All posts by h79snht.top

Leeds United winger Jack Harrison is of ‘genuine interest’ to Newcastle United this summer, according to The Athletic’s Chris Waugh.

The Lowdown: Harrison’s 2021/22 season

Whilst not the standout player for the Whites last season (that was surely Raphinha), the 25-year-old Stoke native made 35 appearances in the Premier League, contributing eight goals to his team’s campaign.

However, with the departures of Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips from Elland Road this summer, Leeds have lost two of their most important players.

Therefore, Harrison will be expected to step up in their absence, playing a more pivotal role which could be crucial to Jesse Marsch’s chances of success in 2022/23.

The Latest: Newcastle interested in Harrison

After a number of reports suggested that Newcastle had made a bid for the Leeds winger, Waugh has now clarified the Tyneside’s club position on the transfer.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist claimed: “Jack Harrison is of genuine interest to #NUFC – but #LUFC are not encouraging bidding in the way they did with Raphinha & Kalvin Phillips.”

According to the accompanying report, the Magpies’ £25m valuation of the player falls short of Leeds’ £35m price tag.

The Verdict: Move seems unlikely

When looking at the 25-year-old’s underlying statistics, it is easy to see why Marsch is so intent on keeping hold of the player.

When compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, Harrison ranks in the 94th percentile for clearances, the 91st percentile for blocks and the 85th percentile for tackles (via FBRef).

During a fantastic run of form for the player last season, Toffees manager Frank Lampard hailed the attacker as “one of the best wingers in the league”.

With Raphinha previously being Leeds’ most crucial winger, his move to Barcelona suggests it is unlikely that Marsch will allow Harrison to leave this summer, with a bigger role expected to be assumed for the 2022/23 campaign.

Leeds United have made a move in an attempt to bring Arnaud Kalimuendo to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French publication L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), who claim that Victor Orta’s side have been the most active club in pursuit of the Paris Saint-Germain centre-forward so far this summer, with the Whites’ director of football believed to have submitted an offer in excess of €20m (£16.7m) for the 20-year-old.

However, the report goes on to state that, at present, the France under-21 international is not overly convinced by a move to Leeds ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. It is also suggested that Ligue 1 duo Nice and Stade Rennais are both keeping an eye on the striker’s situation ahead of launching a potential bid of their own in the coming weeks.

Massive coup

It would appear as if Orta still has some work to do if he is to convince Kalimuendo of a switch to Elland Road this summer. However, it is undeniable that, considering just how much potential the centre-forward possesses, it would be a massive coup for Leeds if the Spaniard can seal a deal for the 20-year-old.

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

Indeed, over his 34 Ligue 1 appearances on loan at RC Lens last season, the £16.2m-rated forward was in fantastic form, scoring 12 goals and creating three big chances for his team-mates. In addition, he took 1.8 shots (0.9 of which hit the target), made 0.6 key passes and completed 0.8 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the £6.5k-per-week talent average an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.82, playing a key role in Franck Haise’s side going on to secure an admirable seventh-placed finish in the French top flight last time out.

Furthermore, according to FBRef, the Frenchman also ranks in the top 28% of centre-forwards in Europe’s big five leagues and European competitions for non-penalty goals per 90, as well as the top 1% for passes completed, the top 19% for progressive carries and the top 11% for progressive passes received over the past 12 months.

As such, when taking into account that Kalimuendo only turned 20 in January, it would very much appear as if the youngster has an incredible career ahead of him, leading us to believe that, for a fee of just £16.7m, the PSG starlet would be a fantastic investment for Orta to make this summer.

AND in other news: Orta could now land “dream” CDK alternative with Leeds bid for “unreal” £33m sensation

Tottenham Hotspur are showing interest in Nikola Milenkovic and are set to carry out the groundwork over a potential deal in the coming days…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian newspaper Corriere Fiorentino (via Sport Witness), who claim that Spurs are among several teams eyeing the Serbian centre-back.

The likes of Serie A rivals Inter Milan and Juventus, as well as Atletico Madrid, are said to be keen.

It’s thought that the north Londoners will do ‘in-depth studies’ over a move and that La Viola’s asking price is in the region of €15m (£12m).

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

Bargain signing for Spurs?

Spurs boss Antonio Conte has witnessed a busy summer in the transfer market so far, with sporting director Fabio Paratici sealing a total of six new players.

And he could seal a bargain seventh in the form of Milenkovic, who would add a lot to the Italian’s backline.

They have already brought in Clement Lenglet from Barcelona on an initial loan deal but further strength in depth wouldn’t hurt with the Lilywhites competing in the Champions League this term.

Conte will have to rotate his starting XI regularly to remain competitive across all competitions and two matches a week will soon become the norm, particularly this side of Christmas.

At just £12m, it would be a low-risk and wise investment from Paratici and co as the Fiorentina colossus has excelled in recent seasons. Last term, he finished the campaign as La Viola’s fifth-best performer, proving just how crucial he was to their form.

Whilst in the past, Milenkovic has been lauded as a “beast” by his former Partizan head coach Ivan Tomic and dubbed “the most talented centre-back Serbia have had since [Nemanja] Vidic” by Mozzart journalist Dejan Stankovic.

Interestingly, it’s another Manchester United defender that he is similar to, according to FBref, who liken his statistical profile to that of Harry Maguire. That may send alarm bells ringing but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, given he is experienced in the Premier League and was good enough for Leicester City for the Red Devils to splash £80m on him.

Also via the same statistical website, the Serbia international ranked inside the top 6% for aerial duels won (76.7%) in the Serie A last season, which is hardly a surprise given he stands at a whopping 6 foot 5 and goes to show that he is an absolute monster in the air and one that can give Spurs a threat in either box.

Elsewhere, Milenkovic also ranked inside the top 10% for passes attempted (64.50 per 90) and the top 11% for passes completed (57.92 per 90), proving to be equally adept with the ball at his feet, just like a certain Maguire.

This sort of skillset is right up Conte’s street, so Paratici must push ahead and submit a formal offer for the centre-back, who appears to be available for an absolute bargain this summer.

AND in other news, Spurs in “new discussions” to sign £42m “genius” this week, he’s Conte’s missing piece…

There is a ‘strong possibility’ that Arsenal could make a ‘late push’ to try and sign Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Tielemans’ contract

The 25-year-old has now entered the final 11 months of his contract at the King Power Stadium, duly raising questions over his long-term future.

The Gunners have regularly been touted with a move for the Belgium international, although they have thus far failed to meet the Foxes’ £40m valuation of the player.

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers has said that he would like to resolve Tielemans’ future as soon as possible, with the plausibility of the midfielder’s exit still looming large.

The Latest: Jones’ claim

Jones believes that Arsenal could wait until later on in the transfer window to make a move for the Leicester star.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, the transfer insider claimed: “I think Arsenal’s priority has been to get a few fringe players out of the squad to open up space and room on the wage bill and then I think they will try and sign another midfielder.

“I would be surprised if it was James Maddison, but there’s a strong possibility they might make a late push for Tielemans.”

The Verdict: Adds good squad depth

Considering his attacking statistics, the arrival of Tielemans at the Emirates Stadium would provide Mikel Arteta with strong depth going forward, allowing the likes of Martin Odegaard to be rotated when necessary.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the 25-year-old Belgian ranks in the 95th percentile for shots taken, the 89th percentile for progressive passes and the 88th percentile for expected assists.

Previously hailed a ‘top class player’ by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, Tielemans is a tried-and-tested Premier League midfielder, playing 121 times in the division.

Therefore, if Arsenal do decide to make a move for him, they would have a fairly good idea what calibre of player they would be getting before he arrives in north London.

Patrick Vieira is reportedly looking to add a highly rated Championship striker to his ranks… 

What’s the word?

According to Alan Nixon of The Sun, Crystal Palace have switched their attention to Antoine Semenyo following the departure of Christian Benteke.

The Eagles have dipped into the Championship on numerous occasions, having success with the likes of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.

They could now be set to add another young talent to this list, with the 22-year-old potentially costing £12m should they make their interest more concrete.

He could challenge Edouard & Mateta

With Benteke leaving the club, and a Championship striker set to be his replacement, many could be fooled into thinking Semenyo will be brought in simply to make up the numbers as their fifth deal of the summer.

However, this move could be deceptively impressive for Vieira, who will add a young and hungry striker who will want to challenge both Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Phillipe Mateta for that starting spot.

Last season was something of a breakout season for the Ghana international, as he scored eight and set up an astounding 12 in a Bristol City side that slumped to a mediocre 17th-placed finish.

Edouard only mustered six goals last season, whilst Mateta could only manage five. Semenyo could surely achieve numbers similar to this with a season to acclimatise, having proved both his proficiency and creativity last year.

His 7.03 average SofaScore rating also suggests that he would be a consistent performer across a long campaign, and averaging 1.1 key passes per game only reinforces how the £3.5k-per-week earner, who has been dubbed a “nightmare for defenders” by Nigel Pearson, has the ability to forge chances in every game he plays.

The exciting prospect who Martin Keown dubbed “a really good target man” has all the ability to step in and perform straight away for Vieira’s exciting youthful side, and would offer a fierce new dynamic alongside the other Championship graduates.

He would bring a freshness to Palace’s striking position that the somewhat stiff Mateta and Edouard lack, and would make Eagles fans quickly forget all about the departure of Benteke.

West Ham United’s talks to sign Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri are advancing as David Moyes looks to upgrade his squad.

The Lowdown: West Ham in Emerson talks…

The Irons are reliably believed to be trying to sign the Italy international from their Premier League rivals, with BBC journalist Simon Stone even backing that the Hammers are currently in negotiations over a move for the 28-year-old.

This comes as Moyes looks to bolster his defence with further reinforcements, and the former Roma ace – who spent last season on loan at Lyon – appears to be a prime target.

Emerson is thought to be keen on a move to the London Stadium as a fresh report now shares some promising news on the chase.

The Latest: West Ham talks advancing…

Indeed, it is believed that talks are now progressing fast after an opening West Ham bid of £13m.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-4/” title=”West Ham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Football Insider now claim that the east Londoners are in ‘advanced’ negotiations, even being confident that they can finalise a move in the next ’48 hours’.

It’s added that West Ham are also closing in on personal terms for Emerson’s potential signing.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Despite a lack of opportunities at Chelsea, the 28-year-old excelled on loan at Lyon over 2021/22, even becoming a mainstay and playing the sixth-most Ligue 1 minutes out of their entire squad (WhoScored).

Furthermore, the 27-cap Italy full-back has been praised by Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel even when there has been little scope for him to feature at Stamford Bridge.

The German lavished Emerson as a ‘top guy’ and ‘top professional’ earlier this year, seemingly what Moyes could be looking for in terms of prospective additions to his West Ham squad.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Lucas Paqueta in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

FootMercato reporter Sebastien Denis has claimed that the Magpies “are ready” to offer at least €40m (£34m) to sign the Brazilian midfielder.

The journalist has reported that they are willing to bid between €40m and €50m to land the Lyon man, although it remains to be seen if that is enough to tempt the Ligue 1 club into selling.

He has also stated that Paqueta is their number two choice after Leicester’s James Maddison, who the club have already had an offer of £40m rejected for.

Joe Willock upgrade

Newcastle could land a big upgrade on central midfielder Joe Willock by swooping to sign Paqueta before the end of the window.

Since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, the former Arsenal man has struggled to make a significant impact at the top end of the pitch. He has played 32 Premier League matches in that time and contributed with just two goals and one ‘big chance’ created – failing to register a single assist.

Paqueta, on the other hand, has scored nine goals and set up six in Ligue 1 in that time – playing 37 games and creating nine ‘big chances’.

This suggests that he could offer a far greater threat in the final third, both in terms of scoring goals and creating them for others. Both of them played in a major European league and the Lyon talent’s statistics dwarfed the Englishman’s.

Defensively, Willock got stuck in last season as he made 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game but he lost 52% of his overall duels, which suggests that he had a high volume of actions rather than high quality. Meanwhile, the Lyon man made 2.2 tackles and interceptions per match and won 50% of his overall duels last term.

Howe wants the Magpies to be a pressing team and Paqueta’s 23.10 pressures made per 90 over the last 365 days is similar to Willock’s 23.58 – showing that they are both suited to how the manager wants the team to play out of possession.

Therefore, the Brazil international – who Peter Bosz dubbed “extraordinary” – would offer similar qualities to the current Magpies midfielder in his play off the ball, whilst being a huge upgrade in what he is able to provide with the ball at his feet in the final third.

This is why Newcastle must press ahead with a swoop to sign him from Lyon as he could elevate their attack without compromising their defensive structure.

Tottenham Hotspur are now also targeting a move for Chelsea attacker Hakim Ziyech this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs keep busy…

The Lilywhites and sporting director Fabio Paratici have been showcasing real Spurs ambition in this transfer market, having sealed seven major signings.

Supporters have enjoyed seen one of the busiest windows ever orchestrated by their club with Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie all moving to north London.

The Premier League top four chasers have been tipped to make more signings with the likes of Ruslan Malnovskyi (Atalanta) and Nicolo Zaniolo (Roma) mentioned the most as of late.

The Latest: Tottenham now targeting Ziyech…

Now, according to a fresh report, it appears Paratici and co have their eyes on a new target.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-3/” title=”Tottenham latest!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Indeed, AD claim Tottenham have ‘now also targeted’ Ziyech of Chelsea as manager Antonio Conte seeks experienced and quality options further forward to enhance his squad.

It’s believed that Spurs are ‘looking to discuss a move’ for the £100,000-per-week star ‘this week’.

The Verdict: Ideal move?

The 29-year-old, a senior and experienced figure, would come with real pedigree despite his lack of chances at Stamford Bridge.

Having only played 26 minutes in the top flight so far this campaign, Ziyech’s flashes of form over 2021/2022 attracted real praise. Former Chelsea defender Glen Johnson absolutely raved over the winger, calling him ‘world class’, ‘top drawer’ and ‘unreal’ – tags backed by his impressive numbers.

Only Mason Mount attempted more shots at goal per 90 than the Moroccan last season with Ziyech also racking up seven goals and assists combined in just 14 starts (WhoScored).

Ziyech could actually be a brilliant option for Conte as the end-of-window scramble draws near, offering serious production in the final third and serving as a possible replacement for Bryan Gil.

West Bromwich Albion are thought to be rivalling Huddersfield Town in a late move for Ipswich Town forward Tyreece Simpson.

The Lowdown: Thomas-Asante deal

Steve Bruce has now brought in five players this summer after a deal was agreed with Salford City for Brandon Thomas-Asante on Wednesday.

West Brom paid the League Two side an undisclosed fee for the centre-forward, who scored 30 goals in 125 appearances for The Ammies. It looks as if another forward could be on the way, though, with links to Simpson emerging.

The Latest: Simpson interest

According to The East Anglian Daily Times, the Baggies are showing late interest in a move for Simpson.

The report states that the left-footed forward was close to joining Huddersfield, although West Brom have now made a late enquiry.

The Verdict: Needed?

Hailed as ‘brilliant’ by former Ipswich striker Freddie Sears, Simpson is primarily a centre-forward and has scored 11 senior goals in 37 appearances.

The 20-year-old could well be a future star, although Bruce now has four senior strikers at The Hawthorns after landing Thomas-Asante.

Bringing in Simpson could still be a wise move, though, and perhaps Albion could be open to loaning him back out in order for him to gain more first-team experience, potentially making this one to watch today.

Manchester United ‘would love’ to sign Gavi from FC Barcelona and could be helped if Manchester City sell Bernardo Silva to the La Liga giants, Graeme Bailey of 90Min reports.

The lowdown

Gavi, an 18-year-old central midfielder, verbally agreed to sign a new contract earlier this year.

Barcelona, however, were unable to find the funds for his improved deal during the transfer window.

The Catalan giants are now looking to finalise the agreement, with the player’s current terms due to expire at the end of the season.

The latest

Bailey took to Twitter to share the latest on Gavi, revealing that United have communicated their interest.

But Barcelona are optimistic that they will be able to keep hold of him and see off his suitors.

He wrote: “Barcelona confident Gavi contract agreement is close despite fresh transfer interest.

“Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool would all love to take brilliant Spaniard and have made it known.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-updates-5/” title=”Latest Man Utd updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

In the attached story, he adds that Gavi’s representatives ‘were ready to commit to a new deal’ but have grown frustrated with the delays. And they’ve also been left miffed by Barcelona’s pursuit of another midfielder in Man City’s Silva.

United are among the clubs to have held ‘meetings’ about Gavi’s situation as interested parties rekindle their interest.

In Europe, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus are all back on his trail too.

The verdict

It’s no wonder that so many elite sides are trying to sign Gavi.

After all, alongside Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga, he’s viewed as a frontrunner for this year’s Golden Boy Award.

That award goes to the player deemed the best under-21 talent in world football, and previous winners include Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero and Kylian Mbappe.

France manager Didier Deschamps has predicted that Gavi will enjoy a ‘long and beautiful’ career, Spain boss Luis Enrique says he’s a ‘volcano’ who plays football ‘as if he were in a schoolyard’ and Xavi has dubbed him ‘spectacular’.

If United can snap up a generational talent, it would be seen as a huge victory from John Murtough.