All posts by n8rngtd.top

Many Everton fans have been buzzing over a transfer update on Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa.

As per The Mirror, the Goodison Park club are considering a move for the Fulham midfielder, of whom Carlo Ancelotti is reportedly a big admirer.

He is believed to cost around £25m with two years left on his current deal at Craven Cottage and may seek a move back up to the Premier League if Scott Parker’s team find themselves relegated at the end of the season.

The Cameroon international could well be an upgrade on Everton’s current options in the middle of the park, as he has averaged more interceptions (1.5), shots (0.8) and dribbles (2.7) per game in the top flight than Abdoulaye Doucoure, Allan and Andre Gomes so far this season.

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Everton fans on Anguissa transfer update

These Toffees were buzzing as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one Everton supporter describing the 25-year-old as ‘class’:

“Would be a decent addition. 100x better than Gomes”

Credit: @bluesofgoodison

“Consider yourself, part of the family!”

Credit: @Pudefc7

“Reckon he’s class me”

Credit: @bobadiIIa

“Exactly what we need, get it done”

Credit: @dannymonnox

“Yes yes yes”

Credit: @EFCMichael7

“I beg”
Credit: @adamsg1878

In other news, this early team news ahead of the West Ham game has left some Everton fans fuming.

Celtic don’t currently have a manager in place but that hasn’t stopped their recruitment team from considering new signings.

The Hoops are in danger of losing fearsome striker Odsonne Edouard and thus, the first topic on their agenda is finding a replacement.

What’s the word?

Dominic McKay has had a busy start to life behind the scenes at Parkhead. Not only is he trying to find a new manager but he’s already addressing the playing squad.

One player that’s emerged on their radar is Young Boys forward Jean-Pierre Nsame. With 25 goals to his name this term, he certainly knows where the back of the net is.

However, the Bhoys are targeting an even more prolific forward, one that may not cost them a penny.

That’s because they’re considering a move for Sunderland forward Charlie Wyke. He has netted 30 times in 2020/21 and is out of contract in the summer so could be lured to Glasgow on a free transfer.

The news was revealed by Mark Wilson on the Celtic Huddle podcast (27/04/21). He said: “It is understood that Sunderland striker Charlie Wyke is on a list of potential summer signings.”

Celtic’s new Sutton?

When you think of former Celtic striker Chris Sutton, what do you think of?

The footballer turned pundit is an outspoken voice on the television but on the field of play, he was equally as brutal and ruthless.

A powerful and robust forward, he would frighten the life out of centre-backs with his immense strength and ability to out jump nearly every defender that dared to challenge him in the air.

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In an article in the Independent by Ryan Baldi, he described Sutton’s greatest weapon; “Throughout spells with Norwich City, Chelsea, Celtic and a Premier League triumph with Blackburn Rovers, the 6ft 3ins centre-forward was renowned for the power and accuracy of his heading,” Baldi began.

“With a strong leap, well-developed neck muscles and precise timing, Sutton’s aerial abilities made him a constant threat in the opposition’s penalty area. And the remarkable range from which he could land powerful headers on target brought him solace in one of the most difficult periods of his career,” the writer concluded.

Indeed, those are the type of qualities that Wyke could bring to Celtic if he was signed this summer.

A powerful and tall force, the Sunderland forward has netted 40 times in his Mackems career, 30 of which have come this term. 12 of them, meanwhile, have been scored with his head in League One this season.

After scoring a hat-trick against Wimbledon earlier this term, the Sunderland manager Lee Johnson said: “I’m delighted for Charlie (Wyke), like any striker he’s had to work his socks off, battered from pillar to post by the two centre-halves and he’s dealt with it, and he earned his opportunities, I thought he could have scored five.”

Sutton regularly found himself battered about by centre-halves, but very much like Wyke, he got the better of defenders with absolute ease.

“A top striker can slow down his mind’s eye in the box, be like ice in the box, and Charlie certainly finished with that look,” Johnson added after a 2-0 win over Rochdale.

Wyke has really come into his own this season and if Celtic are looking for a different route to goal, he’d certainly provide them with that next season.

AND in other news, Move over Howe: Desmond could revive Celtic by hiring “kamikaze” 52 y/o boss instead…

Newcastle United are reportedly in a race with other clubs in the Premier League to sign Tammy Abraham, according to ESPN.

As per the news outlet, West Ham United and Aston Villa are also interested in signing the Chelsea striker, with Thomas Tuchel’s team prepared to offload him in the summer transfer window.

Abraham will only have two years remaining on his current deal at Stamford Bridge, and the Blues are willing to sell him in order to maximise his value.

Chelsea could be prepared to sell the England international for £40m, but there is apparently confidence among those interested that a deal could well be done for a lower sum.

Newcastle must capitalise on Abraham opportunity

There will not be many opportunities that come around for the St. James’ Park faithful to sign a player of the quality of Abraham.

Described as ‘phenomenal’ by former top-flight boss Alex McLeish back in March, it is hard to disagree when you look at his record in front of goal.

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For a man that has not always started for Chelsea in the 2020/21 term, Abraham has still managed a total of 18 goal contributions in 31 games over all competitions so far (Transfermarkt), which is certainly not to be sniffed at.

Given that he is English and still only 23 years of age, £40m or less could turn out to be a bargain for the striker in the near future.

In other news, find out what arbitration insight Mark Douglas has dropped from takeover sources here!

According to recent reports, Tottenham Hotspur could look to bring in Gareth Southgate as the club’s new manager following the sacking of Jose Mourinho on Monday.

The report by The Guardian claimed that Daniel Levy would like to appoint an attack-minded coach as the next permanent manager of Tottenham, with the chairman thought to also be looking for a candidate with a modern outlook on the game as well as having “strong credentials” in the development of younger players.

The Guardian continued by claiming that England manager Southgate could emerge as a target for the north London club, as the 50-year-old has an “excellent relationship” with Harry Kane, before stating that the former Middlesbrough boss would be open to a return to club football.

Transfer Tavern Take

Considering that Southgate’s only previous experience as a manager in club football came during a three-and-a-half-year spell at Middlesbrough, in which he oversaw the club’s relegation to the Championship before being sacked in 2009, the argument could certainly be made that the 50-year-old may not be qualified to take over at Tottenham this summer despite coaching the national team and taking them to the World Cup semi-finals.

However, as The Guardian pointed out, perhaps the manager’s relationship with Kane could be of rather large importance to Levy, who will likely do all he can to keep the Spurs star at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, with the England captain being heavily linked with a move away from the club. That could count in Southgate’s favour if he is interested in replacing Mourinho at N17.

In other news: Insider information on Spurs’ Mourinho sacking emerges; sources rubbish ‘absolutely false’ claim – find out more here!

Many West Ham United fans have been left to laud a transfer update from ExWHUemployee on Tammy Abraham.

Writing on Patreon, the East London club insider has claimed that the Chelsea ace is now the Hammers’ number one striker target in the summer transfer window.

David Moyes’ team are in desperate need of some cover up top for Michail Antonio, and the England international could well fit the bill at the London Stadium.

Abraham has scored no fewer than 12 goals and made a further six assists in 30 games in total over all competitions across the 2020/21 term so far (Transfermarkt), and at just 23 years of age, will only get better.

They would also of course be weakening one of their rivals in the Premier League – based on this year’s top four battle – and strengthening their own squad in the process.

West Ham fans on Abraham transfer update

These Irons lauded the transfer update on Abraham on Twitter (via West Ham Central), with one WHUFC supporter even going as far as to claim that it was ‘unreal’:

“Happily have Tammy at the club. I’d be super happy with him, Lingard and a CB for signings in the summer”

Credit: @RamdogUK

“@Callum_Tyrie YESSSS!!!”
Credit: @craigtyrie

“Would be more than happy with that.”

Credit: @uptonspark17

“This excites me”

Credit: @westham_bubble

“That would be unreal”

Credit: @JimmyMundee

“I’d take him all day long”

Credit: @TommyBUpdates

“No brainer. Young, Hungry, Eager to play. Moyes making the right move here”

Credit: @whu_sam13

In other news, find out who Hammers want as a potential ‘Noble replacement’ here!

Tottenham Hotspur are a long way off competing for silverware, let alone the Premier League title, on a regular basis, under Jose Mourinho.

The north Londoners do have a Carabao Cup final on the horizon, the very trophy of their last true success in 2008, but this fails to compare to that of the top-flight, the FA Cup or European success.

One of Spurs’ biggest problems lies in defence, where the ‘Special One’ simply cannot find a backline suited to his defensive nature.

In 2004/05, Mourinho’s title-winning Chelsea side conceded only 15 goals throughout the season – a Premier League record that still stands to this day. Given the way football is played now, it may never be beaten.

The Blues were incredible, even unbeatable, at the back. Arsenal’s Invincibles side conceded 11 more goals than that, even Liverpool with Virgil van Dijk spearheading the defence leaked 33 goals.

It was the colossal presence of Peter Cech between the sticks, with natural leaders in John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho in the middle, though one name was certainly an unsung hero – William Gallas.

The French defender was already at Stamford Bridge courtesy of a £6.2m deal conducted by Claudio Ranieri.

Then, 28 years old, Gallas slotted in anywhere he could in that backline. A serious injury to Wayne Bridge meant that he primarily played at left-back, but was a central option by trade.

That versatility was crucial for Mourinho that season and interestingly, the Spurs boss could take inspiration from that masterstroke now.

In academy product Japhet Tanganga, he has the perfect prototype to replicate that stroke of genius, as the 21-year-old has already played in all three positions at the back since making his debut against the Reds in January 2020.

His performance that day, at right-back, drew glowing praise from Jurgen Klopp, who dubbed him “very impressive” (via football.london).

Former Spurs striker Darren Bent was soon talking about him, too. He told Football Insider: “He’s a very, very exciting prospect and he’s not let them down.”

The £7.2m-rated gem has only featured ten times this campaign, but again, has shown immense versatility to play through the middle – keeping clean sheets against Lugogorets and Antwerp in the Europa League – and on the right, where he most recently stood out against Aston Villa in the absence of both Serge Aurier and Matt Doherty.

Dan Kilpatrick of the Evening Standard graded his performance an 8/10, whilst similarly, football.london reporter Alasdair Gold claimed the youngster was ‘very assured’ and made some ‘big blocks.’

At 6 foot in height, the “multi-functional” Tanganga is perhaps best suited at full-back, a position that Mourinho believes is his best, though the fact he can play centrally could prove to be a hugely valuable asset over the coming years.

Earning just £25k-per-week in north London, the young prodigy should thrive under the tutelage of assistant coach and club legend Ledley King.

Mourinho could certainly unearth his new Gallas in Tanganga if he hands over the reins to the emerging prospect.

AND in other news, Spurs’ next midfield gem: Jamie Bowden…

In a recent interview, the former Premier League centre-forward, Gabby Agbonlahor, discussed the interest in Glasgow Rangers centre-back, Filip Helander, ahead of the summer transfer window.

So far this season, Helander has been one of Steven Gerrard’s stand out performers in the Scottish Premiership, with the 27-year-old making an average of 1.6 tackles, 0.7 interceptions and 2.1 clearances per match over his 21 league appearances, culminating in an averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.11 – ranking him as Gers’ seventh-best performer in the Scottish top flight.

As a result of these impressive displays, it has been reported that a number of Premier League clubs, including teams such as Leicester City and Aston Villa, are keeping a very close eye on the £14,000-per-week defender ahead of the upcoming transfer window, with Rangers thought to be demanding a fee of around £6 million in order to part with the Sweden international.

And, speaking recently to Football Insider, Agbonlahor suggested that there will almost certainly be bids submitted for Helander this summer, particularly if he is available for as little as £6 million.

He said: “100 per cent – for that sort of fee, there will be a lot of Premier League clubs looking at him. It’s only £6 million, but money’s tight because of the pandemic. Teams will only go for him if they need him.”

Transfer Tavern Take

Considering the fact that Gers signed Helander from Bologna for £3.02 million just under two years ago, should Gerrard’s side indeed go on to sell the centre-back for the £6 million figure quoted, it would appear to represent a great piece of business from the Ibrox side.

However, despite the financial gain, losing a player whom Gerrard has previously dubbed a “leader” in the Rangers dressing room will undoubtedly be a blow for the Gers boss, who will have to ensure he reinvests the money wisely in his search for a potential replacement for Helander this summer.

In other news: this ‘superb’ £6.2k-p/w star lifted the lid on talks with the Rangers hierarchy – find out more here!

With Celtic’s season as good as done, they can start preparing for next term.
It will be a vital summer for the Hoops, one where they’ll welcome a new manager, a new CEO and a director of football.

What’s the word?

Crucial to Celtic’s future will be the upcoming transfer window. A mass 12-man exodus could occur if you take on board The Athletic’s predictions but they have already signed Liam Shaw on a pre-contract.
Another player who could arrive is Motherwell’s Allan Campbell. Speaking on the latest episode of A Celtic State of Mind podcast, Colin Watt said:
“Someone I’d love to see us pick up – and I believe he’s actually available right now to sign a pre-contract – is Allan Campbell at Motherwell. I think the guy’s got a really big future ahead of him.
“He’s obviously played alongside [David] Turnbull before. And I think he could be the next Scott Brown in that position. He plays a sort of box-to-box the way that Brown did in his younger years.
“And I think as he develops, he’ll drop deeper and deeper into the pitch and he offers a lot. If you had the choice between him and Ferguson, for me, it would be Allan Campbell.”

Imagine him and Soro

If Celtic do indeed end up pursuing the 22-year-old, it would be great news for supporters.
Campbell has been one of the most consistent members of the Motherwell side this term and is incredibly highly rated in various circles.
The midfielder has been capped 24 times by Scotland U21s and although he is yet to get a senior call-up, the chances of achieving that would surely be elevated if he moves to Parkhead.
Though, there’d be plenty of positives for the Bhoys too. That’s because as Watt describes, the 22-year-old plays in a similar way to Brown did when he was younger. Furthermore, he also plays a bit like a certain Aston Villa and Scotland midfielder.
“John McGinn has obviously progressed really quickly but there are definite similarities. I remember playing against him and Kenny McLean and thinking that the two boys could go somewhere,” Motherwell assistant Keith Lasley once said.
Possessing plenty of energy and athleticism, he could create a scintillating partnership with someone like Ismaila Soro.
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The Ivorian had to wait patiently for his chance at Celtic once he got time on the pitch, he was exceptional. The midfielder is a tough tackler and made as many as ten successful challenges in the club’s win over Lille in the Europa League.
Campbell is very much cut from a similar cloth. He’s made two tackles per game in the SPFL this term, a tally that’s coincidentally identical to Soro’s.
With the two of them playing in the same midfield, Celtic would undeniably be a tougher team to break down. For a unit who have conceded 14 more goals than Rangers in the league, this should be music to the ears of the Green Brigade.

AND in other news, Forget Brown: Celtic must unleash never-seen 19 y/o, he’s a “breath of fresh air”…

Derby face Huddersfield Town at Pride Park on Tuesday night and Wayne Rooney will be desperate to pick up three points against a side who are also at threat of relegation to the third tier.

Following the defeat against Watford last time out, Derby sit in 19th position in the Championship table, just five points clear of the relegation zone.

Huddersfield, meanwhile, moved ahead of the Rams after an impressive 4-1 win against promotion-chasing Swansea City, so will be full of confidence ahead of their trip to Pride Park.

However, form at Derby has drastically improved since Rooney was made permanent manager, with the former Manchester United forward having registered five wins from seven games since then.

If they can continue that form with a win against the Terriers on Tuesday, then it will put some distance between themselves and the relegation spots, but it seems as if changes are likely after failing to register a shot on target last time out.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Rooney to set his side up against Carlos Corberan’s side, with three changes from the side that started against Watford…

David Marshall unsurprisingly keeps his place in goal, and will be hoping to continue Derby’s recent strong clean sheet record with another shut out against Huddersfield.

There’s one change in defence, as Teden Mengi comes in for George Edmundson at centre-back, with the on-loan Manchester United man having been given little chance to impress so far.

In midfield, Kamil Jozwiak comes in for Patrick Roberts, who struggled at Vicarage Road last time out on what was his first start for the club since arriving in January.

Finally, Louis Sibley gets a rare start in attacking-midfield, replacing Jason Knight, and he supports the in-form Colin Kazim-Richards up front in what is arguably a must-win game for the Rams if they want to put relegation fears behind them this season.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was the name on the lips of many Liverpool fans once again – but for all the wrong reasons.

The form of the 22-year-old has been incredibly up and down during the 2020/21 campaign, with him having averaged a match rating of just 6.77 from 19 Premier League appearances (Whoscored) prior to the Brighton game.

Alexander-Arnold found himself to be at fault for Brighton’s opener, having lost Dan Burn running in at the far post and he knocked the ball down Steven Alzate to fire home for the Seagulls.

This is not the first time that the England international has come under intense scrutiny this season. His performance against Southampton attracted a similar response at the beginning of January.

In what seems like a regular occurrence, supporters once again made their feelings clear towards Alexander-Arnold crystal clear, as you can see below.

Alexander-Arnold in the Kop’s bad books

“Trent has zero idea what’s going on behind him yet again. #LFC”

Credit: @AustrainRed

“Trent is so defensively naive”

Credit: @sammorris0_

“Trent seen him and then just left him”

Credit: @Kjones1892

“Shocking defending from Trent. Had a quick look and then decided it wasn’t worth his time to track the man at back post”

Credit: @ObiR07

“Trent a disgrace, so lazy”

Credit: @canuhackettlfc

“Trent is a crab”

Credit: @kj_1310

In other news, Star defender reportedly gutted as dream Anfield move collapsed on Deadline Day.