All posts by z3u9t.icu

Rui Patricio was a surprise signing in 2018 as Wolves were set to embark on their first season back in the Premier League but after three years and under a new manager, there could be a new face between the posts at Molineux with the Portuguese international linked with a move away. Wolves legend Steve Bull wants it to be Sam Johnstone, of fierce rivals West Bromwich Albion.

Johnstone impressed at Wolves’ arch-enemies last season making the most saves in the Premier League which also earned him his first England call up and a debut, and he is now the number two behind Jordan Pickford.

Wolves fans may not be excited about links suggesting they are interested in Johnstone considering he has been with their rivals for three seasons, but he would certainly bring a trusted pair of hands considering he faced 228 shots lasts season with a save percentage of 70.6% – considering how poor the Baggies were, that will make for pleasant reading.

They have been linked with a move for Danny Ward but despite the 28-year old impressing at the Euros, it should be someone much closer to home that Wolves should be targeting as Bull wants to see his former club bring in Johnstone this summer, as he told Transfer Tavern:

“I know Wolves fans won’t like me saying this, but I’d go for Johnstone from West Brom because he was making all sorts of saves and is in the England squad now and once he gets in the starting line-up they won’t get him out.

“He’s young, energetic and when he makes a save he gets back up for the second shot and it doesn’t take him an hour to get back on his feet.”

Johnstone will certainly have a lot of interest after the season he had for the Baggies and he also did himself no harm during his England debut when he made a stunning save against Romania before the Euros kicked off.

Wolves would have a battle on their hands to sign the shot-stopper though as it has been reported that West Ham are interested in signing him and the Hammers would be able to offer him European football, something that Wolves have failed to qualify for in the previous two seasons.

As per The Evening Standard, an update has emerged involving Manchester City defender Nathan Ake and West Ham’s plans for January.

The Lowdown: West Ham in defensive crisis…

After injuries to both Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma, the Irons have been left short of options at the back, with manager David Moyes having just Issa Diop and Craig Dawson at his disposal.

[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”]

This has prompted the club to look at their options in the transfer market, with the likes of James Tarkowski and Nathaniel Phillips already linked.

The Championship could also be a source for Moyes as West Ham have reportedly sent scouts to watch QPR defender Rob Dickie, Middlesbrough mainstay Dael Fry and Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly (90min).

The Latest: West Ham weigh Ake loan bid…

As per The Evening Standard, Moyes is personally keen on signing a left-footed centre-half as West Ham weigh up a January loan bid for Ake.

The Netherlands international, who has been featuring more often for City this season, is now on the Irons’ agenda amid their injury woes, and Moyes wants a player of the 26-year-old’s ilk to bring balance to the back four.

The Verdict: Right move?

Described as ‘underrated’ by international teammate and Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk, bypassing Ake’s £28.8m valuation (Transfermarkt) and bringing him in on a temporary basis would be an astute bit of business from West Ham’s perspective.

However, City boss Pep Guardiola could arguably wish to keep the 26-year-old at Eastlands for the time being, with his squad having suffered from player availability emergencies as of late. For instance, centre-back Aymeric Laporte missed the trip to RB Leipzig on Tuesday night with a minor knock, so Guardiola may want Ake around for cover.

While it would be a hard move to pull off, especially mid-season, there is little arguing that Ake would improve West Ham’s defence, with Guardiola himself recently calling the Dutchman ‘focused’, ‘intelligent’ and a ‘joy to have’ (mancity.com).

In other news: West Ham could now back Moyes with £17.1m bid to sign 6 foot 3 powerhouse in January, find out more here.

Speaking in a football.london Q&A, reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has made a ‘£70 million’ transfer claim on club chief Fabio Paratici’s summer plans.

The Lowdown: Paratici eyeing summer moves?

Tasked with backing Antonio Conte in the summer market, Lilywhites transfer official Paratici is reportedly eyeing moves already ahead of what will be a pivotal 2022/23 campaign for Spurs.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Regardless of where they finish this season, with Tottenham still well in contention for a top-four place, Conte will need proof that the club are serious about building a winning team and getting back among the Premier League’s elite.

Bearing that in mind, big decisions will have to be made, with Gold now sharing an update on one of the club’s first intentions of the summer market.

The Latest: Gold makes ‘£70 million’ Spurs claim…

Speaking in a football.london Q&A, the reliable journalist backs that Spurs will make both Cristian Romero and Dejan Kulusevski’s loan deals permanent.

When asked about Tottenham’s transfer budget, he explained: “Making both Cristian Romero and Dejan Kulusevski’s moves permanent will have to be taken into account of course. That’s almost £70million that Spurs will have to pay out this summer and they will do so because every penny is absolutely worth it.

“However, it’s clear chairman Daniel Levy will have to find more money because there is plenty more work to be done and both Antonio Conte and Harry Kane will need to be convinced that next season will be something special.”

The Verdict: First things first…

Tying both players down to permanent deals is arguably the first and foremost priority for Spurs, especially Kulusevski, who has become a key player for Conte since signing on an 18-month loan deal from Juventus in January.

However, as Gold explained, the worry for Spurs supporters may be the leftover finances to seal other transfer targets.

The free agent market may well be pivotal, with Paratici and co already having been linked with a few out-of-contract stars ahead of the summer.

In other news: Tottenham could strike ‘imminent agreement’ for ‘magical’ £25m striker this summer! Find out more here.

An update has emerged on Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard, regarding Newcastle’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

Spanish reporter Edouardo Inda has claimed that the Magpies are interested in signing the Belgian international forward in the January window.

Speaking on El Chiringuito TV, Inda said: “The Newcastle want Hazard. I do not rule out that it comes out in the winter market”

Imagine him & Saint-Maximin

Newcastle must secure a deal to sign Hazard in January as he could be a sensational addition to the squad and improve their chances of storming up the Premier League table by forming an exciting partnership with Allan Saint-Maximin.

The Magpies could take advantage of his difficult situation in Spain to bring him back to England. He has only scored five goals in 51 games for Real Madrid, but his previous form for Chelsea suggests that he could be a terrific option for Newcastle in the Premier League.

In 352 appearances for the Blues, he managed 110 goals and 92 assists – including 85 goals and 61 assists in 245 top-flight matches. This shows that he is a proven player in England who knows how to score and create goals consistently.

Former French international Christophe Dugarry once compared Hazard with Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry, saying: “He’s faster than Zidane, more technique than Thierry Henry.”

Magpies legend Alan Shearer previously claimed that the Belgian had the potential to become the best player in world football. He said:

“He (Hazard) has been the Premier League’s outstanding player over the whole campaign, and he deserves the individual recognition. That is how I felt in 1995 when I won the title with Blackburn Rovers and was also Player of the Year for the first time.

“The bad news for Chelsea’s rivals is that at 24, Hazard is only going to get better. In three or four years, I think we could be talking about the Belgian being the best player in the world – he has the potential to be that good.”

These quotes illustrate the potential Hazard has to be a sensational addition to Newcastle’s squad if he can get back to his best after his struggles in Spain.

Imagine watching him and Saint-Maximin at St. James’ Park, with both players being exciting wingers who like to dribble with the ball and create chances. Saint-Maximin has a career average of 4.9 dribbles and key passes per game, whilst Hazard’s is 5.5.

This means that Newcastle could have two supremely talented wing wizards to get them off their seats at St. James’ Park, which could also cause nightmares for defenders as they attempt to deal with them both.

AND in other news, Newcastle could unlock Willock by signing £100k-p/w beast who helps others “flourish”…

Former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes that Leeds United winger Jack Harrison could play as a wing-back for the north London club.

The Lowdown: Good season for Harrison

The 25-year-old has enjoyed a decent campaign since being unveiled as a permanent Leeds player, having initially joined the club on loan in 2018.

The winger has gone on to establish himself as a mainstay in Jesse Marsch’s team, having featured in the starting XI in five of the new manager’s six games in charge. Moreover, he has made a telling impact under the American at Elland Road, netting three goals in his last three matches.

As a result, The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath has reported that Tottenham are interested in signing Harrison in the summer transfer window.

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

The Latest: Robinson’s claim on Harrison…

Robinson, who regularly features as a pundit for Sky Sports, believes that whilst Harrison could perform as a wing-back for Antonio Conte at Tottenham, the 25-year-old would be better off remaining at Elland Road.

Speaking with Football Insider, the ex-Spurs goalkeeper claimed: “He is capable of playing that role, 100 per cent.

“The question is, would he want to? I’m sure he sees himself more as a goalscoring winger or midfielder.

“When you look at him, you ask the question – is he of the level required for Spurs? They want to push on and compete with the top four. Would Jack fit into that?

“Would he play week in, week out? I don’t think so. He is better off where he is if you ask me. He is building his career at Leeds and is playing every week. I question whether he would be a starter at Spurs.”

The Verdict: Difficult decision

If Harrison is offered the chance to join Tottenham, this could prove a difficult decision to make. With Spurs making a strong late push for a top-four finish, the Englishman could see himself playing in the Champions League next season with a move to north London.

Everton manager Frank Lampard clearly believes that the 25-year-old is up to the task, having hailed him as “one of the best wingers in the league”.

However, whether he can perform at the same level as a wing-back is yet to be seen. In 225 career club appearances, Harrison has only played in defence once, so this prospective transfer could be a gamble for both him and Spurs.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops Dejan Kulusevski transfer claim

Many Liverpool fans have flocked to Twitter to react to the news that academy product Isaac Mabaya has signed his first professional contract at Anfield, as confirmed by the club’s official website and Twitter channel.

The 17-year-old has been at the Reds since the age of six and broke into the Reds’ under-18s last season as a wide midfielder before a mid-season switch saw him move to full-back. So far this season, the Preston native has played at right-back for Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s team.

Mabaya has played 21 times for Liverpool’s under-18s, scoring four goals and setting up another five, and he has represented England at under-15 and under-16 level.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold and Neco Williams following the same path from the academy and featuring for Jurgen Klopp’s first team, the teenager will have eyes on emulating the two senior right-backs and has been rewarded for his performances and potential with a new contract from the club.

Fellow teenage right-back Conor Bradley made his Liverpool first team debut last week in the Carabao Cup victory over Norwich City and Mabaya could be next in line to be handed a chance by Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool fans flock to contract news

These Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to react to the news of Mabaya’s first professional contract at the club.

“Future first teamer”

Credit: @F9Txrres

“Congratulations Isaac! Richly deserved for all the hard work and dedication you’ve put in over the years. Upwards & onwards, sky’s the limit for you. Well done mate”

Credit: @SimonHindley

“Amazing news for Isaac and his family – he has quality in his football and also a great personality. Well deserved for all the hard work you put in Isaac. This is the start of a lot more hard work, but you will smash it.”

Credit: @slingerpete1

“Congratulations homeboy”

Credit: @fariemuk

“Serious player”

Credit: @KonateEra

“This fella looks very promising”

Credit: @paulDix11248352

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to James Pearce’s update on this certain player. Find out more here.

It would hardly be an overstatement to say that the build-up to Derby County’s Championship campaign has been one of the most challenging any team has ever endured ahead of a new season.

Indeed, with Wayne Rooney having just nine fit outfield players prior to the arrival of centre-back pair Curtis Davies and Richard Stearman on Friday, it appeared – for a worrying length of time – as if the 35-year-old would struggle to muster up 11 players for the fixture against Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

Despite this, the Rams put up an incredibly valiant display against the Terriers, taking the lead in the match through the impressive Curtis Davies late on in the first half, only for Huddersfield centre-back Naby Sarr to repeat his counterpart’s feat on the stroke of half time, with the game ultimately finishing honours even.

However, while there were a number of fine performances in the Derby ranks, with Rooney undoubtedly delighted with his team getting something out of the game, there were also a few concerning displays – perhaps most notably from Graeme Shinnie.

While the midfielder picked up the Jack Stamps Player of the Year award for last season before the game, if his performances remain at the level of the Huddersfield clash going forwards, he will certainly struggle to win it again for 2021/22.

Indeed, the 30-year-old was wasteful with the ball, completing none of his five attempted crosses and just one of his four attempted long balls and giving away possession on a whopping 18 occasions.

The £6.2k-per-week man also lost eight of his 15 duels over the course of the 90 minutes, in addition to being dribbled past once and conceding three fouls – with The Telegraph journalist and self-professed Derby fan Ryan Bourne stating his belief that Shinnie looked well “off the pace” in the game.

All in all, the Scotland international’s metrics saw him earn a SofaScore match rating of 6.5, the joint third-worst of the 11 Rams players to start the fixture.

As such, with Derby facing what is sure to be a long and arduous Championship campaign in 2021/22, they will certainly need one of their best performers from last season to step up his game if they are to have any hope of securing survival in the division come next May.

In other news: Rooney heading for grave Derby transfer error over “first-class” £5.4m-rated dynamo

We are about one third into the Premier League season, with the hectic December schedule fast approaching, and the situation regarding favourites for the title and relegation seems more clear than just a few weeks ago.

Of course, there are still many matches to be played, but the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool have not only accumulated the points but also shown displays that indicate they have what it takes to win the trophy.

Only one club can do so in the end, but the title contenders are now quite clear, with one team that was speculated as one of the title favourites in the early season now barely being talked about when spots in European competitions are concerned. That team, of course, is Manchester United.

After a solid start to the season that saw the Red Devils win four of their five opening games, things started turning around for the worse for the Manchester outfit. While the recent win against Tottenham brought some hope that United may be bouncing back, the abysmal performance against Watford exposed all the weaknesses of United’s back line, and in turn got Ole Gunnar Solskjaer finally sacked.

As things stand, the major PA betting sites are not ranking Manchester United among the title contenders and it would be a true upset if they were to turn the season around and close the gap that already stands at 12 points just 12 weeks into the season.

What Went Wrong for United?

Pinpointing the exact cause of Man United’s fall this season is quite difficult, as a number of factors were at play to put one of the most decorated teams in the whole world on the back heel.

Ronaldo’s arrival was greatly celebrated in Manchester back in early season, and his goals in the opening games made it seem like he would be a massive contribution to the team. Yet, something changed at United since he arrived and the lack of team cohesion is never a good thing in a league as competitive as the EPL.

Hailed by all as a true legend of a club both before his arrival and after his departure, Solskjaer was not blamed by the players, but the media put the majority of the blame on his shoulders as he was the one who should make sure that things work well both on and off the pitch.

Finally, brash behaviour of the likes of Paul Pogba and Harry Maguire to earn red cards in matches where such a thing was not necessary simply show the lack of team spirit and desire to succeed as a collective.

Can United Still Turn it Around?

From a sports betting point of view, Manchester United have all bust lost hopes of winning the title, with bookies not even looking at them as one of the real title contenders.

For the fans, of course, the hope is always there that whoever comes after Solskjaer will do miracles and change the team from the ground up to catch up with the title contenders and at least win a spot in the Champions League next year.

All of that, however, could be just wishful thinking as the likes of West Ham, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Wolves will all be trying to win those spots and with the exception of the Spurs have all shown a true desire to fight for it to their dying breath.

Perhaps the best United fans can hope for is that the new manager will put things in their place and prepare the team to fight from day one next year and perhaps manage to go a few rounds in the Champions League to save face in an otherwise poor season for the Red Devils.

Taking to Twitter, Portuguese transfer journalist Pedro Almeida has now dropped an exciting transfer claim as Celtic eye a permanent deal for Jota.

The Lowdown: Jota shines at Parkhead…

Since signing on loan from Benfica in the summer, the 22-year-old has gone on to dazzle at Parkhead under Ange Postecoglou, and there have been reports speculating whether Celtic will trigger his €7.5m (£6.2m) option-to-buy clause in the deal.

Indeed, rumours from Portugal indicate that Postecoglou and the Hoops are eager to do so, as they have until the end of this season to decide whether to take him on permanently.

A Bola believe that Celtic are ‘willing to do so’ given they are ‘satisfied’ with the performance of Jota, with reporter Almeida now backing this claim as he drops an exciting Twitter transfer message.

The Latest: Almeida drops exciting Jota claim…

Taking to social media, the reporter believes that Postecoglou and co will now ‘advance’ to Jota’s ‘definitive’ signing from Benfica on a permanent move as he explained:

“Celtic will advance to the definitive signing of Jota from Benfica for €7.5M”

The Verdict: No-brainer…

It is no secret that the 22-year-old has been a revelation for Celtic in Scotland and we believe that the club would be remiss not to try and make his stay in Glasgow permanent.

A real statement of intent for £6.2m, a deal which would place Jota in the club’s top ten most expensive signings of all time (Transfermarkt), he is arguably worth every penny.

From a performance perspective, the Portugal under-21 international is currently Celtic’s joint-second top scorer in the Scottish top flight, while only David Turnbull has averaged a higher rate of attempts on goal per 90, marking Jota out as a true threat in the final third (WhoScored).

The attacker has also received garlands galore from Scottish pundits, including Celtic legend John Hartson, who branded him ‘dynamite’ and a ‘very special’ player (Daily Record).

It seems likely that Jota is only going to get better and better judging by his young age, not to mention the potential for a seismic sell-on value if he continues to impress in Scotland.

Taking all this into account, securing his signature indefinitely must surely be a priority for Postecoglou and Celtic.

In other news: Source reveals Celtic plan to cash in on record-breaker in January; replacement ready

Leeds United’s prospective move for goalkeeper Kristoffer Klaesson is a risk, according to former England striker Kevin Phillips.

The Lowdown: Leeds close in on Klaesson move

It was reported last week that Leeds were in advanced talks to sign the 20-year-old from Valerenga, who they look to make their third signing of the summer.

The Whites are looking for a replacement for veteran ‘keeper Kiko Casilla, with the Spaniard sealing a season-long loan move to Elche.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Phillips unsure about Klaesson

Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips admitted that he has doubts over Klaesson being the right backup to Illan Meslier, mainly due to his lack of experience. He said:

“Yeah, it’s a risk. You always want that backup keeper who’s a bit more experience.

“Meslier isn’t the oldest player in the world. They may go for another goalkeeper just to have that Premier League experience.

“It’s always hard coming to the Premier League if he was to be thrown in. If I’m a Leeds fan, I’m concerned. I think it’s a bit of a risk.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-10/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: It’s a fair point

While Klaesson is a young ‘keeper with bags of potential, Phillips does make a good point in terms of his lack of experience at the top level. Almost all of his first team appearances thus far have been in Norway’s top flight, which is ranked 22nd in UEFA’s association club coefficient.

Should Meslier – still a young player himself – get injured, there would be huge pressure on the Norwegian’s shoulders to fill in and shine in the Premier League.

It is a bold move to back a youngster, although they got it right with the acquisition of Meslier at 19, and astute purchases such as Raphinha have shown that the club deserve to be trusted in the transfer department.

In other news, Leeds are keen on making a move for a Premier League ‘big six’ player this summer. Find out who it is here.