All posts by h79snht.top

Leeds United enjoyed and endured a busy summer transfer window as Victor Orta brought a host of players in and allowed a number of assets to depart from Elland Road.

Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips were the headline names to leave the club as they moved on to Barcelona and Manchester City respectively, whilst the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Wilfried Gnonto, and Tyler Adams, among others, arrived through the door to bolster Jesse Marsch’s squad.

Transfermarkt have Leeds down as having spent £99.13m on new signings and claim that the club raked in £97.38m through their numerous sales.

One player who left without bringing in a significant fee for the Whites was Welsh international Daniel James. He left to join newly-promoted Fulham on loan until the end of the season.

This shows that the club were willing to let him leave without bringing in any transfer fee from their rivals for his services, which indicates that they were desperate to move him.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has cast doubt over the attacker’s future at Elland Road. In a recent Q&A, he said: “I don’t think I see Dan James coming back, or it feels like a long shot. James is 24. He’s not especially young and Leeds have essentially said to him that they can do without him this season.”

This suggests that the Whites may look for a permanent solution to the Welshman’s situation when he returns from Craven Cottage next year, and it seems unlikely that they will be able to recoup the £25m they paid Manchester United to sign him in 2021.

The flop made 34 appearances in the Premier League last term and averaged a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.64 – ranking 21st in the Leeds squad – as he chipped in with four goals and four assists.

He then played four games in the top flight this season prior to his loan exit and failed to register a goal or assist for Jesse Marsch before the club decided to part ways with him for the remainder of the campaign.

Journalist Connor McGilligan previously dubbed him a “headless chicken” and his attacking statistics, given that he is a winger/striker, back up that claim. His end product – as shown by how poorly he ranked within the Whites’ squad last term – is not good enough, and his exit has not taken much away from the team, given how little he has contributed on the pitch since arriving in Yorkshire.

Therefore, Orta endured a disasterclass with the deal to sign James from Manchester United last year, and as it stands, it is looking like £25m down the drain for Leeds. His subpar performances and the club’s willingness to sanction a straight loan to a Premier League rival does not suggest that they will be recouping anywhere near the money that they spent on him.

Hopefully the Whites chief will learn from this and make better decisions on signings from hereon so that the club are not left in this position with a big-money addition in the future.

While Leeds United’s 2022/23 campaign is still in an embryonic state at present, Victor Orta’s business in the summer transfer window already looks to have had a largely positive impact on Jesse Marsch’s side.

Indeed, summer signings Marc Roca, Tyler Adams, Rasmus Kristensen, Luis Sinisterra and Brenden Aaronson all currently rank in the Whites’ top 12 performers in the Premier League this season, while the additions of Sonny Perkins, Darko Gyabi and Wilfried Gnonto add further depth to the club’s already impressive youth setup at Thorp Arch.

However, while the Spanish director of football did manage to strengthen the vast majority of the positions which required attention this summer, there is one area of the pitch in which Marsch still remains short of choice – left-back.

And, when taking into account it was reported that Orta was considering submitting a bid for Borussia Dortmund’s Raphael Guerreiro – whom the Bundesliga side are believed to value at around €25m (£21m) – coupled with how impressive the 28-year-old has been for Edin Terzic’s side so far this season, the Spaniard’s decision not to move for the Portugal international already looks to have been something of a shocker.

Indeed, over his five league fixtures in 2022/22, the £22.5m-rated full-back has been in exceptional attacking form, having already scored one goal and created one big chance for his teammates, as well as completing an average of 40.4 passes, one dribble, taking one shot and making 0.8 key passes per game.

The £58k-per-week defender, who Terzic dubbed “amazing”, has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 2.4 tackles, 2.4 interceptions, 0.8 clearances and winning 4.2 duels – at a success rate of 64% – per appearance.

These returns have seen the 28-year-old average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.08, ranking him as Dortmund’s second-best performing outfielder – behind only Jude Bellingham – so far this season.

Furthermore, the left-back also caught the eye during BVB’s 3-0 Champions League demolition of FC Kobenhavn last week, enjoying a whopping 88 touches of the ball, as well as making five tackles, two interceptions, one key pass, winning nine of his 11 duels and applying the finishing touch to an extremely well worked Dortmund move to give his side a two-goal lead.

These metrics saw the Portugal international average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 8.4 for his efforts, ranking him as the best player from either side to feature in the match.

As such, with both Junior Firpo and Stuart Dallas yet to make an appearance for Leeds this season as a result of injury, exactly why Orta decided not to pull the trigger on a move for Guerreiro appears a stranger decision with every passing day – as the Dortmund sensation would have appeared well worth his reported £21m asking price for the Whites.

Newcastle United may have managed to secure a deal for Alexander Isak late in the day in the recent window, although one man who escaped their clutches was that of Edson Alvarez, with the Ajax midfielder having been a top target for the Magpies over the summer.

According to the Sunday Mirror, via the Express, the Tynesiders are said to have seen an offer of around £35m rejected by the Dutch outfit for the Mexico international, with the Eredivisie giants reluctant to sell having already seen a whole host of a top-class talent move elsewhere.

The 24-year-old – who had also attempted to push through a late move to Chelsea by reportedly going on strike – was ultimately forced to stay put in Amsterdam, with his current side said to value him at more than €50m (£43m).

While it may have been Ajax’s unwillingness to sell that put paid to a move to the Premier League, the northeast side may be regretting not placing a more sizeable offer in order to tempt Alfred Schreuder’s side into a sale, with the player having since gone on to sparkle in the early weeks of the new season.

The defensive-minded “monster”, as lauded by journalist Felipe Cardenas, has already impressed both domestically and in Europe of late, notably averaging 2.4 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game in the league thus far – with that record only just behind Magpies star Bruno Guimaraes, who has averaged three tackles and 1.3 interceptions in the 2022/23 campaign.

Equally, in the Champions League, the £27m-rated gem has also caught the eye so far this term, scoring an early header in the 4-0 thrashing of Scottish Premiership side Rangers at the Johan Cruyff Arena last week.

Lauded for that “exceptional” performance by Statman Dave – in which he recorded an impressive 90% pass accuracy – the 55-cap menace followed that up with another bright showing against Liverpool on Tuesday evening, making an impressive seven clearances and three interceptions in that narrow 2-1 defeat at Anfield.

Such displays will no doubt be of real frustration to those back at St James’ Park, with manager Eddie Howe seemingly in need of more midfield depth, particularly with Jonjo Shelvey currently sidelined with a long-term injury.

Having Alvarez in the Englishman’s ranks would have provided the Newcastle boss with a real solid, defensive asset to line up in front of the back four, with that role having been vacated by Isaac Hayden’s loan departure.

It is yet to be seen if the ship has sailed regarding a possible move for the Mexican, although on the recent evidence the competition for his signature is only set to increase, with sporting director Dan Ashworth having had something of a blunder by not doing more to get a deal done.

Celtic legend Kenny Dalglish has paid tribute to manager Ange Postecoglou after the Hoops were crowned Scottish Premiership champions. 

The lowdown: Fulfilling a ‘dream’

Following a 1-1 draw against Dundee United at Tannadice Park, the Bhoys officially regained the Scottish top-flight title from Old Firm rivals Rangers.

After the match, Postecoglou spoke of accomplishing a ‘dream’ to be managing a ‘famous club’ to such success as Georgios Giakoumakis’ second-half header ensured the Celts couldn’t be caught at the summit.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-6/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Joy was uncontainable at the final whistle but away from the pitch one legendary Celtic Park figure also joined the celebrations…

The latest: Dalglish joins the party

Taking to Twitter, Celtic and Liverpool icon Dalglish – a four-time title winner in Glasgow – hailed the success and indeed the job done by Postecoglou in a relatively short period of time.

The 71-year-old wrote: ”Congratulations to @CelticFC !! Not bad for your first season Ange. Sure it was a Grand Old Team to play for….!”

The verdict: More to come…

High praise indeed from Dalglish, who also returned to Celtic Park as manager and Director of Football following a glittering playing career.

Whilst the moment is certainly one to treasure, Postecoglou, called ‘terrific’ by Livi boss David Martindale, will no doubt already be planning for the future in the expectation of a renewed challenge from Rangers next season.

Having overturned a 25 point deficit from 2020/21, the 56-year-old will undoubtedly be relishing the opportunity of taking Celtic even further following another transfer window to improve the Lennoxtown ranks.

Furthermore, with the security of UEFA Champions League group stage football already in the bank, the Parkhead hierarchy will be inclined to bolster the budget available to the Greek-Australian on the back of what has already been a miraculous transformation in fortunes.

In other news, one Celtic player has been backed to leave the club. Find out who it is here.

Everton will host Brentford at Goodison Park this afternoon in a clash that could be the difference between the side securing safety in the Premier League for next season or putting them deeper into relegation troubles.

Frank Lampard’s side are currently just two points ahead of Burnley and Leeds United in the league table with just three games to go, with both of their relegation rivals playing their fixtures earlier in the day.

The results taken by all three teams today will determine what position Everton will find themselves in for the final week of the season.

In terms of their chances today there are a number of injury concerns and doubts for the Toffees boss, with Fabian Delph and Yerry Mina ruled out for the game this afternoon, whilst Donny van de Beek and Ben Godfrey are doubtful on availability but were confirmed to make a comeback imminently.

Andros Townsend and Nathan Patterson remain sidelined with long term injury problems and are not expected to return before the end of the season.

With that being said, this is how Football FanCast expects Everton to line up against Brentford this afternoon…

We predict that the Toffees boss will make just two changes to his side, deploying a 3-4-3 formation against Thomas Frank’s team.

The long-awaited return of Dominic Calvert-Lewin is expected today, and he is the first change we predict with the striker reprising his role in the centre-forward position.

The 6 foot 1 forward who was hailed as “cold” by Carlo Ancelotti will make up the forward line alongside Richarlison and Anthony Gordon, with his Brazilian teammate moving back into his preferred position on the left winger, pushing Demarai Gray back onto the bench in today’s game.

The £42k-per-week dud has not been as effective as he was in the first half of the season with just one assist since he scored against Arsenal back in December last year, so it would make sense for Richarlison to take on the role on the left side of the attack with the 24-year-old much more effective in the position with four goals in his last seven appearances.

The final change we expect to see is Allan returning to his role in midfield alongside Abdoulaye Doucoure after Lampard confirmed that the squad has suffered a devastating injury blow to Fabian Delph, so the Brazilian will be relied upon to hold together the game from the centre of the pitch to replace Delph’s influence.

A win over Brentford today would put Everton on 39 points in the league table, and if Burnley or Leeds United don’t pick up points in their fixtures today it could put them five points clear of the relegation zone by the end of play, so Lampard will be hoping his team can continue their three-game unbeaten run.

AND in other news: Huge boost: Everton handed fitness lifeline in relegation fight that’ll excite Lampard

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Martin Terrier to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that Fabio Paratici has already made contact with Stade Rennais regarding a move for the 25-year-old at the end of the current campaign.

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

The report goes on to state that, while Antonio Conte’s side are very fond of the versatile winger – who can also operate at centre-forward – Spurs could face competition in the race for the former France U21 international from Napoli, who are also believed to be plotting a bid for the forward this summer.

The next Mane

Considering just how impressive Terrier has been in France this season, in addition to the fact that Conte is in need of both backup to and competition for Harry Kane in his first-team squad, it is easy to see why Paratici would be interested in a deal to bring the 25-year-old to north London this summer.

Indeed, over his 36 Ligue 1 appearances this term, the £14.4m-rated forward has been in breathtaking form for Bruno Genesio’s side, scoring 21 goals, registering four assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.4 shots and making 1.2 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £21k-per-week talent who Genesio dubbed a “high-level player” average a quite extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.31, not only ranking him as Rennes’ second-best performer in the French top-flight but also as the tenth-best player in the division as a whole.

Furthermore, according to FBref data, Terrier ranks in the top 8% of forwards in Europe’s big five leagues for goals per 90 minutes, as well as the top 16% for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for pass completion, the top 10% for both progressive passes and carries, the top 20% for pressures, the top 10% for interceptions and the top 2% for tackles over the last 365 days.

As a result of these metrics, the 25-year-old has drawn comparisons with some of the most prestigious forwards currently playing the game, with FBref revealing that the Frenchman’s most compatible player is none other than Liverpool’s Sadio Mane.

And, considering the fact that Terrier is five years the Senegal international’s junior, should Paratici go on to secure a deal for the Rennes sensation this summer, and the forward can replicate his Ligue 1 form in England, the Italian sporting director could very well have unearthed the next Mane for Tottenham – something that is certainly an extremely exciting prospect.

AND in other news: Sold at £34m, now worth £72m: Levy had a Spurs nightmare on “underrated” £100k-p/w ace

Leeds United have written to the Premier League to question if Everton have broken Financial Fair Play rules, according to Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Everton safe, Leeds in the bottom three

The Whites take on Brentford this afternoon knowing that defeat would send them back to the Championship.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-3/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Leeds have been battling both Burnley and Everton in recent weeks to avoid the final relegation spot, but the Toffees are now mathematically safe after a dramatic comeback against Crystal Palace on Thursday.

Burnley also picked up a point away at Aston Villa, meaning that Jesse Marsch’s side need to better the Clarets’ result against Newcastle later today to stay up.

The Latest: Sky Sports claim

Sky Sports provided a ‘significant’ update live on air on Friday afternoon regarding Leeds, Burnley and Everton. They stated that both Leeds, who are owned by Andrea Radrizzani, and Burnley have made contact with the Premier League, questioning if the Merseyside club have broken Financial Fair Play rules.

Everton have recorded losses of £371.8m over the past three years, £266.8m more than the maximum permissible amount of £105m. However, the Toffees are ‘comfortable’ that they have ‘complied with the rules’ and argue that the pandemic has had a huge impact on their figures.

The Verdict: One to watch…

Regardless of who goes down out of Leeds and Burnley this afternoon, this story could well get very messy and rumble on over the summer.

You’d expect that a potential punishment for Everton wouldn’t come into play this season, although they could be affected heading into the 2022/23 campaign if they have breached any fair play rules.

That won’t be of any help to whichever team drops back down to the Championship at the end of play today, but you can see why both the Whites and the Clarets want answers from those at the top regarding those extreme losses.

In other news: Big setback for Marsch as Phil Hay shares final major injury blow for Leeds pre-Brentford

Sporting CP midfielder Joao Palhinha is definitely on Wolves’ ‘shortlist’ of potential summer signings, according to reliable journalist Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Constant Palhinha links

The 26-year-old has been constantly linked with a move to Molineux in the summer transfer window, as Wanderers likely have to plan for life without Ruben Neves.

Palhinha has emerged as one of Sporting’s most influential players, not only catching the eye in their midfield but also winning 12 caps for Portugal to date.

Wolves’ interest doesn’t appear to be going away but it looks as though they will have to battle to get their man.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/all-the-latest-from-wolves-8/” title=”All the latest from Wolves!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Latest: Spiers drops fresh claim

Taking to Twitter, Spiers confirmed that Wanderers want to sign Palhinha:

“Wolves maintain an interest in Joao Palhinha (as do a lot of clubs) and he’s on their midfield shortlist for the summer.”

[freshpress-poll id=“388780″]

The Verdict: Snap him up, Wanderers

Palhinha really does look like the perfect option to come in as Neves’ replacement, with the pair not dissimilar in style, in terms of their deep-lying midfield brilliance.

The Wolves target enjoyed an 87.8% pass completion rate in the Primeira Liga in 2021/22, compared to Neves’ 84% in the Premier League, and he also averaged three tackles per game. Manager Ruben Amorim has called him a ‘special’ player in the past.

The fact that there is interest elsewhere could be a stumbling block – Tottenham have been linked and can offer Champions League football – but Bruno Lage must do all he can to snap up his compatriot if he believes he is the man to replace Neves.

In other news, one Wolves player has been backed to thrive next season. Find out who it is here.

Liverpool are still in contention to sign AS Monaco star Aurelien Tchouameni, according to a report from French outlet L’Equipe (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Familiar rivals

Fresh off the back of falling to defeat in Paris at the hands of Real Madrid, the Reds have seemingly been battling the La Liga giants off the pitch too for the capture of Tchouameni for some time.

Recent reports suggested that Los Blancos were in the box seat to sign the 22-year-old sensation, however, speculation continues to rumble on with Paris Saint-Germain also in the mix.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-34/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Now a fresh report from one reputable French source has shed some light on the situation…

The latest: Reds still in the hunt

As per L’Equipe, translated by SW, Liverpool are believed to be preparing to ‘try their luck again’ following the final heartache.

It’s claimed that the Anfield club have ‘followed’ the eight-cap ace for a prolonged period and at one stage Tchouameni was ‘more tempted’ by the prospect of a move to work under Jurgen Klopp.

The report also states that Real Madrid have ‘recently improved’ their offer to sign the French youngster hailed as the ‘complete player’ by France national team manager Didier Deschamps.

The verdict: Statement required

After losing the 2018 Champions League final against the same opposition, Liverpool swiftly secured the capture of a midfield enforcer and now Klopp favourite, Fabinho, from no other than Ligue 1 side AS Monaco.

Pulling off a nigh-on identical move some four years later would be just the tonic needed to boost morale amongst Reds fans.

Also predominantly operating as a defensive midfielder, Tchouameni would provide much-needed cover for the Brazilian in a position the Liverpool ranks are currently dangerous light in. Very strong aerially and in the tackle (WhoScored), the French powerhouse shares similar characteristics to Fabinho and would likely be viewed as the long term successor for the role.

Already boasting 17 goal involvements in just 133 domestic career outings, the £36million valued apprentice to be could even present a more well-rounded overall package than his potential Brazilian mentor.

Put simply, this is a battle for a high calibre player that FSG, newly appointed sporting director Julian Ward and Klopp himself should be pulling out all the stops to get over the line and get one over their conquerors in Paris.

In other news, Liverpool ‘willing’ to sanction £42.5million move for La Liga starlet. Find out more here

According to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is finished with left-back Sergio Reguilon after the arrival of Ivan Perisic.

The Lowdown: Reguilon out of favour

The 25-year-old swapped the Bernabeu for the Premier League when he joined the Lilywhites on a five-year deal from Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2020, where he has made a total of 67 senior appearances during his two years at the club to date.

The appointment of Conte as Spurs manager in November of last year doesn’t appear to have helped the Spaniard, who has fallen down the pecking order under the Italian since his entrance at N17.

Following the recent announcement confirming the signing of Inter Milan’s Perisic, The Times have claimed that this has now moved the full-back even closer to the exit door than originally thought, with the report stating that the £25.2m-rated star could return to Real as a result of their buyback clause.

The Latest: Reguil-gone

Taylor says the Croatian’s arrival in the capital will have a huge impact on the future of Reguilon. He told GiveMeSport: “I think Sergio Reguilon will be moved on now.

“Sessegnon is still very much a part of Conte’s plans and it’ll just be a balancing act between them two for the Premier League and Champions League.”

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

The Verdict: Perisic a better option

Ever since Conte replaced former manager Nuno Espirito Santo in the Tottenham dugout, the six-cap Spain international has only made 20 outings under the Italian and hasn’t been a hugely regular feature of his starting XI.

As per FBRef, Perisic has a much better defensive record than Reguilon, and considering the World Cup finalist also managed 15 goal involvements in Serie A this season, you could comfortably say he’s better on both sides of the ball.

Despite still having three years remaining on his current contract in north London, Reguilon’s time at Spurs looks like it could well be coming to an end, but whether he’s sent back to Madrid or gets another move remains to be seen.

In other news… Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that there has been a ‘deal agreed’ for Spurs’ next signing.