All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds United are reportedly showing an interest in Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma, sending scouts to watch him in action earlier this week.

The Lowdown: Danjuma impresses against Man United

Danjuma played in his side’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the Champions League on Wednesday night, as they lost in the dying seconds at Old Trafford.

Despite the result, the wide man caught the eye for Villarreal, injecting pace and directness as well as providing an assist for Paco Alcacer.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Leeds eye up winger

According to Football Insider, Leeds had scouts present at the game, in order to keep an eye on Danjuma’s performance.

A Whites source has claimed that they are ‘monitoring’ the former Bournemouth man, ahead of a potential move for him in the future.

Liverpool are also believed to be keen on signing the 24-year-old, who has scored three times already this season.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-18/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Shrewd potential signing

Danjuma could be an excellent buy for Leeds, providing more squad depth and potentially coming in to replace Helder Costa in the long-term, with the Portuguese on loan at Valencia currently.

He scored 17 goals in 31 starts for Bournemouth last season, which shows how prolific he can be, and at 24, his peak years should still be ahead of him.

His youth, pace with the ball and end product suggest he could be the perfect man to come in and compete with the likes of Raphinha, Dan James and Jack Harrison.

In other news, a pundit has claimed Leeds United would accept a big-money offer for one player. Read more here.

Patrick Vieira has a very important game coming up this weekend at Selhurst Park against Everton, where the Eagles could really do with taking all three points after losing their last three games.

The south Londoners currently sit 14th in the Premier League table, just six points clear of the relegation zone. Whilst not appearing to be in immediate danger of the drop currently, it would be reassuring for Vieira if his team could pick up a few more points to go into the New Year full of confidence.

One player who will be hoping to come in and make a positive impact on the team this weekend is Will Hughes. The next game against Everton could be the perfect opportunity to refresh the side and offer starts to players who haven’t had much chance to make an impact. Especially during the current losing streak, making some changes could inject a new lease of life into Vieira’s side on Sunday.

Hughes was signed this summer, completing a move from Watford to Palace in a three-year deal believed to be between £6m and £10m, but he has failed to get much game-time so far with only one appearance in the Premier League this term.

The £6.3m-rated gem sustained a minor back injury in early November and also competes with James McArthur for a spot in the team. However, the Scot has picked up a hamstring injury, so Vieira will need to shuffle the pack and could give Hughes a rare start this weekend.

Vieira has been full of praise for the 26-year-old upon his arrival to the club, saying: “He’s a player that we know quite well. He’s really comfortable on the ball. He’s a really good link with the play going forward. I’m really glad and really pleased to have him in the squad.”

Unfortunately for Palace, if they lose to Everton they could fall as far as 16th, should Southampton and Leeds take at least a point from their games this weekend, and this is a position that Vieira will be hoping to avoid, especially with the advantage of being at home.

Hughes could offer a fresh impetus to the midfield for the Eagles this weekend, and if picked he would have a point to prove to his manager as he seeks to gain a more regular spot in the team.

In other news: Vieira must axe this Palace player in January

Last summer’s transfer window was a particularly busy one for Southampton, who brought in the likes of Valentino Livramento, Lyanco, Romain Perraud and Adam Armstrong on permanent deals.

Armando Broja also came to St Mary’s over the summer on a loan move from Chelsea until the end of the season.

Even though the 20-year-old is currently expected to rejoin the west London club when his deal at Southampton expires, it seems as though there could be a possible change of plans in that regard.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post from Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas, Southampton are “aware of interest building” in Broja from other clubs and want to sign him on a permanent basis from Chelsea.

Since arriving at St Mary’s, the Albanian has scored seven goals in 19 appearances across all competitions so far this season, showing how much of a capable and useful attacking outlet he has been for Ralph Hasenhuttl despite not getting much senior action at Stamford Bridge.

With his goalscoring efforts in mind, it’s easy to see why Southampton would want to have him on a permanent basis rather than give him back to Chelsea at the end of the season.

In terms of the 20-year-old’s future, with the Blues having the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner in their squad who can or predominantly play at centre-forward, it would be hard to see Broja getting as much game-time at Stamford Bridge next season as he has been at Southampton.

This could persuade the player to stay with the south coast club on a permanent basis rather than potentially wasting his time at Chelsea if he isn’t going to be guaranteed regular game-time under Thomas Tuchel.

Moving forward, either this month or in the summer transfer window, Southampton should definitely approach the west Londoners to see whether or not they would be willing to negotiate a suitable deal whoch would see Broja become a permanent Saints player and continue his career there. That would surely please Hasenhuttl and a lot of Southampton fans, especially if the Albanian can continue finding the net with regularity.

In other news – Imagine him & Ward-Prowse: Solak could form scary Saints duo with “dynamic” £18m-rated beast

Speaking live on Thursday during Sky Sports’ The Transfer Show, as transcribed by West Ham Zone, Kaveh Solhekol has made a claim involving the Irons and Sevilla defender Diego Carlos.

The Lowdown: West Ham in defender hunt?

Despite summer signing Kurt Zouma edging closer to a return from injury, manager David Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman have still been tipped to potentially sign a centre-back this month.

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

At one point, it was seen as more of a major priority for the Irons due to Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna’s absences from the squad with names like Burnley’s James Tarkowski and Liverpool Nathaniel Phillips repeatedly linked.

As the January 31 deadline looms, West Ham’s search for a major mid-season signing goes on, with Solhekol now sharing what he knows after speculation arose that the Hammers may be the unnamed London side to match Newcastle United’s bid for Carlos.

The Latest: Solhekol makes live TV claim…

Making on air claim involving West Ham and the 28-year-old, Sky’s reporter has moved quickly to quash any rumours that Moyes’ men are the mystery club.

“I know for a fact it’s not West Ham United,” he said (via WHZ).

“That leaves Chelsea, Spurs, Crystal Palace and I’m not sure Crystal Palace are looking to sign a centre-back or spend £30million on a centre-back.”

The Verdict: No surprise…

The colossal Brazilian, if West Ham had tabled the bid, would arguably excite fans going by his reputation – but the player’s price tag could represent too much of a hurdle for GSB.

Lauded as a ‘beast’ and ‘revelation’ by Spanish football analyst Domagoj Kostanjšak, Carlos has averaged an impressive 3.6 clearances per 90 over his 20 Spanish top flight starts this campaign (WhoScored).

By comparison to West Ham’s current crop, only Zouma has managed more in that time (5.2) – perhaps indicating he would have been an complimentary partner in Moyes’ central defence.

Alas, with the Irons not in contention after all, it appears the Scotsman may have his sights set on other defensive targets, and perhaps ones with a cheaper price tag.

In other news: ExWHUemployee: West Ham agreement to sign ‘world class’ £17.10m striker ‘there to be done’, find out more here.

Filip Helander was far from his very best in Lisbon on Thursday night after Glasgow Rangers shipped two late goals to draw with 10-man Benfica in the Europa League.

After a terrible start, where Helander failed to clear his lines for Benfica’s first goal, things took a turn for the worse when he slipped again to allow Rafa Silva to score before Darwin Nunez scored an injury-time equaliser to snatch a point for the Portuguese giants.

Speaking after the game, Steven Gerrard admitted Rangers only have “ourselves to blame” after Nunez netted in stoppage time.

“That will certainly sting for a while,” he said.

“But once the dust settles I’m sure it will be a valuable point.

“We’ve got ourselves to blame. We started the game really poor for the opening minute and deserved to be one behind. We also finished the game poorly, so we certainly have a lot to learn from the goals we conceded.”

There were a couple of culprits for the poor performance, as Joe Aribo also struggled at times, although arguably none more so than the 11-cap Sweden international, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights throughout the game.

Per SofaScore, Helander received a lowly rating of 6.2 for his disappointing display – he only won two out of seven duels overall (25%), lost possession six times, and was dribbled past three times, which shows that he was often exposed at the back.

Similarly, GlasgowLive gave the centre-back a low grade of 5/10, claiming he is “normally so dependable but shocking mistake inside the first minute got Rangers off to the worst possible start”, before he “made another error to allow Benfica back into the match for their second goal, and ball was played between himself and Goldson for the third”, whilst The Daily Record gave him an equally scathing assessment, saying that he “held his hand to the early blunder that saw his team fall behind and another led to Benfica’s second goal which gave the hosts hope of a comeback.”

BT Sport pundit and former Celtic striker Chris Sutton slammed the Swede for his “terrible” defending, saying, as quoted by The Boot Room: “He [Helander] had a terrible game. He got caught out. It’ll feel like it is two points dropped.”

Quite why Helander, who earns wages worth £9,300-per-week, played the full 90 minutes we will probably never understand, especially when you consider the fact that Leon Balogun remained an unused substitute on the bench. Admittedly, hindsight is a wonderful thing. He has been in decent form recently for club and country but will want to forget all about his latest blunders, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, No better than Arfield: Glasgow Rangers must resist urge to sign Sampdoria midfielder Jakub Jankto…

Everton failed in their quest for points today, as West Ham United got the better of them in a 2-1 affair that saw a Michael Keane red card as a result of two yellows.

The loss means that Lampard’s side have taken just three points from a possible 15, with their form potentially leaving them relegation-bound if they continue down this path.

The loss leaves them in 17th place and, although they are just three points away from the relegation zone, they do at least have two games in hand on Watford and Norwich respectively.

It is worth noting that whilst the Toffees find themselves four points above 19th place Burnley, the Clarets also have two games in hand on relegation rivals Watford and Norwich and could close the gap between themselves and Everton to just one point with a win when the two sides meet in three days time.

The next game against Burnley is crucial for Lampard’s men, and with the performance that he saw today, he will be no doubt be worried over the Toffees’ chances of ensuring their Premier League status, come next season.

Calvert-Lewin’s lacklustre display

Whilst it seemed like an odd decision from Lampard to bring off a player who has proven himself as an out-and-out goalscorer throughout the season prior, he had valid reason to do so.

Although he was replaced by Anthony Gordon with 22 minutes to go, Dominic Calvert-Lewin had plenty of time to assert his authority on the game.

But unfortunately for Lampard, he failed to repay his faith in starting him.

With just 23 touches, he failed to get into the game to the extent that both goalkeepers, Lukasz Fabianski and Jordan Pickford, alarmingly each had more touches than the 25-year-old.

Calvert-Lewin came close as he hit the woodwork, though it is worth noting that the shot had an xG total of 0.09 due to the crowded position that the Englishman struck it from.

Although they were in and around the same position, Richarlison had a much more positive impact on the game and registered 56 touches and 24 passes, as opposed to Calvert-Lewin’s measly 11 passes.

With Calvert-Lewin failing to score in yet another game, it means he is still yet to grab a goal in 2022.

Another disappointing display from Lampard’s Everton side, with the £72k-per-week forward offering very little.

In other news – Lamps can finally axe £30m “liability” as Everton plot bid for colossal 6ft6 ”monster”

David Moyes should urge David Sullivan to sign Seny Dieng this summer, despite Queens Park Rangers boss Mark Warburton questioning West Ham United’s rumoured interest.

What’s the word?

Via quotes by West London Sport, Rs boss Warburton has dismissed recent speculation linking the Hammers with a potential swoop for Dieng’s services this upcoming off-season.

Reports by The Sun over the weekend had claimed that the Irons are keen to raid the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium for the 26-year-old to land added competition for Lukasz Fabianski.

Dieng has earned a wealth of admirers with his efforts in the Championship this term after finally making his debut in September and going on to keep 10 clean sheets in 37 league fixtures to date.

The 6 ft 4 shot-stopper’s efforts have put Arsenal, Leeds United and Crystal Palace on alert, with a view to potential changes between the sticks at all three Premier League clubs.

West Ham are now the latest side touted as a potential destination and it was thought that the Irons would have to pay £6m due to Dieng being under contract through to 2024, but Warburton has suggested it would take a much higher offer to tempt his side into selling.

“If you wanted to do something, would you go and put it in the papers? Where does this come from? Where do these figures come from?” he said.  “I’m sure David Moyes and West Ham would go about their business in a far more professional manner if they had an interest in the player.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-west-ham-news-and-views” title=”Latest West Ham news, views and gossip!”]

“And the bigger picture; if any player leaves, it will be for QPR’s valuation. Everyone’s got a price. The best player [in] the world has a price if you’re prepared to pay it. If any player leaves QPR, it will be if the board deem it to be good value for the club.”

Should West Ham sign QPR’s Dieng?

QPR will certainly be in a strong position to hold out for a sizable fee for Dieng’s services at the end of the season, given his contract, the level of interest and the Senegal international establishing himself as one of the Championship’s best goalkeepers.

But that should not stop Moyes from urging Sullivan to seal a deal for the 26-year-old, as he would be expected to push Fabianski to his limits next season and rival the Poland international – who turns 36 on Sunday – for the number one jersey at the London Stadium.

Warburton could only laud the “outstanding” Dieng earlier in the campaign after edging his way ahead of two “excellent” options in Liam Kelly and Joe Lumley, and noted: “He is still young and his best years are ahead of him.

“There is no doubt Seny has all the attributes to go to the very highest level. That is not said loosely because that position is so important, but he has so many qualities.”

Qualities that Moyes would no doubt adore having at West Ham amid his alleged search for depth, with the sought-after Dieng currently ranking fourth among all Championship shot-stoppers for total saves made with 106 over his 31 games, per SofaScore.

Dieng further ranks first for saves made from shots taken inside the penalty area (74), has conceded 37 times from shots taken inside the box, claimed possession in the air the fourth-most times (26) and punched the ball away the sixth-most times (13).

Fabianski has made 85 saves over his 29 Premier League appearances this term, of which 44 have come from strikes taken inside the box to 31 goals conceded from shots in the area.

Moyes may not expect Dieng to instantly oust Fabianski for the position if West Ham can tempt QPR into selling, but the second-tier star could be a solid option to keep him on his toes with a view to eventually taking over.

AND in other news, David Moyes eyes a summer reunion with £75k-p/w enforcer who looked “like he’s on roller-skates” in 2020…

With Neil Lennon finally gone, there is renewed positivity surrounding Celtic and their future heading into next season.

For the Parkhead faithful, this has been a diabolical campaign but fortunately, they’ve not had to be in the stadium to witness such terrible results. They are 15 points off the top and any chance of securing a tenth SPFL crown in a row is all but done.

John Kennedy has since been placed in interim charge of the Bhoys but Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell will surely look for more attractive suitors before the season is up.

He may have won his first game in charge over Aberdeen, but with some of the managers linked with the job, it would be quite something if he was handed the reins permanently.

One coach touted with taking on the vacancy is Roberto Martinez. The 47-year-old is currently in charge of Belgium so would be a surprising appointment, especially with the Euros on the horizon. That being said, it’s certainly not out of the picture.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Dean Windass said: “I think that would appeal to him, yes. I’ve worked with him and he’s a gentleman.

“Shaun Maloney’s there too (at Belgium). So that would be a good fit – that would be a very good fit.”

Indeed, if Desmond can lure the Spaniard to Glasgow, it would be a thrilling appointment, one that could even rescue the future of one of their star men.

Kristoffer Ajer has continuously been linked with the exit door and with his deal expiring in 2022, leaving this summer may be a genuine option. Though, the arrival of a big-name coach in Martinez could sway him towards staying at Celtic.

That’s because of two things. One, the development of John Stones under Martinez at Everton, and two, the possession-based style of football that the Belgium manager likes to operate with.

For Ajer, a ball-playing centre-half, playing under a manager who likes to keep the ball on the ground would be a dream.

The Norwegian has a habit of breaking through the lines from defence and picking out a teammate with ease. You only need to look at his pass success rate of 88.3% this term to understand how comfortable he is with the ball at his feet.

Leon Osman revealed the Everton side under Martinez would “live and die” for possession football and it was because of the Spaniard that Stones rose to prominence. Another ball-playing centre-back, he’s become a key component of Pep Guardiola’s great Manchester City side, keeping an incredible haul of 18 clean sheets in just 23 outings this term.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-on-celtics-managerial-vacancy” title=”Check out the latest on Celtic’s managerial vacancy!”]

His playstyle, something that was developed by Martinez, is one of the primary reasons he’s now one of the most impressive centre-backs in the English Premier League.

Ajer could see this is a major plus point in terms of his development, certainly at the age of just 22. With that in mind, there’s no reason he couldn’t stay for a bit longer at Parkhead before earning an even bigger move in a few years time.

Martinez could be the manager to extract even more from him. The defender has to stay if the former Everton manager walks through the door.

AND in other news, “He’s a big name in the game” – Exclusive: Pundit shares why former PL manager could join Celtic…

Everton’s game against West Ham on Sunday afternoon should be a captivating one.

The Hammers are in the race for Champions League football, while Carlo Ancelotti’s men are vying for a place in the Europa League.

Both potential achievements would be just desserts for their impressive campaigns but Everton will have to play a lot better than they did last weekend.

On the chalkboard

Ancelotti’s side suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Aston Villa last time out and one of the biggest reasons was due to Mason Holgate’s lacklustre defending. He surrendered possession to Ollie Watkins inside his own half before the Villa striker found the back of the net.

However, the defender wasn’t the only poor performer on the day – Portuguese midfielder Andre Gomes was also particularly abject, but not for the first time since returning from injury. The former Barcelona man was lumped off with 20 minutes to go against Arsenal after turning in a lightweight performance which saw him win only two tackles.

That has been a theme of his performances when playing against some of English football’s big boys. Gomes won just one of his 12 ground duels against Liverpool back in February and three of 14 duels against Chelsea in March. He was equally as bad when the Villans beat Everton at Goodison last time out.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-everton-transfer-news-coutinho-ancelotti-hawng-sarr” title=”Read the latest Everton transfer news!”]

The midfielder lacked physicality again and prevailed in only two of his nine defensive duels throughout the contest, losing 78%. Therefore, Ancelotti must take the ruthless decision to axe him from his starting XI against West Ham this afternoon.

The £140,000-per-week earner isn’t up to speed and the Toffees are now bolstered by the return of Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Dangerous Doucoure

The Frenchman was back in full training this week after missing a period of seven league games dating back to the beginning of March.

Doucoure has been absent due to a small fracture in his foot but that now looks to have healed sufficiently for him to be ready for action.

It would be a gamble to start him given his fitness issues but he’d likely offer a lot more physicality in the middle of the park compared to Gomes. The ex-Watford general has won 1.8 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game this season, compared to 1.4 tackles and 0.4 interceptions per match from his Portuguese colleague.

This should be a straightforward decision for the manager to make. Out with Gomes and in with Doucoure against David Moyes’ Irons.

AND in other news, Imagine him & DCL: Everton must swoop for £24.9m gem who gives oppo “sleepless nights”…

Many football clubs across the continent can lay claim to owning one of the best academies in the beautiful game, none more so than Glasgow Rangers who have unearthed gems like Billy Gilmour and Kai Kennedy in recent times.

Developing young talents is often a touchy subject in football, with many an argument raging over whether or not clubs invest the right amount of time and effort into their academies or if they are simply guilty of ignoring homegrown graduates.

But it’s fair to say that, for the most part, the Glasgow giants have done a decent job with Steven Gerrard currently receiving plaudits for his handling of Leon King, Nathan Patterson and a number of others at Ibrox.

However, if there’s one criticism to be made, it’s that he needs to start giving academy youngster Ciaran Dickson more opportunities to prove himself on a regular basis.

Dickson was an integral part of the Gers Colts and U20s sides who earned praise for their performances in the Challenge Cup and UEFA Youth League last season and he was promoted to the senior squad towards the start of the season.

The Ibrox boss handed him his first-team debut against Falkirk in the League Cup last month, as he was brought on to replace Scott Arfield in the second half, and will almost certainly have left a good impression after he had a decent shot on target.

However, he has found his chances to play come few and far between since receiving his first senior appearance, having played just 35 minutes of first-team football this season and he hasn’t been named in any of the matchday squads across all competitions since then.

Once hailed as a “wonderful” wonderkid by Rangers academy coach Graeme Murty after his side fought back to beat Aberdeen last December, in five appearances in the UEFA Youth League, Dickson has already scored one goal so far this season, via Transfermarkt.

In a similar manner to Steven Davis, the Ibrox boss could transform the right-footed teenager into a deep-lying playmaker who can also play in attacking midfield. The potential is there, that’s for sure.

Gerrard knows a thing or two about breaking into the first team at a big club, while he will have no doubt seen several of his peers fall by the wayside during his time at Anfield, but it’s pretty obvious that he can put his faith in the youth system right now.

Instead of giving outcasts like Brandon Barker and Jordan Jones a chance, he needs to start developing these young players and helping them to establish themselves as first-team regular starters.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson must sanction Rangers swoop for Marijan Cabraja as a Barisic alternative…