.

The Latest: Maguire hails growth

Speaking to Football Insider, however, Maguire has lauded FSG in a financial sense, claiming the pre-pandemic £348m improvement in revenue is ‘incredible’:

“You only need to take a look at the numbers. If we look at the first decade of FSG ownership, which takes us up to just before the pandemic, revenue went from £185m to £533m.

“That’s incredible growth. FSG have done their sums. They’ve doubled matchday income. They have tripled commercial income as well. Broadcast income has risen on the back of finishing higher on a regular basis in the Premier League and their success in Europe.

“All of those factors signal that FSG is a smart bunch of cookies.”

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The Verdict: Undoubted praise needed

The main thing FSG merit praise for is the stability they have brought to Liverpool, often working within their means and ensuring the club is one of the best-run in the country.

Financially, the Reds have never been stronger and that is partly down to their naturally cautious approach, never overspending on individual players and keeping tight wage structure, something which has been in the spotlight recently due to Mohamed Salah.

As is the case with most football-related things, there is a middle ground with FSG in terms of how they should be viewed, but we feel the positives far outweigh the negatives overall.

In other news, Jurgen Klopp reportedly wants to sign an England international this summer. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur have suffered a major blow in their pursuit of RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol.

The Lowdown: Spurs linked with Gvardiol

According to The Athletic, Spurs will prioritise a left-sided centre-back in the summer window. As a result, they have named Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni and Gvardiol as the options currently topping their shopping list.

The Athletic claim that Tottenham would likely have to pay, at a minimum, as much as the £42m they spent on signing Cristian Romero last summer, due to the 20-year-old being one of the most in-demand young defenders across Europe.

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The Latest: Spurs suffer Gvardiol blow

According to RB Live (via SportWitness), it is ‘extremely unlikely’ that Fabio Paratici will have a ‘good chance’ of signing the Croatia international, given that he has ‘no reason’ to leave Leipzig.

In a previous interview with Bild (via Sport Witness) earlier this year, Gvardiol claimed that he was ‘not really making any plans’ regarding a summer transfer.

RB Live also stated that the Bundesliga side would ‘hardly let’ their ‘defensive jewel’ leave in the summer, despite reports suggesting a €50m (£42m) price tag.

The Verdict: Look at other options

Whilst the 20-year-old Croatian may be one of the hottest prospects in Europe, it appears that a transfer away from Leipzig seems highly unlikely in the near future. Therefore, Spurs should look elsewhere for a more imminent defensive addition.

Linked with the likes of Bastoni, it is imperative that Paratici secures a left-sided defender in the summer. This would free up left-back Ben Davies, who has been utilised as a makeshift central defender, who would then provide Antonio Conte with further depth at wing-back.

It would ultimately solve two transfer needs in one for Tottenham.

In other news: Paul Robinson makes Harry Winks exit claim

Newcastle United have held talks with the agent of Rangers teenager Alex Lowry, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Lowry profiled

Lowry is 18 years of age and is primarily an attacking midfielder who can also play as a right-winger or even in a deeper midfield role.

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The Scot has already made four senior appearances for Rangers, scoring once and providing one assist. Former Ibrox boss Graeme Murty labelled Lowry’s self-confidence as ‘remarkable’, with reports back in February suggesting the teenager has turned down a three-and-a-half-year deal at Ibrox.

His current contract expires in 2023, and it looks as if Newcastle are now leading the race for his services.

The Latest: Hotel meeting

Football Insider shared an update regarding Lowry and Newcastle on Monday morning after being informed by a recruitment source.

They claimed that head of recruitment Steve Nickson met Lowry’s agent in a hotel prior to Newcastle’s Premier League win over Wolves earlier this month.

The report stated that the Magpies are at the front of the queue for the Rangers youngster, who also has interest elsewhere.

The Verdict: Shrewd move

It looks as if Lowry could be a future star with a number of top-tier sides keen on his services, so Newcastle’s decision to meet with his agent and outline their plans could turn out to be a shrewd move.

It would be interesting to see what Newcastle would do with Lowry, should a move to St. James’ Park go through. He already has senior experience in Scotland, and with Eddie Howe having just two attacking midfielders on the books, it could present an opportunity for Lowry to flirt between the club’s Under-23 ranks and first-team squad.

A clear pathway through to first-team football should be outlined by the Magpies, so it looks as if this could be a transfer to watch closely.

In other news: Newcastle now want to sign ’emerging superstar’ for Howe; Staveley has already spoken with agent. 

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has big shoes to fill after Heung-min Son suffered a devastating injury blow this week.

The 29-year-old is expected to miss the remainder of the month after he sustained a muscle injury during their Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg defeat to Chelsea in midweek.

It means he will miss this afternoon’s FA Cup third-round clash with League One side Morecambe, the return leg against the Blues on Wednesday and unfortunately, next weekend’s north London derby in the Premier League.

“It was a strange situation,” revealed the Italian during his pre-game press conference.

“Against Chelsea, I made two substitutions together, with Lucas Moura and then Son. But not for injury, the substitutions, but only to try to give them a bit of rest, 15 minutes of rest. Then the day after, he felt a bit of pain in his muscle, in his leg.

“He had a scan and now we have to make the right evaluation from the doctors. He has an injury. I don’t know, but probably he will stay without training sessions until the end of this cycle, before the international break.”

Son has been ever so crucial to Spurs’ fortunes so far this campaign.

The South Korean sensation has provided nine goals and five assists in all competitions, and also leads the way for goal contributions and chances created in the Premier League alone.

It leaves Conte with a major dilemma – just who can replace him? One contender will be Steven Bergwijn – once fit – as he has looked bright in his few appearances under the 52-year-old.

The Dutchman’s goal and assist against West Ham in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup is what got Spurs into the next round. However, he is far too inconsistent and is often injured.

Instead, it could be Bryan Gil’s time to shine.

Valued at €40m (£34m) by CIES Football Observatory, the young Spaniard has been restricted to just 210 minutes of domestic action since joining in a £21.6m swap deal involving Erik Lamela from Sevilla in the summer.

The 20-year-old gem looked like a bright spark when he came off the bench in midweek, particularly in one moment where he twisted and turned Mason Mount inside out before creating a goalscoring opportunity.

After his arrival, football.london reporter Alasdair Gold tipped the Spanish playmaker for big things, even likening his potential to that of Christian Eriksen.

“I think we’re going to see a very talented young player coming to the fore. He’s kind of got a bit of everything: he can pass, he can dribble, he’s very creative, he has clever movement.

“They’ve just got to decide, is he a guy that can ultimately become the new Eriksen, because the more and more I watch him play, I think the ability’s there to do that. Some have even made a [Luka] Modric comparison and said, maybe he could end up coming even deeper and becoming that kind of player.”

Gil, who has also been dubbed a “big talent” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, certainly has the qualities to fill Conte’s huge Son void. In LaLiga last season, he averaged 1.7 crosses and 1.9 key passes per 90 minutes.

Currently, the long-serving Spurs star is averaging 2.1 crosses and 1.9 key passes per 90 in the Premier League this term, via WhoScored, so the switch could well be a near like-for-like.

It’s time for Conte to turn to the promising Spain starlet, starting with today’s clash against Morecambe.

AND in other news, Spurs eye swoop for “explosive” £27m-rated dynamo, he could be Conte’s new Eden Hazard…

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on the future of reported Tottenham Hotspur summer transfer target Christian Eriksen.

What’s the talk?

In a recent video posted on YouTube, the football.london journalist revealed that Spurs have been in discussions regarding the possibility of bringing the 30-year-old central midfielder back to north London on a free transfer this summer.

Speaking about Spurs’ interest in the Denmark international, Gold said: “He would fit in there like a glove, in [Antonio] Conte’s 3-5-2, as he did with Inter Milan. He would bring so much to Tottenham.

“I know Spurs have spoken, have had discussions about bringing him in as a free agent – as in amongst themselves. I think there’s going to be a queue of competition for him.

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“I don’t think he left Spurs on the best of terms with the hierarchy at the club. But, he does love the club and he wants to stay in London, from what I understand, with his family.

“And it’s quite funny that Conte, when he just signed for Brentford, was very clear – no subtlety about it whatsoever – that he wanted to bring in Eriksen, maybe this summer.”

Supporters will love Gold’s claim

Considering just how impressive Eriksen has been following his return to the Premier League in January, coupled with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful’s undying love for the 30-year-old, the news Spurs are considering a move for the midfielder this summer is sure to be a claim that supporters will love.

Indeed, over his seven Premier League appearances for Brentford, the £13.5m-rated maestro has been in breathtaking form for Thomas Frank’s side, scoring one goal, registering two assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 2.1 key passes and taking 1.9 shots per game.

These returns have seen the Dane average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.49, not only ranking him as the Bees’ best performer in the league but also as the third-best player in the division as a whole – above the likes of Mohamed Salah, Son Heung-min and Mason Mount.

As such, considering his history with both Tottenham and Conte, his undoubted ability with the ball and the fact he will be available to sign on a free, it is clear to see why Spurs would be interested in a deal to bring Eriksen back to the club this summer – as he very much looks to be the type of player the 52-year-old manager is desperately lacking in the middle of the park.

AND in other news: “His people claim..”: Gold drops behind scenes update, Spurs supporters surely buzzing

Following on from their 2-2 draw against Manchester United in their previous Premier League outing that saw Aston Villa crawl back from being 2-0 down to secure a point, Steven Gerrard takes his side to Goodison Park this afternoon to take on Everton in their latest league clash. 

Having sacked Rafa Benitez after their 2-1 defeat against Norwich City last weekend, Duncan Ferguson will be leading Everton in his first game as caretaker manager to try and get their season back on track. 

In terms of Villa and which players Gerrard could select to be in his starting XI, with Bertrand Traore and Trezeguet still away on international duty and Marvelous Nakamba and Leon Bailey still out through injury, Villa are also sweating on the fitness of defender Ezri Konsa after he picked up a hip issue in the draw against the Red Devils last weekend. 

With that in mind, here’s how we fee Villa will line up today. 

In goal, having played in all but one of Villa’s Premier League games so far this season and recently putting pen to paper on a new deal with the Midlands club, it’d be hard not to see Emi Martinez start this afternoon. 

For the full-back positions, we think Gerrard will stick with the same pair that started against United with Matty Cash on the right and January signing Lucas Digne on the left once again. 

In the centre-back roles, Gerrard may not feel it’s worth the risk putting Konsa back in so we think he’ll stick with Tyrone Mings and put Kortney Hause in, who, like Martinez, has recently signed a new deal at the club. 

In midfield, with John McGinn back after serving a one-match ban in the game against United, we think Gerrard will have no issue in putting him back straight back in the side with Morgan Sanson dropping out. 

Next to McGinn we can see Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey playing in midfield to try and provide some stability and control against the Toffees.

For the attack, we think Gerrard will give Philippe Coutinho his first start in a Villa shirt on the left-wing after making a big impact off the bench on his debut against United by scoring their crucial equalising goal. 

Then finally we predict that Gerrard will make a big decision and drop Danny Ings, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £100k-per-week according to Salary Sport, from the side with Ollie Watkins playing through the middle with Emi Buendia on the right. 

In other news: Ashley Preece drops Villa transfer claim amid Gerrard comments, fans surely delighted – opinion

Former Premier League striker Gabby Agbonlahor has been reacting to an update in Celtic’s pursuit of making Jota’s loan move permanent, as per Football Insider.  

The Lowdown: Source shares update

Celtic have been busy this month already, bringing four players to Parkhead. Two of those have been attacking additions in Daizen Maeda and Johnny Kenny, with the club’s attention now on making Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers’ temporary stays full-time.

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According to a recruitment source from Football Insider, a permanent transfer fee for the 22-year-old will exceed £5m on top of a loan fee which has already been paid. with a full-time deal believed to be close. Should that go through, Jota would become the most expensive signing of the Ange Postecoglou era.

The Latest: Agbonlahor’s comments

Agbonlahor, who regularly features as a pundit on talkSPORT, was talking to Football Insider regarding the update. He believes that a permanent transfer will ‘definitely’ happen, labelling the Hoops as an ‘attractive club’ as he outlined:

“Celtic are an attractive club, it’s a club where players will feel settled, they’re going to love their time there and are fighting for the league title.

“Those loans will be converted easily. I’d rather play for Celtic and Rangers than a Championship club.

“Definitely, they will be converted easily.”

The Verdict: Good news

Jota has been a star in green and white this season, contributing to 14 goals in 18 games. He missed the last seven fixtures prior to the international break due to injury, although you’d expect that he will remain the first choice on the left flank when he returns despite Maeda’s arrival.

The Portuguese winger is currently valued at £4.95m by Transfermarkt, and although Celtic will need to pay more than that this month to make his move permanent, you’d expect that it could turn out to be a shrewd deal in the long run.

He’s still just 22 years of age, and if he continues to shine, it won’t be long until his market value hits eight figures.

In other news: ‘Ideal’ – BBC pundit thinks Celtic may accept bid almost double previous offer for ‘excellent’ ace

A major update has emerged on a Rangers transfer target, with a decision set to be made on a potential move to Ibrox under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

What’s the talk?

According to STV journalist Raman Bhardwaj, Hearts defender John Souttar is on the verge of deciding his future, with his contact at the Premiership side up at the end of the season.

He Tweeted: “John Souttar has narrowed down his choice to Rangers and two English Championship clubs as to who he’ll sign a pre-contract with. He’s set to make a decision this week. A host of clubs are interested in the Hearts defender.”

Excitement

This news will surely leave Rangers fans feeling excited as it appears as though they will know sooner rather than later whether or not he will be playing for the club next season. A decision is not far away and the Gers are in the final three-team shortlist, which gives them a great chance of landing him.

Supporters will be particularly excited by this as Souttar could be a fantastic signing for Van Bronckhorst and solve a major issue in the summer. Connor Goldson’s contract expires this year and he could depart for nothing ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, leaving a huge hole in the middle of the club’s defence.

This is where Souttar could come in and plug that gap as he has proven that he has the quality to be a top performer at Premiership level.

Former Hearts boss Craig Levein was previously effusive in his praise of the enforcer, saying:

“I’ve known him since he was 12 years old and he’s just got better and better. When he came here from Dundee Utd, we just needed to give him time. He’s grown into the player that I hoped he would be and for me he’s the best centre back in Scotland.

“Just for the fact that he can do wonderful things. His passing of the ball Saturday was fantastic, but he is also now capable physically of competing with any centre forward. His pace is very, very good and he’s strong, focused and aggressive.”

In the Premiership this season, he has averaged a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 7.43. Souttar has won 71% of his duels and made 4.4 clearances per game, in comparison to Goldson’s 7.18 rating and 66% duels won.

This suggests that he could come in and prove to be an upgrade on the Englishman, which is why this latest update will excite supporters.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Morelos: Rangers can seal ideal replacement in gem who scores every 1.7 games…