All posts by h79snht.top

Chelsea have been unrelenting in their pursuit of fortifying the squad across every department with a wealth of pedigree on the transfer front since Todd Boehly assumed ownership of the club last year, and the next target has been distinguished. 

What’s the word?

Having spent £372m since last summer – with a £52.4m deal also agreed for RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku – Chelsea have now turned their attention to Brighton & Hove Albion’s precocious talent Moises Caicedo as the latest acquisition to spearhead the ascension to the forefront of European football. 

Chelsea and former Seagulls boss Graham Potter has indeed been desperate to bring his former ace to Stamford Bridge, and could now wrap up a deal during the winter transfer market, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano previously confirming the interest.

And now, according to The Athletic, the Blues have had an opening £55m bid rejected for Albion’s most coveted asset as the onus on cementing success continues, with his outfit demanding a fee closer to £75m.

Essien repeat

While Chelsea undoubtedly boast a wealth of quality in their squad, fortunes have not been reflective of the collective calibre, with the west London giants currently languishing in tenth place in the Premier League and beset with seven defeats from the past 11 matches across all competitions. 

As such, bringing a young talent that can be nurtured and moulded into the finished article at Stamford Bridge would be a move that could cement success and create a distinctive identity for years to come, and Caicedo certainly fits the bill.

Indeed, since signing for the Seagulls for just £4.5m in January 2021, the Ecuadorian ace has swiftly asserted his authority and secured his position in a flourishing outfit, making 30 competitive outings and registering two goals and three assists. 

This season, his performances across his 20 appearances have been integral to ensuring fortunes remain fruitful, with Sofascore recording his average Premier League rating at a remarkable 7.11 this term. 

And as per FBref, the 21-year-old ranks among the top 16% of midfielders for tackles over the past year, and has maintained an average passing accuracy of 86.3% as he continues to blossom into his own as one of the most assured and tenacious of all his positional peers across Europe. 

The rising star has been likened as a cross between Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante and former Manchester United phenom Paul Pogba, with such a dynamic and vigorous skill set certain to continue a meteoric rise to the very top of the game.

Should Chelsea succeed in their foray into the market for the “crown-jewel” – as once hailed by Enrico Castro-Montes – they could instigate a repeat of the monumental signing of Michael Essien, who joined the fold at Chelsea in 2005 on a – then – club-record deal of £24.4m – he went on to make 256 appearances for the Blues, notably winning two Premier League titles and the Champions League.

GOAL once stated that the Ghanian maestro was integral for Chelsea with his ball-playing prowess and ability to carry the ball up the pitch with both composure and conviction, and given these traits bear similarity to Caicedo, the blueprint is there to emulate the endeared figure. 

Potter and Chelsea technical director Christopher Vivell are crafting a team that should swiftly rise to prominence again despite the recent woes, and among the wealth of established talent within the Stamford Bridge ranks, Caicedo would encapsulate the strategy of putting onus on the youth and building a dynasty that will ensure the eminent stature that the club so dearly craves.

Villarreal forward Arnaut Danjuma is not an Aston Villa target right now but ‘could be explored’, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Danjuma rumours

The Premier League side are currently undergoing a squad transformation with Unai Emery identifying some of his own players.

Alex Moreno has joined from La Liga already and the 25-year-old Danjuma was reportedly another target on the gaffer’s radar, after the pair worked together at the Estadio de la Cerámica.

The Dutchman has recently been in England having flown over from Spain to hold talks with potential suitors regarding a loan move this month, and there was seemingly a chance that a reunion could soon be on the cards.

The Latest: Taylor’s comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Taylor, however, claimed that Villa don’t hold an interest in Danjuma contrary to reports stating otherwise:

“I don’t think there has been interest from Villa, whenever I’ve asked a question, it’s been shot down, but obviously, we know how good Danjuma was under Emery last year at Villarreal. So, hypothetically, that’s an avenue that could be explored.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-news-4/” title=”Aston Villa latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Ings replacement?

Danny Ings has reportedly agreed a permanent deal to join West Ham, so with the veteran seemingly on his way out, Danjuma would be an ideal replacement having been dubbed a ‘nightmare’ for defenders by Kevin Phillips, and we would urge NSWE to make this one happen.

The Villarreal star has posted an impressive 109 goal contributions in 217 appearances throughout his career and would offer Emery versatility with the ability to play at centre-forward and out wide on the left (Transfermarkt).

Danjuma also isn’t a stranger to English football having previously had a two-year spell at Bournemouth so he would be able to easily adapt to the style of play ready to hit the ground running at Villa Park.

Journalist Dean Jones has stated that he doesn’t think new Arsenal January signing Leandro Trossard is a particularly good deal for the club.

What’s the latest? With the winter window now open, the Gunners have finally made their first official move bringing in the now former Brighton and Hove Albion forward for a reported fee of £21m plus add-ons.Having missed out on primary target Mykhailo Mudryk – with the winger going to Chelsea in dramatic fashion instead – there’s no denying that Trossard wasn’t number one on the club’s transfer list.And so, taking everything into account, Jones has suggested that the Gunners could have done better and that this sort of deal won’t be a huge help in their push to win the Premier League.Indeed, while speaking on Chasing Green Arrows, he said: “I don’t think this is a good signing. I don’t like the money. I think the fit’s okay. I think for a team that’s top of the league and trying to win the Premier League – and they’re in an unbelievable moment… I think it’s okay if he’s signed as well as somebody else.”I don’t think that, for me, Trossard is getting Arsenal over the line like a Joao Felix would have. I said on our podcast, I think I’d rather have Joao Felix for five months than I would have Leandro Trossard for five years. That’s a bit controversial, I know.”More firepower needed?Mikel Arteta and co are clearly doing all they can to maintain this unexpected title challenge with some exciting new transfers and they were in the market for Felix before Chelsea signed him up just like Mudryk.And while Trossard might not arrive in north London with the same trophy haul as the Atletico Madrid loanee, he does at least come in with good experience of English football having impressed already this term with ten direct goal contributions in 16 league appearances.Seeing as the Gunners missed out on two of their main targets, this alternative option certainly isn’t a bad outcome – especially as his £21m transfer fee is a lot less than what would have been paid for the likes of Felix and Mudryk.Still, when you are pushing for a league title, you do want proven firepower and so it will be interesting to see who else Arsenal target in the remainder of the window with Real Madrid star Eduardo Camavinga recently linked with a loan.What’s more, Trossard’s messy exit from Brighton may suggest a poor attitude, which Mikel Arteta won’t take too kindly, and so it will be interesting to see how he settles into life in north London.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery wants to make three more additions to his squad before Tuesday’s deadline. 

The Lowdown: Ins and outs

Villa Park officials have already brought in two players for the Spaniard in Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran. The club have spent around €30m on the pair, however, Emery has lost the services of Danny Ings and Frederic Guilbert, with the former moving to West Ham in a deal worth €12m.

Cameron Archer and Morgan Sanson have also been loaned out, while Jan Bednarek has been recalled by parent club Southampton.

The Latest: More to arrive?

Villa reporter John Townley shared a story for Birmingham Live on Wednesday, looking at speculation over a potential move for Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech.

He said that the Morocco international could be a target and that Emery wants a new striker, winger and midfielder in before the end of the month, although the club will remain patient to secure their top targets.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-news-5/” title=”Aston Villa latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Exciting…

It could well be a frantic final few days for NSWE and Johan Lange, with Emery seemingly wanting multiple more players through the door. This claim may excite some Villa supporters, and you could argue that strengthening in the final third should be a priority.

Duran has come in for Ings, however, the teenager and Ollie Watkins are the only centre-forward options available to Emery, so another versatile forward would be of use in the second half of the season.

Ings was also the club’s top scorer before leaving for London and with Duran fairly inexperienced, replacing the goals they lost in the Englishman could be vital.

Transfer insider Alex Crook has claimed on TalkSport that Everton are favourites to sign Rennes winger Kamaldeen Sulemana.

The Lowdown: Everton looking to back Dyche

Despite it breaking last week that Everton were set to appoint Sean Dyche as their new manager, it took until Monday afternoon for that to come to fruition, which has left the new boss with very little time to be active in the transfer market.

However, Dyche and the Everton board are certainly not wasting any time, as they have £40m burning a hole in their pockets via the sale of Anthony Gordon – and were reportedly looking to spend that on Conor Gallagher.

That dream appears to have been a short-lived one, with Sky Sports reporting that Gallagher is not interested in swapping Chelsea for the relegation-threatened Toffees, although there is more positive news on the Sulemana front, according to Crook.

The Latest: Sulemana could arrive at Finch Farm

While speaking to Jim White and Simon Jordan on TalkSport, Crook revealed that Southampton were soon to drop out of the race for the Ghanaian, leaving Everton as the new frontrunners.

He said: “One player certainly on their radar is Kamaldeen Sulemana. He plays for Rennes over in France.

“Southampton had a bid rejected last week. I was getting the impression over the weekend that maybe Southampton were going to walk away from that deal anyway due to the asking price – looks like Everton [are] now favourites to sign him.”

The Verdict: Dyche needs attacking reinforcements

It’s quite a surprise that Dyche and Everton are looking to someone such as Sulemana to help their woes in the final third, as he has just one goal to his name in 20 appearances across all competitions.

As things stand, Everton have netted just 15 goals in the league, which is the second-least – only behind Wolves – so Dyche will have to start working on getting some belief into the players already at the club, as he can’t solely rely on new signings making the difference.

It has been reported that Everton are indeed looking to strike up a deal with Rennes, with the Ligue 1 outfit looking for around €30m (£26m), which would still leave them money left over from the Gordon deal alone to bring in at least one more player – and that would appear to be better value for money instead of splashing all of it on one player in Chelsea’s Gallagher.

90min journalist Graeme Bailey has claimed that Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly could be leaving the club this summer.

The Lowdown: Summer signing

The Blues signed Koulibaly from Napoli for £33m, with Sky Sports reporting that the player earns around £8.2m a year.

In 14 league appearances, the Senegalese defender has kept just three clean sheets and won 55% of his overall duels for Graham Potter’s side this season.

He’s already picked up a red card in his first Premier League season with the west London outfit, with the 31-year-old picking up a couple of yellows in his third appearance for the club against Leeds United.

And his first-team place is now arguably under threat following the arrival of Benoit Badiashile last month.

The Latest: Bailey makes exit claim

Speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, Bailey claimed that a number of Chelsea players could be sold next summer, including Koulibaly.

He stated: “There’s going to be an awful lot of players leaving this summer, there really is. There’s going to be a huge number of players going through the exit door, from what we’re hearing.

“Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Gallagher, Hudson-Odoi, Aubameyang, Mendy – all potentially out. An interesting name who I’m told will almost definitely be leaving is Koulibaly, who only arrived last summer.

“And he probably won’t be the only one of the Boehly era who goes early doors.”

The Verdict: Time to sell

We believe that it’s time for Chelsea to sell Koulibaly as he’s simply not done the job he was brought in to do.

As a defender, his job will have been to tighten up the backline and help the Blues launch a title challenge – or at least secure a spot in the top four.

However, Chelsea haven’t delivered on that and have been extremely underwhelming this season. We can’t see them getting any form of European football, the way they’re going.

Jamie O’Hara of TalkSport tore into the defender earlier this season, labelling him as ‘miles off it’ and ‘bang-average’. Some Blues fans have also not been impressed with what they’ve seen when it comes to the performances of their summer signing.

In our view, Koulibaly should look for a move back to Italy, as he knows the league well and it is where he helped build his reputation to begin with.

West Ham United striker Gianluca Scamacca will be targeting a return from injury in ‘two or three weeks’ according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Scamacca injured

Scamacca suffered a knee injury in the 2-2 draw against Leeds United in early January, and although he initially returned off the bench against Wolverhampton Wanderers, he has now missed the last three games in all competitions.

Dinnery recently told Football Insider that the injury could be a sign that the Italian is ‘struggling to adapt’ to the Premier League, and the injury expert has now provided another update.

The Latest: Dinnery’s update

Again speaking to Football Insider about the injury, Dinnery explained that West Ham are using injections to accelerate the 24-year-old’s healing, saying: ““It’s a plasma treatment that concentrates the player’s platelets and injects them into the site area.

“It’s used to accelerate the healing and to quicken the body’s response.

“So that’s why West Ham decided on that particular method.

“Moyes is fairly hopeful that it will help the injury become less severe with those injections.

“But, as with any injury or setback, there are no guarantees that it will return Scamacca to full fitness straight away.

“Realistically, he’ll be targeting a return to the starting lineup in two or three weeks.“

The Verdict: Needed back

The Hammers have managed to turn their form around in the absence of the 6 foot 5 colossus, winning three of their last five games in all competitions, but back-up striker Michail Antonio has scored just once, in the 2-0 victory at Derby County in the FA Cup.

As such, David Moyes could do with a more reliable goalscorer, and while Scamacca has not been overly clinical since arriving at the London Stadium for £35.5m, he was just starting to find his feet, scoring a screamer against Leeds in his final game before injury.

The ‘wonderful’ forward, as hailed by journalist Josh Bunting, is averaging 0.4 goals per 90 minutes in all competitions, the highest amount of any player in the West Ham squad, impressive considering this is his first season in England, and he could go on to be even better if he can shake off his latest injury issue.

Everton seemingly have a clear path to sign free agent Isco, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Talks held

It has been reported that talks are underway with regards to the Goodison Park outfit potentially signing Isco, and a meeting has been scheduled with the intention of advancing those.

Isco was going to move to Union Berlin in the Bundesliga during the January transfer window, but that broke down after the Spaniard was told that he would not be on their UEFA Europa League list.

The Latest: Clear path?

As per Spanish news outlet Estadio Deportivo, Everton can offer Isco an ‘escape’ in terms of finding a new club.

They note that he has already rejected offers from Turkey and Saudi Arabia, and a move to the MLS has also been ruled out because the quota for franchise players is already full.

This means that the Merseyside club have a clear path if they are serious about signing him, and with talks already underway, an official offer could be expected soon.

The Verdict: Get it done

After not being able to sign a single player in January, and letting Anthony Gordon go to Newcastle United, the Toffees could do with some added reinforcements to bolster their squad ahead of what looks to be another relegation battle.

Lauded as a ‘brilliant footballer’ and a ‘true magician’ by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, Isco is a player who can offer some flair and guile to the side, and his experience at the top level would also be useful in the dressing room.

He has won the UEFA Champions League no fewer than five times with Real Madrid, along with many other major accolades, and he is someone the rest of the Blues squad can look up to in terms of getting vital results from now until the end of the campaign.

Sean Dyche was unable to build upon his excellent start to life in the dugout at Everton as he watched his side lose 2-0 to their bitter rivals Liverpool in the Premier League on Monday night.

The former Burnley boss enjoyed a dream debut with the Toffees in the previous outing as they beat league leaders Arsenal 1-0 at Goodison Park. However, the Blues came crashing back down to earth with a sobering defeat to Jurgen Klopp’s team, which has left them sitting one point adrift of safety after 22 matches.

Dyche’s men stayed in the game for most of the first half and came within inches of taking the lead when James Tarkowski rose highest to head a cross against the post, only for a blistering counterattack from Liverpool to end in Mohamed Salah making it 1-0 in the 36th minute.

Cody Gakpo then secured all three points for the home side shortly after half-time as the Dutchman tapped the ball into an empty net at the back post after an excellent pass across the penalty box.

Ellis Simms was trusted to lead the line in the absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin but struggled with the defensive quality on display from the hosts, completing just 54% of his attempted passes and losing 100% of his ground duels, while also drawing criticism from some Everton fans for his performance.

However, the ex-Sunderland man did win five of his nine aerial battles, which shows that the 22-year-old offered a useful outlet in the air and was let down by the lack of support from midfield to pick up the pieces around him.

How did Conor Coady perform against Liverpool?

Whilst it was a difficult night for Simms, the real derby villain on the night for the Toffees was defender Conor Coady, as the experienced enforcer endured a performance to forget.

As per Sofascore, the former Wolves captain did not win a single individual duel in the entire match as he lost all four of the battles that he contested on the pitch. The 29-year-old made two clearances and completed a combined two tackles and interceptions but was also dribbled past three times.

These statistics show that the Liverpool forwards found it far too easy to get the better of the 59-touch defender throughout the game, both in terms of dribbling past him to create opportunities and outmuscling him in physical duels.

Coady was also partially at fault for Gakpo’s goal as he allowed a cross to go past him in the six-yard box, which enabled the Reds forward to tap into an empty net.

After the match, the England international revealed that he was hoping either no-one would be there or Seamus Coleman would be in a position to clear it, but the real mistake was in dropping too deep and playing the Dutch attacker onside at the back post.

Therefore, the 29-year-old was the big villain for Dyche on Monday night, as the experienced defender let his manager down with his lack of physicality and sub-par defending, whilst Simms at least put up a fight in his aerial duels and caused some issues for the Reds.

Newcastle United’s summer spend saw Eddie Howe splash the cash on Swedish marksman Alexander Isak, with the 23-year-old joining for a club-record fee of around £63m from Real Sociedad.

Since that high-profile switch from Spain, however, the 6 foot 4 striker has endured a rather difficult spell at St James’ Park to date due to injury, having made only six Premier League appearances in that time and scored three goals.

Although it is still early days at Newcastle for the former Borussia Dortmund starlet, there may well be a concern as to whether he can go on to flourish long-term, with pundit Stan Collymore having suggested that neither Isak – nor team-mate Callum Wilson – would be Howe’s ‘preferred forward’ for next season.

As such, there may will be frustration as to those other potential targets that the Tynesiders missed out upon during the summer, with one such figure having been Danish sensation Rasmus Hojlund.

Were Newcastle close to signing Hojlund?

The Athletic’s Chris Waugh suggested last August that the then-Sturm Graz ace was among the list of names on whom Newcastle were keeping tabs, having scored 12 goals in just 21 games across all fronts for the Austrian outfit.

Despite that apparent interest, the 6 foot 4 powerhouse – who had only left former club Copenhagen in January 2022 – was ultimately snapped up Serie A outfit Atalanta late in the summer transfer window for a fee of around €17m (£15m) – less than a quarter of what Newcastle forked out for Isak.

The two-cap hotshot had garnered such attention amid notable comparisons to fellow Scandinavian star Erling Haaland, having since gone on to further showcase that likeness with his standout form in Italy.

Is Hojlund the next Haaland?

As a towering, left-footed centre-forward who is “scary quick” – according to journalist Sacha Pisani – Hojlund undoubtedly boasts similar traits to those of the Manchester City machine.

The 20-year-old even talked up such comparisons, stating last year: “I see parallels between myself and Erling Haaland. He is fast, left-footed, tall, has a good nose for goal and is a classy finisher. His mentality is also completely insane!”

His current manager Gian Piero Gasperini has also recently spoken out about the similarities between the youthful duo, having stated following last weekend’s win over Lazio: “Hojlund has this spirit, energy, intensity, but also technical quality that is just remarkable. He still has so much margin for improvement, too. He has very similar characteristics to Haaland, not just his face”.

That 2-0 triumph at the Stadio Olimpico saw the explosive talent rack up his fifth league goal of the season for Atalanta, having also come close to bolstering his tally after showcasing remarkable speed to burst clear of the Lazio defence, only to fire his effort straight at the goalkeeper.

Such a standout moment has illustrated just why such comparisons to Haaland can be made, with the Norwegian superstar having also been lauded by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher for his “blistering pace”.

Howe and co may no doubt be kicking themselves not to have snapped up such a talent on the cheap, particularly with his ‘twin’ Haaland having already taken English football by storm this season, scoring 25 top-flight goals in just over six months.

While Hojlund still has a way to go to reach such heights – with six goals and two assists in 20 games for his current club so far this term – his recent displays have certainly showcased just what the fuss is all about, and why Newcastle may harbour regrets over not bringing him to St James’ Park last year.