All posts by z3u9t.icu

Celtic had a rather successful 2021/22 Premiership season under the management of Ange Postecoglou.

The Hoops won 29, drew six and lost just three of their 38 league matches, leaving them with 93 points on the board as they clinched the title with four points to spare on their nearest challengers.

One other impressive factor of Celtic’s campaign is that they scored more goals than any other team in the league, finding the net 92 times, 14 more than they managed in the 2020/21 season.

To further highlight how impressive Postecoglou’s side were, 18 different players got their names on the scoresheet.

Now that the season has ended with the Bhoys taking their place as Scotland’s top side, the focus will be on the summer transfer window and getting their squad ready for the 2022/23 season.

One man with whom the Hoops have been linked and who could make them an even deadlier team in attack is Antoine Semenyo.

A product of Bristol City’s youth academy, the 22-year-old has made 98 appearances for the club, highlighting the experience that he has at a relatively young age.

He was one of the Robins’ most important players in the 2021/22 campaign, racking up eight goals and 12 assists in 31 Championship appearances. To further highlight how much of a nuisance he is to opposition goalkeepers, the centre-forward had a higher average of shots per game (2.3) than any of his team-mates.

Labelled by journalist Saddick Adams on Twitter as a player who is “difficult to mark”, the striker reportedly has a rather significant price tag of £20m.

Having also been likened to Brazil forward Hulk in terms of his stylistic similarities, this would make him an even more exciting prospect for Celtic and Postecoglou to have in their ranks.

The 35-year-old has 357 goals and 195 assists to his name in 660 club appearances, so if the Hoops manager has the chance to secure his own version of the Brazilian in the shape of Semenyo this summer, then Celtic should absolutely get him signed.

In other news – Talks incoming: Celtic plot swoop for £4.05m-rated dynamo, he’s Ange’s next “warrior”

The likelihood of Sadio Mane leaving Liverpool this summer is ‘increasing’ all the time, according to fresh transfer reports.

The Lowdown: Mane expected to leave

The 30-year-old’s Reds adventure looks set to be coming to an end this summer, following a glittering six years at Anfield.

Mane has matured into one of the world’s best attacking players and he is thought to be looking for another big challenge before his best days are behind him.

Bayern Munich now look almost nailed-on to sign the Senegal forward, with the Bundesliga giants aiming to replace the seemingly exit-bound Robert Lewandowski.

The Latest: Mane transfer latest

According to reports from Sport BILD and Sky Sports Germany [via Sport Witness], the chances of Mane completing a move to Bayern are ‘increasing’ by the day.

Liverpool are ‘prepared to hand over’ the attacking superstar, with Darwin Nunez seemingly coming in as his direct replacement from Benfica.

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The Verdict: Only a matter of time

There is no surprise about this update, in truth, with Mane’s exit now looking almost inevitable considering that Nunez appears to be closing in on a big-money switch to Anfield.

It is hard to begrudge the Senegal legend a new challenge at this stage of his career, having given every ounce of quality and energy to the Reds since 2016, scoring 120 goals and winning six trophies for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

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In fact, Liverpool could end viewing this as a shrewd summer in the transfer market, with 22-year-old Nunez a much younger (and hugely potent) option and 30-year-old Mane possibly past the absolute peak of his powers.

In other news, Liverpool are interested in signing an emerging player. Find out who it is here

Former BBC pundit Noel Whelan has warned Manchester City not to get rid of Bernardo Silva this summer after they put a huge price tag on the midfield maestro’s head.

The Lowdown: City demand £80m for Silva

The 27-year-old first joined the Premier League champions when he arrived from Monaco back in 2017, and has gone on to become a Sky Blues fan favourite during his five years at the club, making 251 appearances to date.

The midfielder still has three years remaining on his current contract at the Etihad, and it was claimed by the Daily Mirror last week that the club will demand ‘in excess of £80m’ from Barcelona this summer, who want to bring the versatile star to La Liga.

The Latest: Whelan sends City warning

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan suggested that whilst £80m would be a good value deal for any interested clubs, he strongly believes that Silva could strike up a great partnership with new signing Erling Haaland.

“He’s been one of the most consistent players for Man City in every season since joining. He was close to leaving last summer, but what a revelation he was in the 2021-22 season.

“On his day, he’s just one of these players you can’t defend against.

“£80m doesn’t seem a bad figure from a buyer’s perspective, especially as he has another three or four years of his best football ahead of him.

“I would be really reluctant to sell him if I were Man City.

“You’ve got Erling Haaland coming in who would thrive from having his quality. What’s the point of bringing Haaland in if he’s not going to get the service?”

The Verdict: Valuable creative outlet

With Fernandinho confirmed to be leaving this summer, as well as the uncertainty surrounding the future of Ilkay Gundogan, City need to do everything that they can to keep Silva, who has been a brilliant creative outlet in the middle of the park.

This season, the 70-cap international racked up 13 goals and provided seven assists across all competitions under Pep Guardiola, as per Transfermarkt, and played a huge role in helping the Spaniard get his hands on yet another top-flight trophy.

Whether the Lisbon-born talent will still be a City player come the start of August yet remains to be seen, but we find it very difficult do disagree with Whelan’s assessment.

In other news… another Manchester City first team star could reportedly be tempted by a ‘fresh challenge’ away from the Etihad.

Bruno Lage looks set for a major rebuild this summer at Wolves, with the likes of Romain Saiss, John Ruddy and Marcal all leaving and the futures of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves uncertain, there will be plenty of incomings.

The club appears to be casting its eye towards Portugal, with moves for Matheus Nunes and Joao Palhinha making progress, but this is just the beginning of the project for Lage, who will want to improve on the side’s tenth-place finish in the Premier League last season.

According to journalist Alan Nixon via Inside Futbol, Manchester City defender Oleksandr Zinchenko could be offered to Wolves during the transfer window as Pep Guardiola has given the player the green light to leave following their interest in Marc Cucurella. City value the player at £30m according to 90min so a move won’t come cheap.

That said, this is the type of quality Lage requires in order to take Wolves to the next level and Zinchenko’s versatility could be an added bonus, with the player looking to gain more game time in a slightly advanced role.

If he does sign the £59k-per-week star from City, Lage could very well land his own Joao Cancelo, with the two having similar styles of play as per FBref.

The two player’s stats are similar. Zinchenko had the higher shots on target percentage (33.3%) compared to Cancelo (28.4%) although the Portuguese player played more matches.

When it comes to passing, the Ukrainian again has the higher percentage of completed passes, but there isn’t much in it (89.3% to 83.9%).

The pair have both won over 50% of their aerial duels with Zinchenko (51.5%) and Cancelo (52.1%) proving just how effective they are in the air.

With Cancelo’s valuation sitting at £58.5m, there’s no reason to doubt that Zinchenko can follow suit.

The “unique” City star could be a shrewd acquisition for Lage and sealing a deal for the talented player would signal a big statement of intent from Wolves.

AND in other news, “Talks ongoing..”: Fabrizio Romano drops Wolves transfer update that’ll delight Lage

Journalist Patrick Berger has now revealed who Newcastle United’s ‘top target’ is after Sven Botman.

The Lowdown: Botman deal agreed

It has been reported that a deal has now been agreed for Botman to move to St. James’ Park from Lille, making him their third summer signing after Matt Targett and Nick Pope, assuming he agrees personal terms.

With a central defender, left-back and goalkeeper already signed, the North East club can now focus on strengthening in other areas of the pitch ahead of the new season.

The Latest: Diaby the ‘top target’

Taking to Twitter, Berger of SPORT1 has revealed that Diaby is now the ‘top target’ for the Tynesiders after Botman, although he has ‘no intention’ of moving to the Magpies:

“Moussa Diaby is the top target for Newcastle United. NUFC set to pay €35-40m for the Frenchman. Leverkusen demanding way more then €60m. I am told player is open for a move but has no intention to go to Newcastle. The winger is also on the list of Paris Saint-Germain.”

The Verdict: Shame

It is a shame that Diaby does not seem to want to move to the Toon, despite them registering their interest.

In a similar mould to Allan Saint-Maximin, the French winger has been praised by German media for his ‘amazing’ dribbling, ‘irresistible’ pace and ‘astonishing’ speed of thought, and he was even called ‘unstoppable’ after scoring one goal and setting up another in a 4-0 thrashing of Borussia Monchengladbach last season (Bundesliga).

Diaby scored no fewer than 17 goals and supplied a further 14 assists in total over all competitions last term (Transfermarkt), and would give Eddie Howe’s team another dimension in attack, should they be able to persuade him to join.

Everton should now look at ‘overhauling the midfield’ after the ‘massive’ test of losing Richarlison to Tottenham, claims The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland.

The Lowdown: Richarlison’s move

After David Ornstein broke news on Thursday morning that the 25-year-old Toffee was set to undergo his medical with Spurs, a deal has now been confirmed.

The Merseyside outfit eventually accepted a £50m fee with £10m worth of add-ons for the Brazil international, after they initially rejected a £40m bid on Wednesday.

Richarlison has been hoping to test himself on the European stage, so a move to Tottenham will see his ambitions met by playing in the Champions League next season.

The Latest: Boyland’s claim

After it was revealed that Everton had accepted Spurs’ bid, Boyland shared his thoughts on Richarlison’s exit.

Taking to Twitter, the journalist claimed:

“It is, in essence, a massive early test for the new recruitment structure (DOF, Lampard etc). Replace best player in side that finished 16th.

“But it is not impossible and Everton must see this also as an opportunity to better balance the squad as a whole.

“Think there should be just as much focus (maybe more) on overhauling the midfield and adding pace/creativity on right. Who takes set pieces/delivers the final pass?”

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The Verdict: Big hole to fill

Since arriving from Watford, the 25-year-old has gone on to establish himself as the Toffees’ most valuable player.

Having finished the 2021/22 Premier League season as Frank Lampard’s top scorer with ten goals, Richarlison’s departure will leave a big hole in Everton’s starting XI.

The transfer will now allow the club to reinvest however, given the previous worries surrounding Financial Fair Play sanctions.

A direct replacement for the winger will be very hard to come by, making this a huge loss for the Blues on the pitch, but perhaps it could benefit Lampard in the long-run if he can get his recruitment right.

The Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has revealed that there is ‘interest’ from Championship clubs in Newcastle United duo Ciaran Clark and Dwight Gayle.

The Lowdown: On the fringes

Both players were on the fringes of Eddie Howe’s squad last season, with just 23 appearances made between them in total.

As per The Daily Mail, they are both training with the under-23s at the moment alongside Jeff Hendrick, so they seemingly do not have a long-term future at St James’ Park.

The Latest: Championship ‘interest’

Taking to Twitter, Hope has revealed that there is ‘interest’ in Gayle from Middlesbrough, while they and Stoke City are boh ‘interested’ in Clark.

The reporter outlined: “Middlesbrough & Stoke also interested in Ciaran Clark. Boro had shown interest in Dwight Gayle but, as it stands, that is unlikely. Some at Boro like Jordan Rhodes but Huddersfield asking for too much, I’m told.”

The Verdict: Get rid

Given their lack of game-time last term, and with a few strikers and centre-backs ahead of them in the pecking order, it would be best for Newcastle to just get rid of the duo if the opportunity arises.

Clark currently earns £42,000-per-week on Tyneside, while Gayle is on £37,000-per-week, so overall they could trim a handy £79,000-per-week off the Magpies’ wage bill, along with whatever transfer fees they can get for the pair.

The money earned from selling the duo could then be used to help fund transfer targets in other areas of the pitch, as Howe looks to get his squad finalised before the new campaign starts in four weeks’ time.

The Northern Echo journalist Scott Wilson has revealed some significant Sunderland transfer news on Jack Rudoni.

The Lowdown: Bid made

It has been reported that the Stadium of Light outfit have already made a bid for Rudoni, but they face competition from a number of other clubs in the Championship for his signature.

Dubbed an ‘excellent‘ player by former AFC Wimbledon manager Mark Robinson, the midfielder enjoyed a standout individual season with the south London club, as he was voted their Player of the Year (POTY).

The Latest: Luton interest

Taking to Twitter in sharing a corresponding report for The Northern Echo, Wilson has revealed that Sunderland are now facing ‘new competition’ from Luton Town to sign Rudoni, adding that it ‘increasingly looks like’ the Black Cats will need to raise their offer to £1m if they want to bring him to Wearside.

The reporter tweeted: “#SAFC facing new competition from Luton Town for Jack Rudoni. They haven’t wanted to go to £1m for the AFC Wimbledon midfielder – but it increasingly looks like they’ll have to if they’re going to get him…”

The Verdict: Get it done

Of course, Sunderland will not want to enter a bidding war with Luton or any other Championship club for Rudoni, but if they can get him for £1m or less, it would represent great business.

The Englishman is only 21 years of age, so his market value is likely to increase over the next few years, leaving the summer as the perfect opportunity to snap him up from AFC Wimbledon after their relegation to League Two.

His more than any Sunderland midfielder managed last term, which suggest that he would instantly improve Alex Neil’s side in the middle of the park.

West Bromwich Albion got their summer transfer business off to an exciting start as they announced in May that they had secured a deal to sign John Swift on a free transfer from Reading.

Having scored 11 goals and delivered 13 assists in 38 league appearances last season, it’s easy to see why the Baggies were so eager to secure his signature and what they will be expecting from him on the pitch moving forward.

With still a few weeks left before the summer transfer window ends, another midfielder who has been linked with a move to The Hawthorns and who would allow Steve Bruce to form a potentially scary duo alongside Swift is Lewis O’Brien.

In 130 appearances for Huddersfield Town, the 23-year-old has found the net eight times and supplied 10 assists along the way. This shows that, just like Swift (albeit not on as regular a basis), the Terriers midfielder has a nose for scoring and creating goals.

However, it’s O’Brien’s defensive nous which could make it a suitable addition to West Brom’s squad and give Swift the freedom to be a regular attacking threat in the team.

No other player at the Yorkshire club won more tackles in the league last season than the Englishman (59), who also made 33 interceptions. This highlights just how difficult an opponent he can be and why he would be a great asset for the Midlands club.

This defensive industry combined with Swift’s ability to be a menace in front of goal is the sort of midfield partnership which could push the Baggies further up the table and into the mix to win promotion back to the Premier League.

O’Brien’s overall performances in his 46 Championship games during the previous campaign earned him an impressive season rating of 7.09/10 from WhoScored, making him the highest-rated outfield player at the John Smith’s Stadium.

This backs up why he was described as a “sensational” player by Jonathan Hogg and why Huddersfield are reportedly looking to recoup a rather significant fee of £10m for him this summer.

If Bruce feels the need to strengthen his midfield further before the 2022/23 campaign kicks off, adding the Huddersfield star to his ranks could be a worthwhile investment for the Baggies to make, especially if he can help to get the best out of Swift at the same time.

AND in other news: WBA can finally axe “overhyped” flop with move for £10m dynamo who’s “one of the best”

Tottenham Hotspur could finally end their Tanguy Ndombele nightmare this summer…

What’s the word?

Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici is currently in Milan to discuss several potential deals, both incoming and outgoing, and it is thought that AS Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo is on the agenda.

Jose Mourinho’s side have just signed Paulo Dybala and whilst it remains to be seen exactly how he’ll fit in, it could impact the Italian’s place in the starting lineup, given they play similar roles.

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According to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), Paratici has been a long-term admirer of Zaniolo and it’s thought that the Serie A side would part ways with him ‘under the right conditions.’

Some reports have suggested that the 23-year-old is valued at around €50m (£43m).

Bye-bye Ndombele

A creative playmaker is thought to be high on the agenda for Tottenham now that they have secured six new signings, ranging from new wing-backs in Ivan Perisic and Djed Spence to a left-sided centre-back in Clement Lenglet and a standout swoop for Richarlison to bolster the attack even more.

All that is really missing is that no.10-type figure, even if Antonio Conte’s initial system doesn’t cater for it. Finding a player of this calibre will allow him to change it up in-game or allow for further midweek rotation.

It also would mean that Ndombele is pushed closer to the exit door, having been left at home for their pre-season trip to South Korea in a bid to resolve his future. Often dubbed “very lazy” throughout his tenure, Spurs’ club-record £55m dud has failed to hit the heights expected from such a price tag.

After being shipped out on loan in January to former club Lyon, it’s abundantly clear that he has no part to play in Conte’s plans. Paratici can give him a nudge towards the door by signing Zaniolo, who appears to be streets ahead of the Frenchman.

The Italian provided eight goals and nine assists across 42 appearances under Mourinho last season, an impressive feat considering his injury history. This is also a step up to that of Ndombele, who has only managed ten goals and nine assists across a three-year spell.

His form over in Italy has earned plenty of praise and even some exciting comparisons. According to his former Inter coach Stefano Vecchi, the 6 foot 3 midfielder is “a [Steven] Gerrard, [Frank] Lampard-type player.”

Meanwhile, Roma legend Francesco Totti believes Zaniolo is an “explosive” talent and that he has “everything it takes to become a truly great player”.

An average of 1.2 key passes per 90 minutes throughout his career to date suggests that he is consistent when it comes to delivering in the final third and that is something that can’t be said for Ndombele, who has failed to surpass 0.7 key passes per 90 in each of the last two Premier League seasons.

It’s time to offload the French flop and a move for Zaniolo instead could pay serious dividends. It makes a lot more sense given the Italian connections.

AND in other news, Paratici given green light to seal “extraordinary” £34m Spurs signing, Conte needs him…