All posts by z3u9t.icu

Southampton’s transfer of Mohamed Elyounoussi has proven to be a huge disappointment, with the Norwegian yet to contribute towards a goal this season.

The Saints signed the tricky winger from Basel for a reported £16m back in 2018 but he has only managed 58 appearances in all competitions since. He has had his chances and even been handed loan spells with which to revive his career at St Mary’s.

His poor form in England is made all the more frustrating due to his fine performances on loan at Celtic, where he scored 24 and assisted 14 in just 67 appearances.

He has made more appearances for the Scottish club on loan than he has for his parent club, which is a depressing stat for fans of the club.

Having seen such a large outlay for a man who has contributed to just 12 goals during his time at the club has meant that they have spent £1.3m for each goal contribution.

He has done this whilst picking up a wage of £60k-per-week, further adding to the financial strain he has put on the club.

Forest Green Rovers manager Ian Burchnall, who was assistant coach at his boyhood club Sarpsborg suggested that his desperation for the ball could have frustrated Southampton fans.

He claimed:

“He wants to take players on, to create chances, drifting into positions where he can affect the game.

“Sometimes that can be to his detriment. Southampton fans were frustrated by him being out of position a lot of the time and being one-dimensional.”

Having finally returned from his two-year spell at Celtic, Ralph Hasenhuttl is clearly hoping for a turnaround to get some kind of return on their investment all those years ago by starting him in their opening five Premier League fixtures.

However, with just four goals in the competition across his four years at the club, it seems like a thankless task.

He should just cut his losses and try to move on from this waste of money, who continues to drain the club without giving anything back in return.

Newcastle United backed Eddie Howe in the transfer market over the summer as they brought in four new signings to improve the team.

Dan Ashworth, in his first window as sporting director of the Magpies, signed Sven Botman, Nick Pope, Matt Targett, and Alexander Isak to give the manager a boost heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

This came after PIF allowed the head coach to sign Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn, Chris Wood, and Kieran Trippier in the January transfer window.

The former Bournemouth manager has been heavily backed since arriving at St. James’ Park and it will be interesting to see if the trend continues in January 2023.

It was recently reported that the Magpies may rekindle their interest in signing Dutch central defender Stefan de Vrij from Inter, with the Italian side already preparing for his exit.

They are expecting him to depart at the end of the season, upon the expiry of his contract at the San Siro, but the January window is their last opportunity to recoup a transfer fee for his services.

The £120k-per-week defender, who was once described as a “monster” by his former Lazio teammate Mauricio, is a vastly experienced centre-back who could come in as the perfect partner for Botman at St. James’ Park.

De Vrij has racked up 226 appearances in the Serie A, after playing 135 times in the Eredivisie earlier in his career, and has been capped 58 times by the Netherlands.

Since the start of the 2015/16 campaign, he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.03 or higher in five of his seven seasons in Italy for Lazio and Inter combined. He is now in his eighth year in the country and has averaged 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game, whilst winning 69% of his duels in seven Serie A outings.

These statistics show that he is a physically dominant centre-back who has produced superb performances on a consistent basis in a major European league for the best part of a decade, whilst also playing for his country on a regular basis.

He could, therefore, be a dream partner for Botman as the 22-year-old is still learning the game and could benefit from playing alongside a defender with de Vrij’s experience at the top level, whilst the fact they are compatriots could also help with their partnership on the pitch and how they communicate with each other.

The former Lille man has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.95 in the Premier League this season in five appearances and has won an eye-catching 75% of his individual duels, which shows that both of the Dutchmen are able to dominate opposition attackers with their physical strength.

Now, imagine how well he could progress by learning from a proven, top-level, performer like de Vrij in the next few years.

Ashworth must now swoop to sign the Inter defender in the January transfer window so that Howe can pair him with Botman in the second half of the season and beyond.

Glasgow Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara could leave the club for ‘peanuts’ in the near future, according to talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor.

The Lowdown: Kamara struggling for minutes

The 26-year-old has been a brilliant player for the Gers, winning the Premiership title and also helping them to reach last season’s Europa League final.

Kamara has not been at his best so far this term, though, only starting two league games in total and finding himself out of favour under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Rangers are reportedly happy to let the midfielder leave Ibrox in January, in what could be the best decision for all parties.

The Latest: Kamara exit talked up

Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor admitted that he could easily see Kamara leaving for a cut-price fee in the next transfer window, even though he would advise Rangers to keep the Finland midfielder.

When asked if he could see clubs being interested in the 26-year-old amid reports of an ultimately failed potential deadline day move to Nice, the former Aston Villa striker replied:

“Yes, I can do. Sometimes it might not be working at a club but I still think he’s a good player. You look at £10million and that’s peanuts in the market nowadays.

“I rate him. I think he’s a good midfielder and he can definitely do a job for a manager out there, for sure. It’s still early doors this season. Before we know it, he could be back in that side and starting games again.”

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The Verdict: Time to sell?

While losing Kamara for less than Rangers would ideally want would be a setback, it does feel as though it could be time to accept a decent offer for him, given the current situation.

The 26-year-old isn’t playing regularly and might not be particularly happy at Ibrox, so cutting ties with him could ultimately be the ideal scenario for everybody involved.

It would be a sad way for Kamara’s Light Blues career to end – he has been hailed as ‘fantastic’ by his former Gers boss Steven Gerrard in the past – but he could have left in the summer and didn’t get his wish, so selling in January could be the next best thing.

It wouldn’t be a bad thing for Van Bronckhorst to give him more regular opportunities to turn things around, but it seems hard to envisage the situation changing any time soon.

Tottenham Hotspur squandered numerous chances as they were held to a goalless draw by Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

The north Londoners remained second in group D and failed to respond after losing 3-1 to arch-rivals Arsenal at the weekend, having put in a wasteful display in attack.

Harry Kane and Ivan Perisic both went close and were the most likely to break the deadlock for Antonio Conte, though he also needed goalkeeper Hugo Lloris at the top of his game to deny the home side on a couple of occasions, too.

At times, Spurs had the Bundesliga outfit camped in their own half as Kane and Heung-min Son’s link-up play was encouraging, but also frustrating. In the end, it was a useful point that should’ve been much more as they remained tied on points with the Europa League winners.

Both of the aforementioned duo could be questioned for their lack of firepower but it was perhaps Richarlison who cost the English team more, resulting in him being hooked by the 79th minute.

Indeed, even Lloris (39) registered more touches of the ball than the Brazil international (32) and with what little involvement he had, the 25-year-old proved careless.

If anyone epitomised just how wasteful Tottenham were at the Waldstadion, then it was certainly Richarlison, who made just 61% of his 23 passing attempts, whilst also failing to provide an accurate cross or long ball from three combined attempts, via SofaScore.

Meanwhile, the former Everton dynamo – who is currently valued at £61m by CIES Football Observatory after his £60m summer switch – lost possession 14 times and lost 84% of his duels, meaning he not only handed the ball back to Frankfurt once every 2.3 touches but was also hugely lightweight against the opposition.

Richarlison failed to register an attempt on target too, only compounding his, and subsequently Spurs’, misery in Germany.

‘Clunky and careless in possession’ is how The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick described the Brazilian’s display in his post-game ratings column, where he was graded amongst the worst of Conte’s starting XI, whilst The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke suggested that he was “not on it.”

On the above evidence, it was the £134k-per-week star that cost Conte most over in Frankfurt and he’ll do well to keep his place in the starting XI with Spurs set for a fast turnaround as they face an in-form Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

AND in other news, Sold for £13m, now worth £36.5m: Spurs had a shocker on “unbelievable” £79k-p/w talent…

Aston Villa have held talks over the possibility of sacking Steven Gerrard, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Villa fans unhappy

Villa remain without an away win in the Premier League after drawing 1-1 with Nottingham Forest on Monday evening. Gerrard’s side have only scored seven goals in nine top-flight games and are just three points above the relegation zone.

Some Villa supporters made their feelings known at the City Ground regarding Gerrard’s future, and it looks as if owners NSWE are aware of that.

The Latest: Gerrard update

FI sources provided an update regarding Gerrard’s position on Thursday morning. They revealed that sack talks have been held, with Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens concerned about the team’s failure to improve under Gerrard.

The report adds that it’s now reaching ‘crunch point’ on whether to keep the 42-year-old in the Midlands ahead of the break for the World Cup, in what is described as a ‘big decision’.

Chief executive Christian Purslow is allegedly backing the gaffer, but the owners are ‘unimpressed’.

The Verdict: A matter of time?

Villa have had a number of injury issues to deal with this season, however, the majority of those have come in defence. Gerrard has struggled to get his Villa side firing in attack, with no first-team player scoring two Premier League goals.

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Therefore, if Villa once again fail to impress in the final third against Chelsea on Sunday, we may see NSWE sack Gerrard less than a year after they brought him to the club from Rangers.

Aston Villa have spent big over the last two years, reinvesting their influx of money in an attempt to replace Jack Grealish’s phenomenal output.

He became a hero at Villa Park, bursting through the academy under Paul Lambert whilst being a boyhood fan and going on to captain the club to promotion back to the Premier League.

His sensational performances are the tip of the iceberg as to why he was so deified by fans, so when he left it understandably stung, even if it was for a mouth-watering £100m fee.

His departure saw a slew of attacking talent brought in, with the most underwhelming of the bunch being Leon Bailey, due to his injury woes.

The Jamaican came with a big reputation from Germany but has managed just 27 games, scoring three and assisting three more.

Tasked with replacing the “scary” qualities that Kalvin Phillips bestowed upon Grealish, it was an impossible task when compared to his final season in the Midlands.

He scored six times and assisted 12, helping Villa to an 11th-placed finish. It is even crazier that he only managed 26 league games this campaign.

To have him in Steven Gerrard’s current underperforming side, who have scored just seven goals in nine games, would have been ideal. Alas, he is no longer an option to call upon.

Admittedly, Grealish has struggled since moving to Manchester City as he surrendered the notion of being a big fish in a small pond for the chance to win every trophy available.

Last season he managed just three goals and three assists in the league, a huge decline from his performances during his final season at Villa Park.

Phillips also dubbed the winger a “dream teammate”, and it would certainly be a dream for Aston Villa to have him back as they wallow in 16th.

To add his leadership and love for the club back into a side that seems stagnant would likely be the fuse to reignite them.

To see him depart was inevitable when the unlimited money of the Cityzens come calling, but with both club and player having declined since the move, perhaps it would be mutually beneficial to reunite them.

Villa fans would certainly be in favour of this, to finally add some much-needed consistent creativity to feed the likes of Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins.

An "incredibly fast" player whose club are actively trying to sell him wants to join Everton in the summer transfer window, according to an update from Fabrizio Romano.

Everton transfer news

While there was relief at the Blues preserving their Premier League status once again last season, the time has come from Sean Dyche's side to kick on, hopefully aided by an improved off-pitch situation at the club. US billionaire Dan Friedkin is looking to complete a takeover of the club, although there is still work to be done in that respect.

New faces need to be added to Everton's squad this summer, both in terms of bringing a freshness to it and providing more quality, and Manchester United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been backed to complete a move to Goodison Park. The Englishman has been hailed by Tottenham midfielder James Maddison as "ridiculously good" when it comes to his one-on-one defensive ability.

Leeds United ace Wilfried Gnonto is also reportedly wanted by the Merseysiders, having been predicted to move there plenty of times in the recent past. The Italy international is seen as a strong addition on top of Iliman Ndiaye, who is close to completing a move from Marseille.

Further transfer funds could also be generated by the sale of certain players, and defender Ben Godfrey is on the verge sealing a switch to Serie A side Atalanta, having struggled to ever feel like a key starter under Dyche. The likes of Jarrad Branthwaite and Amadou Onana are also widely expected to move on, with Peterborough United's Ronnie Edwards and Leicester City's Wilfred Ndidi lined up as possible respective replacements for the pair.

"Incredibly fast" ace wants Everton move

Writing on X on Friday, Romano said that Yankuba Minteh sees Everton as a "priority" move this summer, with Newcastle looking to sell him in the coming days, in order to comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP):

"Yankuba Minteh, one to watch in the next 24/48h as Newcastle are still trying to sell him due to Financial Fair Play restrictions. Olympique Lyon made the best proposal, Minteh’s still keen on Everton move as priority. NUFC and Minteh in contact to make decision soon."

Minteh has the potential to be an exciting long-term signing for Everton, and the urgent nature of the situation means that he could even join the club before the start of next week.

The 19-year-old enjoyed an impressive stint on loan at Eredivisie side Feyenoord in 2023/24, not only winning the Dutch Cup but also contributing 10 goals and five assists in the league. His former manager, Arne Slot, who has since replaced Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, heaped praise on the £4,200-a-week attacker during their time together.

"He certainly doesn’t lack self-confidence. His willingness to give everything is enormous. When we see his statistics, it is really impressive. Minteh ran more sprint meters against Ajax in an hour than many players in the two games. He is incredibly fast. And he wants it so badly."

Appearances

27

Starts

17

Goals

10

Assists

5

Dribbles per game

2.2

Shots per game

2.1

Tackles per game

1.7

At 19, Minteh could come in as an effective squad player for Newcastle, proving to be a versatile option capable of playing all the way across the attack, maturing all the time and becoming a genuine force as the years pass.

Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson continued his fine start to the 2022/23 campaign as he scored in the 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

The Magpies frontman brilliantly clipped a left-footed shot over Hugo Lloris’ head, after clashing with the Frenchman outside of the box, from distance.

He has now scored four goals and provided one assist in eight Premier League appearances this season, after plundering eight goals in 16 starts for the club last term.

However, one striker at St. James’ Park is not enjoying a successful campaign as it stands is Chris Wood. The forward has failed to score in 11 top-flight outings and could be third in the pecking order for the number nine role when Alexander Isak is back fit and available.

Newcastle reportedly paid £25m to land the New Zealand international from Burnley back in January and he has struggled badly in front of goal since making the move.

The forward scored two goals in 17 Premier League games in the second half of last term and Dan Ashworth moved to snap up Isak in the summer to compete with Wilson at the top end of the pitch, which indicates that he did not see enough from Wood to suggest that he was good enough to start matches on a regular basis.

Wood has scored two goals and failed to provide a single assist in 28 league matches for the club since moving from the Clarets and Newcastle should now consider cashing in on him in the January transfer window.

The signing, based on his unimpressive statistics, has not worked out and Howe could ditch the flop by unearthing one of the promising strikers in the academy set-up – Dylan Stephenson.

Wood could be the third choice behind Wilson and Isak and this means that the club would not need to bring in another big-money signing with the expectation of them hitting the ground running and being a starter.

Therefore, promoting a youngster to take his place on the bench, whilst playing sporadically in all competitions, could be a healthy progression to help Stephenson in his development, whilst allowing Ashworth to recoup some money on the former Burnley man.

The 19-year-old Toon marksman who Craig Hope once claimed “knows where the net is” has been on fire in the academy side in recent years and his statistics indicate that he has the potential to make the step up to first-team level.

Since the start of last season, Stephenson has scored 17 goals and provided three assists in 32 Premier League 2 outings for the U21s. This comes after he had scored 20 goals in 39 appearances for the U18s prior to moving up an age group as a result of his stunning form in front of goal.

Howe must now promote the talented teen into the first-team set-up to replace Wood, as it would allow the club to sell the New Zealand international in January whilst giving a promising young player an opportunity to prove himself.

CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that there is ‘no chance’ that Bruno Guimaraes will leave Newcastle United in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Big interest

It has been reported by 90min this morning that a number of big clubs are monitoring Bruno’s situation at St. James’ Park as talks continue over the terms of a new contract.

Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea are all interested in his signature, but his current deal does not expire until 2026.

The Latest: No January move

Taking to Twitter, Jacobs has revealed that there is ‘no chance’ that Bruno leaves the North East club in January, and they plan to offer him improved terms ahead of expected interest next summer:

“Newcastle are not worried about losing Bruno Guimaraes. He’s happy, settled and under contract until 2026. Told there is no chance the club will accept any offers in January. They do plan to offer him improved terms, knowing suitors will try to lure him away in summer 2023.”

He adds that Bruno is ‘only focused’ on the Tynesiders and trying to qualify them for European football this season:

“But even without them in place, and due to time left on his contract, told Bruno is only focused on Newcastle and trying to get them into Europe this season. Clubs chasing him are going to have the play the long game. He’s relishing being part of NUFC’s rise right now.”

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The Verdict: Relief

It will no doubt come as a relief to the Toon Army that Bruno is fully committed to the club, and that it looks as if he is going to stay beyond this campaign.

The Brazilian has been their third-best performing player in the Premier League so far, contributing two goals and two assists (WhoScored), helping the Magpies rise up to an impressive fourth spot in the table.

Very much part of the new regime, Bruno will help attract other big names the longer he stays, and at 24 years of age, the club will be hoping that he is a mainstay in the side for years to come.

Tottenham Hotspur journalist Dan Kilpatrick can’t believe one injury update to have emerged involving Cristian Romero.

The Lowdown: Journalist shares Romero news…

In the last 48 hours, Spurs supporters were handed a mixed bag of an injury update on the 24-year-old by overseas journalist Gaston Edul – coming amid their other injury woes to Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski.

It is believed that, in some ‘good news’ for the player personally, Romero could be able to feature for Argentina at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, with a claim emerging on his ‘strain’.

Edul claimed that the Tottenham ace could be ‘cured’ in time to make Lionel Scaloni’s squad for the tournament, but as since relayed by Kilpatrick, there is some bad news from a Tottenham point of view.

The Latest: Kilpatrick can’t believe Romero update…

Taking to social media, the reporter has blasted Spurs’ luck with his own verdict on the update.

Edul claims that Romero could be fit again after the Lilywhites’ last game before the World Cup, an aspect of the player’s recovery which means he will miss Antonio Conte’s next three matches in a blow for Spurs.

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Kilpatrick stated (via Twitter): “Romero reportedly out for 10 days, which would rule him out of Spurs’ last three games but see him return for the WC. Well I never.”

The Verdict: Blow for Spurs…

While Romero making the World Cup is fantastic news for the player himself, it’s a setback for Spurs, who would’ve been hoping to have him back for crunch Premier League encounters against Liverpool and Leeds United prior to the tournament in Qatar.

The former Atalanta star has impressed in N17 since making the move from Italy, with club legend Ledley King even calling him ‘brilliant’.

He has shown his defensive credentials by posting the highest interceptions average (1.4) and second-most tackles per game (2.4) among Tottenham’s squad so far this term, as per WhoScored.

Conte will be hoping that Romero comes back from Qatar in full nick as Spurs chase another Champions League qualification spot.