All posts by z3u9t.icu

Manchester United have been linked with a move for Ajax winger Antony recently and the Brazilian could be a huge upgrade on Marcus Rashford in Erik ten Hag’s side next season.

According to  Goal, the Red Devils are ramping up their interest in the 22-year-old and have already held talks with the Eredivisie side ahead of a proposed transfer.

The report has suggested that United would have to pay £51m to prise him away from the Dutch champions, although ten Hag will surely be keen to reunite with the winger after his superb performances helped Ajax to the title in his last season as manager of the club.

Antony contributed 12 goals and eight assists in all competitions, with his performances in the Eredivisie seeing him average a superb 7.47 rating from WhoScored.

This was enough to rank him as the fifth-best performer in ten Hag’s side last season, so it is no surprise that the Dutch manager reportedly wants to bring him to Old Trafford.

Speaking last season, ten Hag said of Antony:

“From a sporting point of view, it is clear that he is an incredible talent. He is going through an incredibly beautiful development.

“Especially if we perform in the Champions League, then it is clear that he will come into the spotlight and be interesting for a lot of clubs.”

If he were to make the switch this summer, he could prove to be a big upgrade on Marcus Rashford next season, after the England international endured arguably the worst campaign of his career.

The 24-year-old would make 25 appearances in the top-flight, contributing just four goals and two assists in that time, with WhoScored awarding him a shocking average rating of 6.35, the worst of any United player to start at least ten games.

Rashford averaged a paltry 0.9 shots and 0.4 key passes per game in the Premier League last season, while Antony averaged 3.4 shots per and 1.9 key passes per game, which emphasises how much he outperformed the Englishman.

Of course, the Premier League is a higher standard than the Eredivisie, but at 22 Antony is already demonstrating excellent attacking returns and is exactly the type of player ten Hag needs if United are to progress next season.

And, in other news… “Man Utd plan is…” – Fabrizio Romano drops big update that supporters will love

West Ham United are now on the brink of completing a deal for Rennes defender Nayef Aguerd, but still face competition from Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Defensive needs

The Hammers are keen to strengthen their central defensive options ahead of a second consecutive season playing European football, having seen their run to the 2021/22 Europa League semi-final disrupted by injuries to Kurt Zouma, Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna.

Irons boss David Moyes is said to view Aguerd as a long-term option to help fill the gaps in his side’s back-line, and the East London club have since identified the Morocco international as a primary target this summer after opening talks over a permanent deal last month.

The Latest: Sheth’s news

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, Sky Sports reporter Sheth shared the latest news concerning Aguerd’s potential move to West Ham. He claimed:

“Rennes central defender Nayef Aguerd has been having first part of medical today. Expected to do second part in London tomorrow ahead of finalising West Ham move. They may have competition, though. Newcastle thought to be interested.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

When compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, Aguerd’s attacking-from-the-back qualities are immense, ranking in the 93rd percentile for assists and in the 90th percentile for passes attempted (via FB Ref).

Perhaps as a result of his forward thinking fit in the modern game, the 26-year-old has been dubbed “the best value left-sided centre back in Europe”.

According to 90min journalist Toby Cudworth, Aguerd is set to become the ‘first major signing’ of what Moyes hopes to be a busy transfer window for the Hammers, and we would only urge GSB to get a move on with Newcastle looking to swoop in.

In other news: Journalist makes ‘offer’ claim involving Dennis

Liverpool have taken another step closer to securing the services of Aberdeen defender Calvin Ramsay, as a fee has been agreed between the two clubs.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Football Insider, who stated that a fee of £4m plus add-ons has been agreed, with a medical set to occur in the next couple of days.

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Liverpool appear to have beaten Leeds United to the signing of the talented right-back, and Jurgen Klopp will expect to announce him as a Reds player within the next few days.

Klopp will be ecstatic

Despite Liverpool enjoying one of their finest seasons in recent memory, winning two trophies and coming so close in the Premier League and Champions League, Klopp is clearly still looking to improve his squad.

The Reds have already made one signing so far for the off-season, with Fabio Carvalho joining from Fulham, and they appear tantalising close to bringing in Benfica striker Darwen Nunez.

Klopp’s diligent recruitment over the previous few seasons has largely been excellent, and he could well work his magic again with the signing of Ramsay.

Although Trent Alexander-Arnold is the undisputed first choice at right-back, there appears to be an opening for a reliable backup in that position. The futures of Joe Gomez and Neco Williams are uncertain ahead of next season, and Ramsay could yet become Alexander-Arnold’s protégé.

Ramsay ranked sixth in the Aberdeen squad with a rating of 6.92 on SofaScore as he played 24 matches in the Scottish Premiership, scoring once and registering four assists. The 18-year-old also made 1.8 key passes per game and was dribbled past only 0.5 times per match, underlining his defensive qualities.

With a higher percentage of shots on target (46.2% to 27.5%) and delivering more crosses this season (154 to 127) than Alexander-Arnold, there is no doubting Ramsay’s attacking abilities, and he could learn a lot from watching the Englishman’s up close next season.

For a fee of around £4m, Klopp looks to be on the brink of securing yet another bargain for Liverpool.

AND in other news, Terms agreed: FSG are now “close” to making LFC’s first summer signing, Klopp will be delighted

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s pursuit of Nathan Ake heading into the upcoming summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to talkSPORT, the Netherlands international is one of the centre-backs on the Tyneside club’s radar as Dan Ashworth plots his first deals as the Magpies’ new sporting director.

The report claims that the 27-year-old has been told that he is free to leave Manchester City ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, although it remains to be seen whether it will be on a loan or permanent basis.

Eddie Howe needs him badly

A deal for the defender will surely delight Toon manager Eddie Howe, as he badly needs Ake at St James’ Park heading into next season.

The Dutchman is a progressive defender who can help the Magpies to evolve their style into a dominant, possession-based system.

As per FBRef, Ake ranks in the 93rd percentile or higher for progressive carries, passes attempted, pass success rate, non-penalty expected goals + expected assists and non-penalty goals per 90 in his position across Europe’s top five leagues in the last 365 days.

Meanwhile, Dan Burn does not rank higher than the 58th percentile in any of those statistics and Fabian Schar ranks in the 45th percentile or lower in carries, passes completed and pass success rate. Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles sits in 54th percentile or lower in all of the aforementioned categories.

This suggests that Ake can be the centre-back that Howe needs in order to deploy a possession-based style of play, as the Dutchman has the ability on the ball to progress attacks out from the back.

The Citizens’ director of football Txiki Begiristain previously praised the 27-year-old, saying: “Nathan is a quality defender. He was a leader during his time at Bournemouth, and I am so pleased we’ve managed to bring him here. He’s strong and quick, and we feel he has the technical and intellectual attributes needed to excel in Pep’s setup.”

He has also been dubbed “underrated” by his fellow countryman and Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk, with these comments highlighting how much he is valued within the footballing community.

Signed from Bournemouth for £41m, Ake has played in nine Premier League seasons by the age of 27 and averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.08 in the 2021/22 campaign for Man City. He won 66% of his duels, including a whopping 73% in the air, as he showcased his ability to defend strongly as well as progress the ball.

Ashworth must now get a deal for the defender over the line, as Ake could be a vital cog in Howe’s system at Newcastle next season.

AND in other news, “I’m told..”: Journo drops “exciting” NUFC transfer claim that supporters will love…

Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah’s confirmation that he will be a Reds player next season is ‘huge’ news for the club, according to journalist David Maddock.

The Lowdown: Salah speaks out

The future of the 29-year-old is one of the main talking points among Kopites at the moment, with no new deal signed with the Reds as things stand.

Salah’s current Liverpool contract expires at the end of next season, at which point he could leave for free, but on Wednesday he publicly stated that he would be at Anfield in 2022/23.

That means he won’t be leaving this summer, which will come as a huge relief to many Reds fans, although it remains to be seen whether or not he will extend his stay beyond the end of his current contract.

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The Latest: Maddock reacts to Salah news

Taking to Twitter, Maddock claimed that this is a massive moment for Liverpool, believing that it hints at Salah possibly signing a new deal over the next 12 months..

Sharing a corresponding report for The Mirror, the journalist stated: “Real bombshell this from Salah – no one expecting him to confirm he’s staying next season. Could be a clever move, as it surely strengthens his hand in contract talks…and suggests he believes deal will be struck. FAR MORE details here…on what could be huge moment for #LFC.”

The Verdict: Strong bargaining position

As Maddock has claimed, this could put Salah in a strong position in terms of negotiating a new deal, making it very clear that he could leave for free instead of for big money this summer.

There are clearly a few stumbling blocks regarding the contract being sorted but the hope is that all parties will eventually agree and that the Egyptian will sign for another few years.

He is already an undisputed Liverpool legend, but if he stays put for another four or five years and continues his extraordinary brilliance, he could end up rivalling the likes of Sir Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard as the club’s greatest-ever player, having already scored 156 goals in 253 Reds appearances.

Therefore, it’s no wonder that Maddock has dubbed this a potentially “huge” development for the Merseyside club.

In other news, a pundit has made a key claim over another Liverpool star’s future. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their Premier League clash against Norwich City on Sunday afternoon.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, Alasdair Gold relayed the comments of Antonio Conte concerning the fitness of Harry Kane, in which the 52-year-old Spurs manager confirmed that the England international will be available for selection for the final day trip to Carrow Road, despite earlier reports suggesting that the centre-forward had been taken ill with food poisoning.

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In his tweet, the football.london journalist said: “Antonio Conte on whether Harry Kane will be fit for Sunday: ‘Yes for sure, and because in the last game we had Deki Kulusevski and he didn’t train on Saturday but was good to play. Harry doesn’t want to miss this type of game’.”

Conte will be buzzing

Considering just how important the Norwich fixture is in Tottenham’s bid to seal a top-four finish in the league, coupled with how important Kane has been for Spurs this season, the news that the 28-year-old will be fit to feature against the Canaries is sure to have left Conte buzzing.

Indeed, over his 36 Premier League appearances in the current campaign, the £90m-rated centre-forward has been in breathtaking form, scoring 16 goals, providing eight assists and creating 18 big chances for his team-mates, along with taking 3.5 shots, making 1.4 key passes and completing 1.4 dribbles per game.

These metrics have seen the £200k-per-week striker average a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.34, not only ranking him as Tottenham’s second-best performer in the league but also as the joint eighth-best player in the division as a whole.

As such, the England captain’s availability will undoubtedly come as a huge boost to Spurs’ chances of leaving Norfolk with all three points on Sunday, a result which would subsequently see Conte’s side qualify for the Champions League in 2022/23 – a prospect which will certainly delight everyone involved with the north London club.

AND in other news: Spurs now “tracking” £17m “incredible” talent, he’d be “one of the leaders” for Conte

An update has emerged on Rangers and Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s pursuit of a goalkeeper to bring to Ibrox in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to Glasgow Times, Rangers have identified a player to potentially replace Allan McGregor for the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that the Gers want to bring in Bosnian shot-stopper Vladan Kovacevic, with the current Light Blues number one ‘certain’ to retire with his contract expiring this summer. 

Polish outfit Rakow are said to be willing to cash in on Kovacevic in the coming months, and it is stated that Champions League football may be a draw for the goalkeeper.

Gio van Bronckhorst needs him badly

Van Bronckhorst will be delighted with this news, as he badly needs a new number one heading into next season.

If McGregor decides to hang up the gloves, that would leave 35-year-old Jon McLaughlin as the only senior option in that position next term. The ex-Burton Albion man only played eight times in the Premiership and once in the Europa League and seems best suited to playing a backup role.

Promoting a 35-year-old to being the number one would be short-term thinking and would suggest that the club are not building a squad to develop over time. This is why bringing in a younger goalkeeper to come in and compete with McLaughlin is crucial for Rangers.

Kovacevic (24) fits into this mould, and his statistics in the 2021/22 season suggest that he would be an excellent addition to Van Bronckhorst’s team. The Bosnian recently won the award for being the best goalkeeper in the Ekstraklasa as he enjoyed a fine campaign in Poland.

In the Polish top flight, the 6ft 3 colossus kept 11 clean sheets in 27 matches and averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.93 as he made just one error leading to goal. He proved that he can deliver impressive performances on a consistent basis and was rewarded for his efforts by being named as the best in his position in his domestic league.

At the age of 24, he is a full 16 years younger than McGregor and can be the Rangers number one for many years to come if he moves to Glasgow and is able to adapt to Scottish football. This means that signing him could result in Van Bronckhorst not having to worry about the number one position for several years, which is why this is a much-needed prospective signing for the club.

AND in other news, Rangers can finally replace Defoe in deal for lethal 29 G/A gem who “never gives up”…

Everton had the opportunity to secure Premier League survival in their game at Goodison Park this evening and instead of taking their opportunity chaos ensued on Merseyside instead.

There is no doubt that Frank Lampard will be absolutely livid with his team after a disappointing and self-destructive performance that cost them crucial points in one of their final games of the season, and now they only have two chances to escape their first-ever relegation from the Premier League.

The first half got off to a promising start with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring his first goal for Everton since August 2021. It wasn’t the most glamorous goal the striker has scored as he chested it into the back of the net but he will claim it after a long-running goal drought.

Unfortunately, Everton were unable to hold onto their lead when the first mistake from the Toffees was made by Seamus Coleman who headed the ball into the back of the net in a mistimed attempted block that saw the captain head the ball into the back of the net to give Brentford their equaliser.

The hosts were handed a lifeline when Richarlison was taken down by Sorensen in the box and the foul led to a penalty that the Brazilian comfortably converted to put his team back in front ahead of halftime.

Everton at the halfway point were in a position to secure safety if they could just hold onto their lead for another 45 minutes. Despite going down to ten men after Jarrad Branthwaite was sent off in the 18th minute of the game the Toffees showed resilience against Thomas Frank’s side even a man down.

In the second half, the chaos continued but not in the home team’s favour as the side went into freefall with Brentford finding the back of the net twice and another player in blue was sent off the pitch with Salomon Rondon only lasting four minutes on the pitch after being substituted on for Coleman.

On the subject of the Irish defender, he completely let his manager down with a shocking performance that has made a direct impact on the team’s missed opportunity to win safety in the league, something you would not expect from a player who is captaining his side.

According to SofaScore, the defender only made a measly 13-passes during the contest. He wasn’t just lapse in possession of the ball, however.

The full-back lost 100% of his defensive duels and made no interceptions or tackles. He also made no attempts to dribble and no blocks over the course of his awful 84-minute performance before Lampard finally called Coleman back to the bench.

Luckily for the Everton manager, the fight against relegation is still in their hands after Leeds United took a draw and Burnley lost this afternoon meaning they still have a two-point cushion above the bottom three.

Lampard will be hoping they can complete their survival mission when they host Crystal Palace at Goodison Park on Thursday in their final home game of the season.

AND in other news: Huge boost: Lampard drops Everton transfer update that’ll delight supporters

Liverpool must seal a move for Benfica striker Henrique Araújo this summer, as he could be manager Jurgen Klopp’s next Diogo Jota.

According to a recent report from Mexican outlet Mundo Deportivo, the Reds are interested in signing the player but face competition from Premier League rivals Manchester City and Spanish giants FC Barcelona.

The 20-year old has produced some impressive performances in Benfica’s youth set-up this season and as a result, has admirers across Europe. He has appeared 34 times this season scoring 17 goals including one for the senior team.

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It includes an impressive hat-trick in Benfica’s victory over RB Leipzig in the UEFA Youth League final, which were his first goals in the competition. With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that he’s been described as a “poacher” by scout Jacek Kulig, who also hailed his finishing, instinct and movement.

Despite the interest he has received from abroad, Benfica are reluctant to let him go. At such a young age he could have more of an impact on the team and eventually fetch a higher fee if he stays longer. He’s contracted until 2024 so it would take a big offer to get hold of him now.

He is represented by super-agent Jorge Mendes which may be one of the reasons he has been linked to some of Europe’s biggest sides. Liverpool are no stranger to dealing with Mendes, having negotiated a £41m move for Diogo Jota, who is also represented by him, back in 2020.

They could repeat this move by signing Araújo who could learn from his compatriot and work with one of the best managers in the world in Klopp who could transform him into a world star.

Liverpool also require a replacement for Divock Origi who is likely to leave when his contract expires in the summer.

The Reds seem to have an advantage over their rivals when it comes to signing him, Barcelona are ‘not in the mood’ to make a big investment, and it’s likely any move for the Portuguese U21 international would require that.

Man City also have their sights set elsewhere after they have reportedly agreed terms with Erling Haaland. With others distracted it may be the perfect opportunity for Liverpool to swoop in and secure the deal. Whilst they might have to pay more, they will face stronger competition in the future.

IN other news: Liverpool plot bid to sign “unplayable” £31.5m-rated gem, he could be another Diaz…

Aston Villa are lining up a bid for Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill as Steven Gerrard continues his rebuilding job at the Midlands club ahead of next season.

What’s the word?

That’s according to 90min, who reported that Villa are interested in signing the Clarets ace to bolster their squad.

However, they could face competition from Premier League rivals West Ham, who are seemingly the frontrunners for the midfielder due to a long-standing interest.

It could cost up to £15m to sign the 26-year-old, which could be a bargain for Villa when considering Brownhill’s performances this season.

Brownhill could be a replacement for Sanson

With Football Insider revealing last month that Villa had set their price for Morgan Sanson amid interest from Marseille, Brownhill could be a more than suitable replacement for the Frenchman, who will likely depart the Midlands this summer.

Burnley team-mate Jack Cork dubbed the 26-year-old “brilliant” following their recent victory against Watford, and there seems little doubt that Brownhill would improve and stabilise the Villa midfield.

His tackling average of 2.1 per game would put him third in the Villa squad, while attacking-wise he would be joint third for assists with three so far this season, proving he is competent at both ends of the pitch.

Given the inflated fees being thrown about for players on the continent, Gerrard could grab a bargain with Brownhill, and as a player with prior Premier League experience, he could quickly become a vital cog in the Villa midfield rather than needing time to settle into the division.

With Johan Lange set to back the manager with the necessary funds in order to bring success to Villa Park, there is no excuse for a poor start to next season. Therefore, the club must do all they can to try and lure the Burnley ace to the Midlands, and if it means cutting Sanson loose once and for all, so be it.

AND in other news, Villa eyeing £16k-p/w ace who “gives absolutely everything”, he’s better than Mings