All posts by z3u9t.icu

West Ham United are reportedly considering Stade de Reims boss Will Still as a potential heir to David Moyes at the London Stadium and the 30-year-old could take Divin Mubama to the very top.

Could West Ham hire Will Still?

According to French news outlet Foot Mercato, the Hammers appreciate Still as an option for next season and the managerial prodigy could easily be tempted by a switch to the London Stadium, as he has already admitted to being a West Ham fan.

West Ham currently sit 18th in the Premier League with relegation a real option, which suggests that Moyes cannot be considered the long-term option in the dugout if the Hammers are to progress as a club.

Still, meanwhile, is fresh off the back of a 19-game unbeaten run in Ligue 1, which was only ended when his side suffered a 2-1 home defeat by Marseille last weekend, having avoided defeat against PSG twice and impressively beaten AS Monaco in that run.

At just 30, Still is the youngest manager in Europe's top leagues and has earned a lot of plaudits for his success with Les rouges et blancs, with journalist Julien Laurens labelling him a "genius" when it comes to tactical decisions in a recent interview.

One of the key reasons behind Still's success at Reims has been the superb form of Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun, who trails only Jonathan David and Kylian Mbappe for goals in France's top flight so far this campaign.

The 21-year-old's 17 goals in just 27 Ligue 1 appearances is a testament to Still's impressive coaching, as his only other loan spell produced an underwhelming three goals in the Championship with Middlesbrough.

Could Will Still unleash Mubama?

Balogun's form indicates that Still knows how to get the best out of young strikers and should he move to West Ham, he could produce similar results with academy star Divin Mubama.

Despite West Ham's woes in front of goal so far this campaign, which see them ranked as one of the lowest scorers in the division, Moyes is yet to trust Mubama in the Premier League.

The 18-year-old, who has been tipped for a "massive future" at the London Stadium by journalist Josh Bunting, has plundered in 11 goals in 15 Premier League 2 appearances this season and scored his first senior goal in the 4-0 triumph against AEK Larnaca last week.

There seems to be little that will stop the teenage striker from being a hit in West Ham's senior side in the future, and with Gianluca Scamacca and Michail Antonio both struggling for form this term, with six league goals between them, Mubama might just get his chance under a progressive manager such as Still.

If he can replicate Balogun's form at Reims under the young Belgian, then he will surely fire the Hammers up the Premier League table next season.

Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will "definitely leave" the club in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

What's gone wrong for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang?

The 33-year-old has endured a torrid time of things at Chelsea since arriving from Barcelona, in a move that has undoubtedly backfired. The attacker has made just 18 appearances for the Blues, scoring only three goals in the process, and he has looked a shadow of the player who once shone so brightly for the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal, where goals came so relentlessly.

It has become abundantly clear that Aubameyang has no future at Stamford Bridge under Graham Potter, with the Chelsea manager deeming him surplus to requirements and seemingly a rotten apple who needs to be away from his squad sooner rather than later.

The Gabon international's current Blues deal expires at the end of next season, meaning this summer is the last opportunity to receive a fee for his services, and an exit appears to be imminent.

Out-of-favour striker on the move?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Phillips said that Aubameyang's time at Chelsea will certainly be up once the 2022/23 campaign reaches its conclusion:

"He's obviously just been spotted over in Barcelona watching the El Clásico. I've been told for weeks now that he will definitely leave in the summer, without a doubt. Barcelona are certainly one club to watch where he might go. They're pretty keen to bring him back. Xavi never wanted him to go in the first place, but they're not interested in paying any money for him, really, unless it's a very low fee."

Selling Aubameyang this summer is an absolute no-brainer for Chelsea, considering what a huge flop he has been since arriving last year. Granted, his age meant that there was a risk of a dropoff happening, but few saw him being this ineffective and featuring so little at this point.

Ultimately, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was happy to see the 73-cap and 30-goal Gabon star leave for a reason, seeing him as a disruptive influence, and the Blues must now do exactly the same, shipping him off elsewhere. It is important that Potter is able to build a young team that can grow into a force, with endless running and a strong team ethic part of his ethos, and Aubameyang doesn't fill the bill whatsoever, in that respect.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has name-dropped Manchester United as a potentially interested side amid uncertainty over Ansu Fati.

What's the latest on Ansu Fati and Man United?

The 20-year-old winger has been in the news of late after his father gave a pretty explosive interview regarding his son's status at Barcelona.

Indeed, the player's parent told COPE: "As a father I am angry, yes, like any father. Because seeing Ansu play so little makes you a little angry. I tell them that we deserve much more. Ansu when he played before getting injured, there was Messi, [Luis] Suarez, [Ousmane] Dembele, [Antoine] Griezmann.

"It bothers me that they give him a minute, two minutes or three minutes. The forwards that are there are phenomenal, but we are talking about Ansu Fati, from the Spanish national team, he is not just any boy. He's a boy who left La Masia. If you don't give him that, what are you going to give him? Ansu deserves much more, we're talking about Barcelona's '10.'"

While talking about this latest drama on House of Champions: A CBS Soccer Podcast, Romano revealed that this could lead the player to a Premier League club in the future.

He then explained why the Red Devils could be in the mix, saying (20:25): "I think yes, something could happen with Premier League clubs because they always had an interest in Ansu Fati.

"It was Manchester United two years ago, other clubs one year ago asking about the situation of Ansu Fati.

"But there is one point we saw the statements from the father Bori Fati in public, but from what I understand Ansu Fati, his idea is to stay at Barcelona.

"He would love to stay at Barca. He wants to fight and stay for a place at Barcelona."

Would Fati leave Barcelona?

In fairness to Fati, he managed to show his quality this weekend and ignore all this drama to score for Barca on the weekend in La Liga.

Indeed, after netting in the 4-0 win over Elche, his manager Xavi even praised the £235k-p/w star, telling the press (via 90min): “Ferran [Torres] and Ansu made the difference. I’m very happy for them because they needed a bit of confidence. I’m very happy with Ferran and Ansu. They will score more goals for sure.

“Ansu needed that goal. Forwards change their faces when they score, you can tell. He was very tired at the end, because he worked very hard for the team in defence. The goal is the result of his hard work and individual talent.”

He certainly is a highly talented player and so if he can't break into the Barca team with any regularity, he may well be tempted to leave – after all, he has started just ten La Liga games this term, scoring four goals and claiming three assists across 1010 minutes in total.

Seeing as he's been on Man Utd's radar in the past, it would certainly make sense if they were monitoring his situation closely, perhaps ready to pounce in the summer transfer market if the right opportunity was to arise.

Manchester United have held "very positive" talks to sign Bayer Leverkusen full-back Jeremie Frimpong this summer.

What’s the latest on Frimpong and Man United?

The Red Devils were heavily linked with a move for Frimpong last year, with Sky Sports Germany claiming that a move had at one stage been “becoming more and more apparent”. However, as we know, a transfer failed to materialise, although speculation has returned in recent months.

Football Insider stated back in February that United and Erik ten Hag are plotting a move to bring the Netherlands international to the Premier League, with Old Trafford scouts raving about the player. It seems as if a first move has now been made ahead of the summer, with Frimpong impressing in the Bundesliga, contributing to 13 goals in 26 league games.

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg provided an update in the last 48 hours regarding the Red Devils and Frimpong. He revealed that talks have been held between those at Old Trafford and the player’s agent, agent Jeffrey Lemmert, with those discussions thought to be “very positive”.

Plettenberg then added in his Twitter post that “Ten Hag admires the player” and how Frimpong is “open” to leaving Leverkusen over the coming months.

Should Man United sign Frimpong?

Frimpong, Hailed as a “special player” by his manager Xabi Alonso, has enjoyed his best-ever season when it comes to goal contributions and appears to be going from strength to strength. His Transfermarkt valuation has rocketed from €10m to €35m during his time with Leverkusen, where he has been the club’s second-best performer this season behind Florian Wirtz, as per WhoScored.

The 22-year-old has outperformed both United right-backs Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka and has been Leverkusen’s most fouled player and most successful dribbler. Frimpong has also registered more assists than any Leverkusen player and is equal with Bruno Fernandes in that regard, so a move by United could be an extremely shrewd one.

The Red Devils recently secured Luke Shaw to a new long-term contract so appear to have their left-back option nailed down in the long run, but there still seems to be a question at right-back. United appear to be open to offers for Wan-Bissaka over the coming months, so should he depart, Frimpong could be brought in as his replacement and look to rival Dalot for a starting spot in Ten Hag’s second season, making this one to keep an eye on.

Journalist Simon Phillips has claimed that interim Chelsea manager Frank Lampard will revert to a back three in the club's next game.

What's the latest on Frank Lampard and Chelsea?

The 44-year-old has a big task on his hands right now as he looks to steady the ship with former head coach Graham Potter now fired.

Things under Lampard didn't get off to a good start as the Blues lost in the Premier League against Wolves, but he must put that disappointment behind him quickly.

Indeed, Chelsea now face a season-defining quarter-final clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League and travel to the Bernabeu on Wednesday for the first leg.

Naturally, the coach will have to think long and hard about his team selection. But it also seems as though Lampard is yet to decide what formation to play.

In a new article for GiveMeSport, Phillips revealed that the Englishman nearly played a back three against Wolves and may yet play it against Madrid.

He wrote: "Lampard changed the formation to his preferred 4-3-3, but I understand that him and his team had also heavily considered sticking with a back three and I'd be very surprised if they don't revert to that for the Real Madrid game on Wednesday night.

"After only having two training sessions, it was tough for Lampard to get his ideas across, and also he has yet to really assess his entire squad. Whilst he did work with some of them the first time around, there are also many new faces in a massively changed squad. Lampard has admitted that he hasn't had enough time to watch all of Chelsea's games this season, so he is very much giving them all a clean slate. This brings pros and cons, and some Chelsea fans have already been left frustrated by his first team selection back."

He added that the interim manager was "annoyed" during and after the Wolves game and won't be afraid to drop players once he's fully assessed the squad.

How will Chelsea line up against Real Madrid?

Against Wolves, Lampard did play a 4-3-3, as Phillips points out. But when in charge of Everton earlier this season, he was flexible enough to play a back five – or a back three depending on how you see it.

What's more, under Potter, Chelsea often abandoned the traditional back four. And so the current set of players should be well-equipped to go to either formation.

In potentially big news for the Blues, Thiago Silva returned to training Monday and so he is now in contention to play against Real Madrid, while N'Golo Kante and Mason Mount could also both feature.

No doubt this could have major impact on Lampard's plans. With Silva, for instance, he may feel as though his defence will have another quality without having to play that extra defender.

It will certainly be interesting to see how things play out.

When Chelsea announced that they had won the race to sign Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk back in January for an £88.5m fee, you would be forgiven for thinking that he could be a player to take the club to the next level.

He had starred for Shakhtar Donetsk during the first half of the season, registering 18 goal contributions across all competitions, and he was one of the most sought-after wingers on the continent.

Since arriving at the Stamford Bridge outfit however, he has underwhelmed so far, grabbing just two assists, while the 22-year-old has an average Premier League Sofascore rating of 6.38/10, succeeding with just 27% of his dribble attempts and failing to score.

Would the Blues have been better off pursuing another January target instead – perhaps one who could have offered a greater attacking threat and settled in better than Mudryk? In Portuguese forward Rafael Leao, Chelsea appear to have missed a trick.

Did Chelsea miss out on Rafael Leao in the January transfer window?

The club were linked with the AC Milan player throughout the winter transfer window, with the Serie A side demanding a fee of €80m (£70m) in order for anyone to sign him, which would have worked out cheaper than the Mudryk deal.

There is no doubt Leao would have been a much better signing for Chelsea than Mudryk when you take a deeper look into their respective stats this season.

Across various attacking metrics, Leao has registered more goals (ten to six), shots per game (3.59 to 1.82), shot-creating actions per game (4.55 to 2.83) and delivered more crosses (57 to 11) this season than the Chelsea winger, suggesting that they may have signed the wrong player.

Leao ranks in the top 10% across Europe’s big five leagues for assists, progressive carries and successful take ons over the past year, whereas the Ukrainian barely ranks in the top 40% for the latter two statistics, clearly suggesting the Milan star is one of the finest on the continent in his position.

Having been dubbed “electric” by teammate Fikayo Tomori, the data does suggest he may have added more goals to a struggling Chelsea frontline and in turn, could have saved Graham Potter from the sack.

That is all conjecture of course, but the stats don’t lie – Leao has been in much greater form than the current Chelsea winger and perhaps in hindsight, would have made a bigger impact at the club.

Manchester United fans could be enlightened with a potential takeover update in the coming days following the latest deadline on Friday night.

What's the latest with Man United's possible takeover?

It is now half a year on from when the Glazer family announced that they would be open to listening to offers for the Premier League giants.

And in that time, a number of interested parties have arisen with the likes of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Qatari party emerging as serious bidders.

However, in that time, there has been a number of deadlines set for the proposed bidders to table their best offer.

And it seems the latest of those deadlines has been set for 10pm on Friday (28 April) with final bids to be submitted to the Raine Group.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils look set to secure a significant source of revenue on the pitch with Champions League football firmly in their hands with seven games to go.

Speaking on the FIVE YouTube channel, David Ornstein has claimed there is the notion an update should follow in the days after Friday's deadline:

(30:00) "The consensus is that after that deadline [28 April], we should have some clarity in the days ahead as to where this is heading. But from my perspective, it remains unpredictable. Clearly there is confidence within those two main parties of [Sheikh] Jassim and [Sir Jim] Ratcliffe. But there is also an issue within the family over whether they stay or go."

Will the Glazer's sell Man United?

Well, it does seem it is not a foregone conclusion that putting the club on the market does, in fact, mean that the Glazer family will sell the club.

Indeed, a report from ESPN has suggested the current owners could potentially look to remain at the helm if they do not feel they are maximising their profit through a possible sale.

The report even claims that the American family could possibly look to remain at Old Trafford for another decade with the notion of increasing their return on investment even further.

It is believed the Glazers are looking for a bid in the region of £6 billion to take the reins at Old Trafford as they currently hold the majority stake (69%).

However, according to the report from ESPN, there is the belief that remaining at the club could potentially see their stake in the club rise to around £10 billion over the years.

Erik ten Hag's first campaign will be labelled as a success if they secure a spot inside the top four this season, however, there are clear areas for improvement.

And the longer this potential sale goes on for, the more time it will eat into ahead of the summer transfer window where the Dutchman will be looking for the funds to improve his side.

It’s been a season to remember for Aston Villa, who have gone from relegation candidates to a side pushing for Europe in just over half a season. The key to Villa’s success has been the introduction of Unai Emery, who took the reins from Steven Gerrard back in October, and the club haven’t looked back since the Spaniard arrived.

In his short time in the Midlands, former keeper Brad Freidel has commended Emery for “putting smiles” on the faces of his players, when speaking to BBC, who have found their form in a system specialised by the four-time Europa League winner.

With European football still a possibility for the Villains with four games remaining, the club are looking towards the summer transfer window, where the 51-year-old will have the chance to put his stamp on the club and progress from this season's success.

The club have reportedly already been eyeing candidates for their potential transfers this summer, one name being 22-year-old Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe, who the club have moved for before.

What’s the latest on Aston Villa's interest in Emile Smith-Rowe?

Despite Villa’s bid exceeding £30m being rejected in the summer of 2021, the club are reported to still have the young midfielder on their radar, as per reports from football.london.

The London-born Arsenal fan has played for the Gunners since the age of 9, and following the rejection of the Midlands side’s bids, penned a new deal at the club and took the infamous no.10 shirt.

Everything looked set for the 'immensely gifted' midfielder – as described by his club – to kick on and become a regular starter at the Emirates Stadium, but things haven’t gone to plan after suffering repeated injuries and falling short to the talent of Martin Odegaard.

The lack of game time of the youngster has sparked rumours that his time may be coming to an end in north London, having played just 142 minutes this season.

What can Emile Smith-Rowe offer Aston Villa?

Once hailed as “special” by Premier League legend Jamie Carragher (via the Daily Mail) after Arsenal’s victory over Villa back in 2021, Smith-Rowe packs a lot of talent and could usurp Philippe Coutinho as a creative spark in the Villains’ attack.

Things haven’t ticked for the Brazilian flop in the Midlands, which has opened a gap for Emery to strengthen should the 30-year-old fail to step up to the challenge.

The Croydon-born gem ranked higher than the one-time Champions League winner in average pass completion per 90 in the 2021/22 season, ranking in the top 7% of those in the Premier League with 82.9%, compared to Coutinho’s 81.1% – as per FBref. The young midfielder ranked in the top 1% the season before, showing his consistency in dispatching the ball in a critical area.

Arsenal’s no.10, who Emery himself once hailed as "quality," also came out on top in comparison to the Brazilian for non-penalty goals per 90 mins, averaging 0.47 compared to the Villa man’s 0.34. With Coutinho’s lack of form in the Midlands in mind, it could be a perfect opportunity for Emery to link with his former player this summer.

Smith-Rowe has the Spaniard to thank for handing him his debut for the Gunners in the Europa League back in 2018, so could an exciting reunion be on the cards?

Liverpool are winning the race to sign Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga ahead of Real Madrid, but the player has yet to decide on his future.

As Jurgen Klopp continues his search for new midfield talent, the 20-year-old has been heavily linked with a switch to Anfield after a very impressive season in La Liga.

Will Liverpool sign Gabri Veiga?

According to AS reporter Manu Sainz, Veiga is "closer to Liverpool" than to Real Madrid. This is in spite of the fact that he confirms it's true that Los Blancos "were bidding for Veiga."

The reporter says a move to the Premier League is likelier in his opinion, although he added that the ball is now in the player's court and it's up to him to make a decision.

Sainz added that Celta will be powerless if a club pay the release clause (via Sport Witness): “Newcastle is a club that were the first to travel to Vigo to monitor him and you know they are willing to pay the €40m of his release clause. Liverpool are as well (ready to pay).

"Now the ball is in Veiga’s court. He is going to decide which option he wants because once the club is willing to pay the €40m clause, there is practically no negotiation possible. He can pick what he likes the most.”

Would Veiga make a good addition to Liverpool?

Liverpool are in desperate need of technical ability in the middle of the park. This season has been characterised by the Reds' midfielders giving the ball away in dangerous areas due to a lack of confidence or technical ability.

While Veiga would be a good fit, the 20-year-old isn't exactly what is needed at Anfield. As a pure attacking midfielder, we feel his chances of thriving in this Liverpool system are pretty slim. It's a pity, because Veiga has scored nine goals and assisted four in all competitions for Celta Vigo this season.

Klopp has historically operated without an attacking midfielder due to his reliance on his fullbacks and false nine to create space and chances for the rest of the side – just look at how Fabio Carvalho has struggled to make an impact this term. Veiga, who has predominantly operated in a central attacking midfield role, would be at odds to not only break into the starting XI but also to sway Klopp into abandoning his most trusted tactics.

The German manager has recently switched up his tactical system to bring Trent Alexander-Arnold into midfield whenever his side has possession with great success. Whether that means the Scouser will play in midfield next season is unclear but even with his move further upfield, it remains to be seen whether he will be combining with an attack-minded midfielder after the summer.

Liverpool are interested in a deal to bring Hannover 96 goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler to Anfield, according to reports.

What's the latest on Zieler to Liverpool?

The Reds currently have Caoimhin Kelleher as their number two between the sticks and back-up to Alisson Becker, but with the Irishman desperate to receive regular time, reports have claimed that the board have given the green-light for him to secure a permanent move elsewhere, so should he depart, the 34-year-old has been identified as a possible replacement by Jurgen Klopp.

The German, who has made a total of 311 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit since originally joining back in 2010, will be out of contract at the end of next season so the upcoming window will present Stefan Leitl's side with their final opportunity to cash in should they not want to extend his stay further, and it wouldn't be his first time playing in the Premier League having previously had spells at both Manchester United and Leicester City.

According to BILD (via Sport Witness), Zieler is "high up" on Liverpool's list of goalkeeping "candidates" as a result of his strong relationship with Jorg Schmadtke. Hannover's former sporting director is closing in on a move to Merseyside and is set to become an "external consultant in transfer matters", and he already knows the shot-stopper well having signed him 13 years ago during his time at the Heinz von Heiden-Arena.

The 6 foot 2 colossus would be "keen" on the move as it would be a "financially attractive" prospect, and it's stated that his club are "unlikely to oppose" a deal should they receive a suitable offer.

Would Zieler be a good addition at Liverpool?

Liverpool, and especially Klopp, will know that Alisson will remain the club’s number one for the foreseeable future, but having been lauded “class” by Germany’s former international manager Joachim Low, Zieler would provide an excellent alternative at Anfield.

The 2014 World Cup winner, who currently pockets £15k-per-week, has kept 75 clean sheets in 311 Hannover appearances, including eight in 31 outings across all competitions this season, form which has seen him receive three man-of-the-match awards this term.

The Cologne native has also recorded 124 saves from 164 shots on target against since the start of the term, giving him a 74.4% success rate, and being the captain of his side, would add wonderful leadership qualities to the squad and be able to command the team from between the sticks.