All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds United captain Liam Cooper is facing a ‘lengthy spell out’ injured alongside Kalvin Phillips, according to Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Cooper’s 2021/22

The long-serving Whites captain had been an ever-present figure in Marcelo Bielsa’s side and kept up his record of starting in every Premier League fixture this season against Brentford on Sunday.

However, the 30-year-old, who was labelled ‘crucial’ by podcaster Jack Collins, had to be replaced after just 15 minutes in the 2-2 draw after falling awkwardly at Elland Road.

Phillips also had to make way against the Bees and now faces up to two months out, and it appears as if Cooper may also be spending the festive period on the sidelines.

The Latest: Hay’s tweet

Reliable reporter Hay was asked by a Whites fan on Twitter about the rumours regarding Phillips’ injury.

This is what he had to say in reply, also sharing an update on Cooper: “No timescale from the club yet but he’s looking at a lengthy spell out, as is Cooper.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Verdict: Bad news

Cooper has been a rare ever-present figure in an injury-hit Leeds squad so far this season, but it appears as if he’ll be out of action for some time.

The Scot is Leeds’ third-best performer in the Premier League this season, as per WhoScored, averaging more interceptions than any Whites player to feature in two or more games.

It’s not ideal, with both Robin Koch and Pascal Struijk also missing through injury against Brentford last Sunday. Hopefully, a ‘lengthy spell out’ isn’t as bad as it can sound in the circumstances, but at this moment in time, it doesn’t look good for the Scottish defender, or for Bielsa’s defensive depth.

In other news: Leeds receive boost in quest to sign 13-cap beast who’s been hailed as a “young star”

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in Weston McKennie and manager Antonio Conte is said to be a huge fan…

What’s the word?

According to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the 52-year-old is pushing sporting director Fabio Paratici to sign the American midfielder this month.

It’s thought that Juventus would be open to selling him but will only listen to ‘suitable’ offers. He is currently valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt.

Although the 23-year-old has emerged as a regular since the Old Lady changed manager and reappointed Massimiliano Allegri, so that makes any move a little harder.

Give Conte what he wants

With the futures of Tanguy Ndombele and Dele Alli in doubt, it’s no wonder Conte wants a new central midfielder and he could stumble upon his dream profile in McKennie.

The 28-cap USMNT international is capable of playing in a variety of roles in the engine room, as revealed by former Huddersfield Town boss David Wagner, who managed him at Schalke 04.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-transfer-gossip-rumours-conte-paratici-levy-premier-league” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

“He’s an outstanding talent. In the No.6 or No.8 position he has the mentality, a real working mentality that you need. And he’s brave on the ball as well. He can be one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga,” he said via the league’s official website.

Indeed, the box-to-box beast is among Allegri’s top-four best-performing players in the Serie A this season – on top of providing three goals in 16 appearances, he has averaged a squad-high 1.4 interceptions, 1.3 shots and 1.1 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

This suggests that Wagner’s words do ring true – not only can he thwart an attack but he is more than capable of driving the ball forward into the final third and his goal record further proves this, too.

It also shows his impressive work rate, another factor that will surely be behind Conte’s admiration for him. McKennie has also been likened to Arturo Vidal in terms of playing style and the Chilean beast played a big role in Inter Milan’s title triumph under the Spurs boss last season.

As such, it’s on Paratici and co to land the impressive 6-foot powerhouse as his first signing this month. He’d be a fantastic and necessary addition to the Italian’s central midfield armoury.

AND in other news, Paratici can seal biggest Spurs signing since Son in £45m-rated “extraordinary talent”…

Frank McAvennie has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Ross Barkley’s ability to blow hot and cold would make him a risky signing for the West Ham.

Barkley is currently on loan at Aston Villa for the season, and hit the ground running by scoring spectacular goals against both Liverpool and Leicester.

But a hamstring injury, combined with a loss of form, has seen the midfielder contribute just one goal since December, with the England man failing to start any of Villa’s last seven Premier League matches.

£96,000-a-week man Barkley is expected to return to parent club Chelsea this summer, although Moyes is a big of the midfielder, with reports suggesting that he could become an option for West Ham should his long-term future lie away from Stamford Bridge.

Moyes was Everton manager when the former Toffee was coming through the ranks, and handed Barkley his Premier League debut back in 2011.

Despite the links, whilst McAvennie recognises Barkley’s ability, he exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that he isn’t convinced by the Liverpudlian:

“The problem with Barkley is he went to Villa and was on fire. He stuck up a wonderful partnership with Grealish and McGinn.

“And then he went off the boil, and if you’ve got a player like that, I’m not sure if you’d want him. You can spend big money on him and he could do great for six games and go back to his old ways.

“There’s no doubt he’s talented, but out of him and Lingard, I would take Lingard all day long in this form.

“I don’t know if you could do with Barkley. They need to stop bringing in players that want to just see out there time because we’ve done that with Wilshere and Andy Carroll.”

The Liverpool Echo journalist Tony Scott has now dropped a big Everton team news claim before they play Liverpool away from home in the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Team news

Speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of the Merseyside derby, Frank Lampard confirmed that both Donny van de Beek and Andre Gomes have ‘small injuries’, and so will not play.

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

He was also asked if Yerry Mina will be risked having just come back from injury in the 1-1 draw at home to Leicester City last time out, to which he said that they will make a decision ‘closer to the game’:

“It’s a decision I have to make closer to the game. We have to understand we’ve got six more games after this.”

The Latest: Scott reacts

Taking to Twitter, Scott has now given his reaction to Lampard’s comments, claiming that he does not think that Mina will be risked for the derby:

“From Lampard’s quotes today it looks increasingly likely that Yerry Mina won’t be risked for the derby. The defender has completed 2 matches for Everton since October so it’s crucial he’s match fit for the more ‘winnable’ games.”

The Verdict: Big Blow

It would certainly be a big blow if Mina is not able to play a part against their bitter rivals.

At a colossal six-foot-five, his presence is so key for the backline, as the Colombia international has ranked highly among his teammates in terms of average aerial duels won, clearances and blocks made per game in the Premier League so far this season (WhoScored).

It is likely that the Toffees will have to do a lot of defending at Anfield, and their defence is certainly stronger with Mina in it.

In other news, find out which Blues ace has been ‘clubbing too much’ here!

The perilous wait for the Premiership winners to be crowned is over and, unfortunately for Celtic, they are no longer the dominant force in Scottish football.

It’s an eventuality which could cause havoc with the club’s plans. Will the likes of Kristoffer Ajer and Odsonne Edouard stay? It feels unlikely.

On the chalkboard

Edouard has been a player who has been at the forefront of Celtic’s success in recent years. After signing during the 2017/18 season, the Frenchman has racked up an almighty tally of 81 goals in 161 outings.

The forward has been catching the eye for a while now and it was perhaps a surprise that he didn’t leave Parkhead last summer.

He has stuck around, however, and is now being linked with the Premier League once more. The likes of Leicester, Arsenal and West Ham have all been mentioned as possible destinations, so keeping hold of him won’t be easy.

Edouard has been a revelation in Glasgow but, with Celtic finally relinquishing their grasp on the title, now seems like the ideal time for him to leave in search of a new challenge.

With that in mind, the Hoops would need to sign a replacement in the summer window.

The solution

It’s easier said than done but finding someone who can score goals on a regular basis will be how they replace Edouard. After all, the likes of Albian Ajeti and Patryk Klimala have hardly proved able deputies this term. They have just nine goals between them in the league while their French star has 16 on his own.

One man with whom they could replace him should he leave is Genk striker Paul Onuachu. Speaking on A Celtic State of Mind podcast last week, Celtic pundit Colin Watt touted him as someone who the Bhoys should target, saying:

“One that I think people should go and take a look at [is] Paul Onuachu. He’s a Nigerian striker that plays for Genk; he was formerly of FC Midtjylland, and he’s scored almost 100 goals in five seasons, 6ft 7in tall. Roughly, the going price for him is about £7-10m.”

His colossal height means he’s a fearsome striker to come up against, and when you add pace and the ability to score goals into the equation, he’d make a fine Edouard successor.

Onuachu has found the net on 26 occasions this term in Belgium, using his frightening power to smash opponents to one side. He has always had a natural gift and, when considering his height, it’s no surprise to see him prove so successful in the professional game.

FC Ebedei’s talent spotter Churchill Oliseh, once said: “As soon as I saw him, I knew he was special.” Oliseh knows a talent when he sees one; he was the man to spot Obafemi Martins and bring him into the limelight for instance.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-hunt-stories-wagner-marsch-martinez-lennon-news” title=”The last stories on Celtic’s hunt for a new manager!”]

Onuachu could just be his proudest capture yet. Oliseh continued: “For a player with his height, he has good dribbling ability. People of his height only rely mostly on their aerial strength, but he can play, both in the air and on the ground. And he has speed.”

Combine dribbling with goalscoring ability and you have a defender’s nightmare. His mere presence is enough to have opponents running for the hills. In the Belgium Pro League this term, the 26-year-old has won 108 aerial duels.

That’s an obscene tally, one which should have Celtic’s recruitment team foaming at the mouth. He would seem a very capable replacement for Edouard.

AND in other news, Celtic could find their next Turnbull in 19 y/o weapon never-seen in the first-team…

Former Everton manager Marco Silva is the latest individual to be linked with the vacant job at West Brom as the search for a new boss continues at The Hawthorns.

The Lowdown: Baggies look for new boss

The Baggies have been on the lookout for a new manager since the final day of the 2020/21 season, with Sam Allardyce resigning once the campaign reached its conclusion.

West Brom are preparing for life back in the Championship and they will be hoping that the next appointment can guide them back into the Premier League.

Barnsley manager Valerien Ismael has emerged as the front-runner for the job, but there is also believed to be interest in Silva.

The Latest: Silva emerges as contender

According to Football Insider, the Portuguese is seen as a ‘fall-back option’ if they fail to acquire Ismael’s signature, with the 43-year-old currently out of work.

Silva hasn’t been in management since parting ways with Everton back in 2019, but the Baggies consider him a contender to take charge at The Hawthorns should their move for Ismael not work out.

The Verdict: Ismael the ideal choice

Given Silva’s time out of the game, bringing him in as manager would feel like a risk, especially as he failed to impress many Everton supporters in his time at Goodison Park despite being hailed as a “positive man” by Toffees captain Seamus Coleman.

Ismael still seems to be the best candidate moving forward, having made giant strides in very little time with Barnsley, taking them into the Championship play-offs last month after they just about staved off relegation in the previous campaign.

He plays an attacking brand of high-intensity football, something which West Brom supporters may like more than Silva’s possession-based style.

In other news, some West Brom fans have been reacting to a transfer update regarding one player. Find out who it is here. 

Writing on Twitter, reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has lifted the lid on a managerial update coming out of Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Spurs manager hunt continues…

It has now been over two months since Spurs opted to sack former boss Jose Mourinho, with the quest to appoint his heir still not concluded.

Since the decision in mid-April, Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy have been linked with hiring many big-name managers, including the likes of Julian Nagelsmann and Brendan Rodgers at the beginning of the process.

Talks with Mauricio Pochettino, Antonio Conte, Paulo Fonseca and Gennaro Gattuso have all been leaked in recent weeks but to no conclusion in the hunt for a new coach.

The Latest: Romano lifts lid on Spurs manager update…

Following the collapsed talks with Gattuso, Romano has lifted the lid on a manager update coming out of Spurs.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-2/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Indeed, the Italian says that Spurs are now back in touch with ‘many candidates’ as the search goes on, with a ‘new name’ emerging in the form of ex-Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde.

“Tottenham board back in contact with many candidates after Gattuso talks collapsed,” he explained via Twitter.

“Ernesto Valverde new name approached – not advanced yet.

“Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag always been appreciated, both are in the list – but ‘complicated’.

“Crazy but… race still open.”

The Verdict: Great new candidate…

Valverde has won 10 major honours in total across three different clubs, including three Greek Super League titles and two Greek Cups with Olympiacos. He has also enjoyed successful stints in La Liga, clinching a Spanish Super Cup with Athletic Bilbao before winning the same honour at Barcelona.

That wasn’t the only trophy he won at Camp Nou, either, with the 57-year-old also guiding them to two La Liga titles and one Copa Del Rey during his tenure in Catalonia.

Of the available candidates, it is clear that Valverde is the most decorated out of him, Rangnick and Ten Hag, but the question remains as to how Levy and new managing director Fabio Paratici can draw him to Tottenham after weeks of botched talks with other candidates.

In other news: Spurs will now weigh ‘exciting’ manager who is ‘seen as another Pochettino’…find out more here.

The search for a new manager at Celtic seemingly has a new face in the frame every single day. If only the Bhoys hierarchy could actually find the right man.

Roy Keane emerged as the frontrunner last week but Thierry Henry and Lucien Favre have now both stated their availability.

What’s the word?

Fresh claims from reliable transfer guru Alan Nixon state that there is now a serious contender in the mix to take over at Celtic.

Taking to Twitter this week, The Sun journalist revealed the following information when asked if Eddie Howe to Celtic was a viable option: “He’s a candidate. A serious candidate.”

The former Bournemouth boss has been in the hunt for several months now with rumours first surfacing all the way back in November.

At that point, it was thought Howe had a chance of becoming Neil Lennon’s successor but his name had gone under the radar in the last few weeks.

However, with Keane now less likely to become the new manager at Parkhead, it appears the hierarchy are turning their attentions to Howe once more.

Great news for supporters

If fans could choose between Keane and Howe, there would surely only be one option; the latter.

The news that the Manchester United legend could take charge of Celtic went down like a led balloon with fans according to Hoops podcaster Paul John Dykes and it was recently theorised the news was leaked in order to seek supporter opinion.

Dermot Desmond now has his answer; the masses don’t want him.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-roy-keane-nicky-butt-jesse-marsch-scott-brown” title=”Latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

Therefore, the news that Howe is now a major candidate to take over should be great news. After all, the Englishman has a number of known qualities that could revive the Bhoys.

Howe has achieved plenty in his managerial career to date, taking Bournemouth from League Two to the Premier League in two separate spells as boss.

He is also known as a meticulous thinker on the training ground, someone who takes charge of sessions and demands the very best from his players.

One of Howe’s ex-players, Simon Francis, once noted: “He is meticulous. He does not leave any stone unturned. And he instils that work ethic into the players. Because you know that he is buying into it. Not turning up late, not strolling out onto the training pitch late, he is always the first. You can never question anything he does.”

This is the polar opposite of Lennon, a manager who was rather shockingly still doing elements of Brendan Rodgers’ training.

He’d not only be an upgrade on the Northern Irishman, but he’d also be a much better option than Keane.

AND in other news, Celtic have already sold their Scott Brown heir, Rodgers thought he had “good ability”…

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has revealed he is unaware how many players he will be able to sign this summer, given the funds available to him.

The Lowdown: Saints face difficult summer

It has already been confirmed that the Saints will lose Ryan Bertrand at the end of this campaign (southamptonfc.com), while speculation continues to link Danny Ings with a move away from St. Mary’s Stadium (Sky Sports).

On top of that, Hasenhuttl has previously suggested the south-coast outfit could be unable to sign players for more than £10m this summer.

The Latest: Hasenhuttl makes new admission

Now, speaking prior to the Saints’ match with Fulham, Hasenhuttl revealed he is unaware of how many players he will be able to bring in. He said (via Hampshire Live):

“I am not so sure how many players we can bring in with the money we have, but this is an issue we share with a lot of teams.

“It is not so easy [to judge] after the pandemic.

“We will see how many players will sell and how much money will be around, but it will be an interesting transfer window.”

The Verdict: Many needed

After what has been a mixed season for the Saints – they were top of the Premier League at one point and also reached an FA Cup semi-final before dropping to the bottom half of the table and disappointing in a 1-0 defeat to Leicester at Wembley – Hasenhuttl needs to backed in the transfer market.

Given the pandemic, it will be difficult for Southampton, amongst others, to make new signings this term, but they do need fresh impetus. Matt Crocker and co. must be clever, therefore, as they will need to work with a limited budget to give Hasenhuttl the best possible squad.

In other news, Southampton are interested in this striker.

Nottingham Forest have made a move in an attempt to bring Josh Maja to the City Ground.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Loic Tanzi, with the RMC Sport journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that Dane Murphy has sanctioned a €4.5m (£3.9m) bid for the FC Girondins Bordeaux centre-forward.

In his tweet, Tanzi said: “Nottingham Forest has made an offer of €4.5 million to Bordeaux for Josh Maja. The striker could leave L1 before [Tuesday] evening.”

And, a further report by L’Equipe (via Get French Football News) claimed that the Ligue 1 side have now accepted Forest’s offer, before revealing that Maja will fly out to England today in order to finalise his switch to the Championship club.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how poorly Chris Hughton’s side have started their 2021/22 Championship campaign, as well as how much potential Maja appears to possess, if Murphy can indeed go on to secure the signing of the centre-forward prior to the closure of the summer transfer window on Tuesday evening, his signing would undoubtedly be a major coup for the Reds, one that will undoubtedly have fans of the club buzzing.

Indeed, over Maja’s 15 Premier League appearances – only nine of which came as starts – while on loan at Fulham last season, the £4.5m-rated man scored three goals, as well as taking an average of 1.4 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

These returns saw the player Jermain Defoe dubbed a “rare” talent earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.75, an impressive feat considering he averaged just 54 minutes on the pitch per fixture.

Furthermore, when taking into account just how much Forest’s current options at centre-forward, Lyle Taylor and Lewis Grabban, have struggled so far this season, with the pair scoring just one league goal between them, it would indeed appear as if forward options are an area of the squad in which Hughton could use reinforcements.

As such, should the Forest CEO be able to secure the services of the £14k-per-week youngster by the end of the day, it would undoubtedly provide the 62-year-old manager will a significant boost, and one which could help the club finally kickstart their Championship campaign.

In other news: Forest handed major boost over “impressive” £2.7m-rated dynamo, Murphy will be buzzing