All posts by z3u9t.icu

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.

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“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”…

West Ham remain interested in Jesse Lingard and a reunion in January is becoming increasingly likely…

What’s the word?

The 28-year-old maestro returned to parent club Manchester United in the summer to try and fight for his place under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following a successful loan stint in east London.

However, despite the club’s struggles on the pitch, Lingard has still not been utilised to good effect and with his contract up at the end of the season, his future may lie elsewhere.

That could be back at the London Stadium after Irons insider ExWHUemployee delivered an exciting claim to his ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast this week.

He said:

“Talking of players in January, Lingard is still very much on the radar and his brother is making it very, very clear about his frustrations at Manchester United and then reacting positively to West Ham’s results so if you read between the lines, there is a strong case to say that Lingard could be coming back in January.”

Second time’s a charm

The Hammers’ attempts to try and keep hold of the English loan sensation was certainly no secret with both manager David Moyes and his assistant Stuart Pearce making their interest abundantly clear in the press.

“We would like him to come and join us. That has been an open secret. He was wonderful last year,” the latter told talkSPORT.

Evidently, they failed in their attempts to sign him permanently but it seems like another opportunity could arise this winter and that is a huge boost for the club.

Lingard delivered nine goals and five assists in just 16 appearances to help fire West Ham into the Europa League. Only Tomas Soucek (7.36) recorded a better average WhoScored rating than the United star (7.22) last season. That’s how crucial he was to the side.

Of course, with the Irons sat in third position, you could argue that he has not been missed whatsoever but his presence could cement their foothold inside the top four, especially as his supposed replacement Nikola Vlasic is yet to get up to speed since arriving in the summer.

Not only can he play anywhere in attacking midfield – on both flanks and in the hole – but he can also provide back-up to Michail Antonio as a false nine, as we witnessed at times last season. Such versatility is an attractive prospect with a hectic fixture list ahead.

Some reports suggest Man Utd would be open to selling Lingard in January for just £15m, which is a little under half of what they were quoted in the summer, so it could present quite a bit of value to West Ham.

Much of the Hammers faithful were just as desperate as Moyes and Pearce to see him return to the London Stadium in the summer, so they will surely be ecstatic by this latest development from Ex.

It remains to be seen if a deal can be struck but it’s certainly more encouraging now than several months ago.

AND in other news, West Ham have struck gold with “important” 21 y/o gem who’s “got everything”…

Newcastle United are plotting a move to bring Donny van de Beek to St. James’ Park in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication Marca, who claim that the Magpies’ have included the Manchester United attacking midfielder on their shortlist of transfer targets ahead of the upcoming winter market.

The report goes on to state that the 24-year-old has instructed his agent to secure him a move away from Old Trafford in January, and, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side would likely command a similar fee to the €40m (£34m) they paid for the midfielder in 2020, Marca suggest that Newcastle could be one of the few clubs able to meet United’s asking price for the Netherlands international.

Howe must move

Considering just how much talent Van de Beek quite clearly possesses, something that is currently being rather criminally wasted by Manchester United, should Newcastle indeed have an opportunity to sign the midfielder this winter, it would appear highly advisable for Eddie Howe to do all he can to secure a deal for the Dutchman.

Despite the 24-year-old being awarded just one start by Solskjaer this season, Van de Beek has nevertheless proven in previous campaigns that he would make a fantastic addition to Howe’s options in the middle of the pitch at St. James’ Park.

Indeed, over his 23 Eredivisie appearances during his final season at Ajax in 2019/20, the £22.5m-rated man scored eight goals, registered five assists and created six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots and making 1.8 key passes per game.

These returns saw the player who Owen Hargreaves dubbed a “perfect” midfielder earn a seasonal SofaScore rating of 7.32, ranking him as the joint 12th-best performer in the top flight of Dutch football.

And, while a move for such a talented player by a side who are occupying 19th place in the Premier League standings would usually seem rather unrealistic, considering Van de Beek’s well-documented issues at United, the 24-year-old would more than likely jump at the chance to play in front of an adoring St. James’ Park crowd on a regular basis.

As such, with Newcastle being a team who are heavily reliant on the goals of Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin – with the duo having scored 50% of the Magpies’ Premier League goals this season – coupled with the Dutchman’s desire to secure a move away from United, the signing of the forward-thinking £120k-per-week midfielder would make a great deal of sense for the Magpies.

In other news: Forget Shelvey: Howe must seal NUFC swoop for £27m-rated gem who “nobody plays like”

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.”

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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”

Sunderland are building momentum at just the right time. Their 2-0 win over Portsmouth on Tuesday night took them to within five points of top spot in League One.

It’s hard not to get ahead of ourselves at the moment but it feels as though this could finally be the campaign where the Mackems get promoted.

They have won seven of their last eight games and now even have a Papa John’s Trophy final to look forward to. This has been nothing short of an exceptional turnaround from where they were under Phil Parkinson.

Lee Johnson has turned his team into a force to be reckoned with and not even a plethora of injuries can halt their progress. Grant Leadbitter’s dislocated shoulder has meant that Carl Winchester has now started three games in a row in the middle of the park.

The midfielder was a rather understated signing from Forest Green in January but he’s now beginning to prove his worth to the Black Cats. Against Pompey in front of the television cameras on Tuesday, he was nothing short of phenomenal.

It’s taken a while to see the best of Winchester in red and white but he has now well and truly come to the party.

Speaking at full-time, Johnson said: “Carl is going to be that kind of slow burner in terms of appreciation, but over 100 touches, 1,000 touches, you will see the quality he has got, the calmness and the composure.”

He added: “This is a big club and Winch hasn’t played at a club this size. The more we can encourage and support him, I think we will start to see more really good performances like tonight.”

Moving clubs in January is always tough and Winchester found life difficult initially. He started among the subs for a number of weeks before finally getting his chance.

He has taken it in his stride and has formed an eye-catching partnership with Josh Scowen. The duo were both incredibly influential in midweek, winning a combined 12 defensive duels.

Though, it was Winchester who arguably stood out more. The midfielder completed 100% of his take-ons and was assured with his passing, demonstrating enormous composure.

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He completed 82% of his passes and was particularly strong in the tackle. No one won more than his four ground duels throughout the entire match, a statistic that tells you just how good he was at Fratton Park.

This feels like a landmark moment for Winchester. He dominated one of the strongest sides in the division and did so with relative ease.

Johnson will surely be buzzing with his performance. After all, the Sunderland boss has rated him highly ever since they were together at Oldham in 2014.

They seem well suited to each other and it wouldn’t be a surprise if we see even greater displays from the Northern Irishman between now and the end of the season.

AND in other news, Move over Sanderson: “Outstanding” SAFC gem who won 9 aerial duels merits more praise…

Former Premier League defender Danny Mills believes that Celtic defender Jack Hendry could work his way into the new manager’s plans for next season.

Hendry’s possible return

The 25-year-old is currently on loan at Belgian Jupiler League outfit Oostende for the second season running after being edged out of the Hoops’ starting XI following a serious knee injury which saw him sidelined for a significant amount of time.

Hendry found himself heavily scrutinised by many of the Parkhead faithful during his time in Glasgow and told the BBC that he is open to any opportunity for the 2021/22 campaign, saying: “I’m open to anything that comes my way.

“It’s vital that wherever I choose next season, I need to play every week to continue my development. If Celtic want to keep me, that’s something they would need to make a decision on.”

However, after Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Dundee United confirmed Rangers as this season’s champions, Celtic can now turn their focus to what will be the most important summer in recent years.

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills believes that Hendry could play a key role for Celtic if allowed to stay at Parkhead next season. The former England defender said:

“There’s always a chance when a new manager comes in. New brush, sweeps clean and all that. Everybody’s got a fresh start and a new chance. There’s always an opportunity.

“I would always say to players coming back use the summer very wisely. The first thing a new manager is going to look at is attitude, the second thing he’s going to look at is fitness.

“If you come back in pre-season in fantastic shape and you’ve got a great attitude that doesn’t half go a long way to making a huge impressing on a new manager.

“Any player that wants to have a chance and do anything like that, that would be my recommendation. Get yourselves in great shape because first impressions make a huge difference.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

This might not be the news that many disparaging Celtic supporters will want to hear if this turns out to be the case, with the much-maligned Hendry often overlooked for even a substitute’s place over the last couple of years when he has been at the club.

We don’t expect any decisions to be made regarding the new manager until Dominic McKay takes his seat in his new position as chief executive, but Mills raises a good point that all players deserve to be considered fairly regardless of what has gone on before.

Time will tell whether Hendry’s future lies at Celtic or elsewhere.

In other news, ‘Players will become better’ – Pundit urges Celtic to secure ‘incredible’ manager target.

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.

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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!

Phil Foden has been much more of a regular in Pep Guardiola’s side so far this season but it seems as if the academy graduate feels as if he should be starting a lot more games in the Premier League for the Citizens.

According to a report in The Telegraph, the England international is growing increasingly frustrated with his playing time at Manchester City, which will be a worry for the Citizens considering Real Madrid have recently been linked with a move for the creative midfielder.

Following David Silva’s departure in the summer, Foden was perhaps expecting a lot more game time in Guardiola’s side this season but has been limited to just five starts in the Premier League.

Whilst he is well on track to surpass the 12 starts he made in the top-flight and Champions League last season, the youngster clearly feels that he warrants more game time in the Premier League.

Considering he featured in all six of City’s Champions League group stage matches and averaged a superb 7.22 rating for his performances, it seems baffling that the Spanish manager is so reluctant to start him in the Premier League, as he now hasn’t started consecutive top-flight games since October.

The 20-year-old is destined for a huge future with Manchester City, with Guardiola having described him as the most talented player he’s ever worked with, despite working with the likes of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Robert Lewandowski in his career.

The Spanish manager discussed the youngster recently, saying:

“He has incredible energy for a guy of 20-years-old but [in] still the final decision, the final pass, he has to slow down a little bit.”

Therefore, it seems clear that whilst Foden believes he is ready to be one of the first names on the teamsheet in Guardiola’s side, the former Barcelona boss still feels that he needs to fine-tune his ability.

Of course, Foden has a lot of competition in the attacking-midfield spot, as he is up against one of the world’s best in Kevin De Bruyne but Guardiola must eventually find a way to fit both players into his starting team on a regular basis, otherwise, he risks losing Foden’s generational talent.

And in other news… City can afford to axe “world-class” beast following worrying admission; Pep doesn’t need him

Former West Ham striker Brian Deane has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that £40m is a cheap price for Issa Diop.

According to Claret and Hugh, West Ham are not looking to sell Diop this summer. However, should a £40m bid come in for the 24-year-old central defender, the Hammers could reconsider their stance.

Having been on the fringes earlier this season, Diop has become a mainstay in West Ham’s defence, so he is a player that David Moyes will probably be wanting to keep hold of going into the 2021/22 campaign.

At that reported £40m valuation, though, Deane believes that could be tricky. Speaking exclusively to FFC on the subject, the retired Premier League footballer said:

“It’s cheap money. So if I was a club, I’d be looking to snap him up, personally. But it just depends on what West Ham want to do. If they’re saying that ‘we don’t want him to leave but it will cost £40m’ then that’s not really saying [he’s not for sale].

“So I don’t know the dynamics of what’s going on, but he’s well within reach of a lot of teams at that money.”

Manchester United have been credited with an interest in the player before, so if David Gold and David Sullivan do decide to sell for £40m, perhaps the Red Devils will make a move given that they are a club that could easily pay that fee.

A number of Liverpool fans have been remembering the incredible 4-0 win over Barcelona two years ago, in what is surely Anfield’s greatest night.

The Reds’ world-famous stadium has hosted some special games throughout history, from the Saint-Etienne match in 1977 to the Champions League victory over Chelsea in 2005.

The 90 minutes that took place against Barca on May 7th, 2019 surely tops the pile, however, on an evening that will never be forgotten.

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Trailing 3-0 from the Champions League semi-final first leg, Jurgen Klopp’s men produced a stunning comeback, doing it without injured pair Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

The eventual 4-0 victory seemed scarcely believable before kickoff and it sent Liverpool through to the final, with the Reds beating Tottenham 2-0 in Madrid.

Due to it being the anniversary of the Barca game, footage has understandably been shared left, right and centre, with The Anfield Wrap posting a video on Twitter.

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Liverpool fans laud footage of Barca win

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on an incredible night on Merseyside.

“Spine-tingling. What a night. Insane”

Credit: @andcouldheplay

“Doesn’t get much better than this, what a night”

Credit: @AdamGola8

“Goosebumps every time I see this, truly magnificent”

Credit: @paulmcmasterLFC

“The greatest”

Credit: @SiPugs

“Goosebumps”

Credit: @RedRic20

“Reasons why we love football! Y. N. W. A”

Credit: @vickyfirmino

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to a key update regarding Ibrahima Konate. Read more here.