All posts by z3u9t.icu

As Manchester United look to strengthen this summer, the major priorities for manager Erik ten Hag appear to be the signing of a new number nine and central midfielder, with the Dutchman seemingly hoping to improve the spine of his team ahead of next season.

With regard to midfield additions, Manchester Evening News reported earlier this season that the Red Devils were considering a fresh approach for Borussia Dortmund starlet, Jude Bellingham, with the England international having previously snubbed United's advances back in 2020.

Any potential move for the 19-year-old now appears almost impossible following the news that Real Madrid have reached an agreement with the Bundesliga side regarding a €100m (£86m) deal for the teenager, with the former Birmingham City man looking all but set to be plying his trade in the Spanish capital next season.

To have missed out on a player who is "going to be the best midfielder in the world" – according to Three Lions colleague, Phil Foden – is undoubtedly a blow for the Old Trafford outfit, with Ten Hag needing to find another midfield solution over the coming weeks and months.

The 53-year-old could already be lining up a perfect alternative to the Dortmund ace, however, in the form of Leon Goretzka, with the Bayern Munich machine believed to be a target for the Carabao Cup winners, according to reports in his native Germany.

Should Man United sign Goretzka?

The signing of the £301k-per-week maestro could allow Ten Hag to find his own version of Bellingham, with the two Bundesliga stars said to share a number of statistical and stylistic similarities, as per FBref.

That likeness between the 6 foot 2 German and his English counterpart – who is also a towering figure at 6 foot 1 – is not just due to their physical stature, with the pair able to make a stellar impact at both ends of the pitch.

That is showcased by the duo's defensive strength, with Goretzka ranking in the top 3% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for blocks made, while Bellingham ranks in the top 7% in that regard.

Equally, the two men also have the desire to bomb forward and get involved in the final third, with Goretzka averaging 2.2 touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 across the last 365 days, while Bellingham is only slightly ahead as he averages 3.6 touches per 90 for the same metric.

With the latter man a player who can "do absolutely everything" – according to United legend Gary Neville – the Bayern ace is also something of an all-action star in his own right, with former boss Julian Nagelsmann describing him as "one of the best box-to-box players in Europe".

Much like Bellingham – who has 24 goals and 25 assists to his name in 132 games for his current side – the former Schalke man also possesses an "incredible goal threat", according to Nagelsmann, having registered 34 goals and 35 assists in 179 games for the Bavarian giants.

While the Bochum native is less of a long-term option having turned 28 earlier this year – in contrast to the teenage Bellingham – his similar attributes to that of the Madrid-bound superstar should make him a perfect fit for Ten Hag at the Theatre of Dreams.

Everton chiefs are keeping tabs on Sunderland forward Jack Clarke ahead of a potential move to the Premier League, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

Who is Jack Clarke?

Clarke is naturally a left-sided winger who completed his permanent move to the Stadium of Light last summer from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, following a successful loan spell the season before. As per Transfermarkt, across both periods up north, he's made a total of 70 appearances to date, scoring 12 times.

In the Championship, the 22-year-old started all 46 games last season and firmly established himself as Tony Mowbray’s second overall best-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 7.11, and this impressive form has been catching the eye outside of the northeast.

Football League World previously credited Glasgow Rangers, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Toffees all with an interest in the forward who is, as stated by the outlet, expected to be sold during the upcoming window, and Sean Dyche’s admiration has now once again been brought to the surface.

Are Everton signing Clarke?

According to iNews, Everton scouts are “paying attention” to Clarke’s situation and there is a definite “interest” in signing him ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. Sunderland are, of course, reluctant to lose their prized asset, but it’s stated that offers of around £15m could “prompt a conversation”.

The Black Cats attacker’s agent Ian Harte, however, has claimed that his client is “happy” where he is and currently has “no intention” of pushing for an exit. The one thing worth noting though is that “every player has a price” and neither the talented prospect, nor his representatives, have “any control” over whether the club decide to accept any offers that arrive at their door.

Should Moshiri splash the cash on Clarke?

Everton should be focusing on signing an out-and-out centre-forward this summer but any kind of positive attacking reinforcement can’t be turned down, and having been dubbed “unplayable” by journalist Josh Bunting, Farhad Moshiri should definitely empty his pockets to bring Clarke to Goodison Park.

The York-born talent racked up 20 goal contributions (11 assists and nine goals) in 45 Championship appearances last season, form which saw him collect six man-of-the-match awards, and even his displays were outstanding when he wasn’t on the scoresheet.

As per FBRef, the SMI Sports Management client recorded a total of 147 shot-creating actions which was more than any other of his fellow teammates, and whipped 96 crosses into the box which was the second-highest number, so he’s always looking to pose a threat in the final third and is a player that would make a significant difference for Dyche on Merseyside.

Aston Villa are one of the few teams in the Premier League with something huge to play for on the final day as the opportunity to play European football next season hangs in the balance.

The Villans will host Brighton and Hove Albion at Villa Park this afternoon as the chase for the Europa Conference League spot in seventh remains tight between themselves, Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford.

To beat Brentford and Spurs to the final spot in European football it will be as simple as taking all three points from their final fixture and will have the advantage of being in front of their home support over their north London competitors who will travel to Elland Road, whilst the Bees will take on the Premier League champions Manchester City in their final fixture later today.

In terms of injuries, Philippe Coutinho and Jed Steer remain unavailable for selection, but the biggest blow for Emery has been Alex Moreno's hamstring injury that has needed surgery to repair, with the Villa boss confirming in his pre-match press conference this week that the talented left-back will now be out for the foreseeable future:

"We will be without Alex Moreno. He had surgery last week on his hamstring. We are going to follow it; he’s going to be out for two to three months, perhaps back early August, OK, so it’s two or three months."

As a result, it could be the perfect opportunity to unleash Ashley Young in the starting eleven this afternoon, as the Villa ace could be the perfect player to not only replace Moreno but also provide the passion needed to secure European football for the club.

Will Ashley Young start vs Brighton?

The 37-year-old defender has been a consistent and reliable player over the current Premier League campaign and has stepped up in the moments when he has been needed the most, with his display against Liverpool last weekend a testament to the important role he plays in the squad.

Over his 37-minute performance at Anfield, Young helped Villa stay in the game to ultimately earn a deserved point – making three clearances and winning 100% of his aerial duels, whilst also completing three interceptions and two tackles during his short stint on the pitch.

The £50k-per-week gem – hailed "outstanding" by former boss Steven Gerrard – has been solid defensively throughout his 29 league outings with eight of the club's 12 clean sheets being tallied up when Young has featured in the team.

Not only that, the former England international has been the second-highest rated defender in the squad for tackles completed (1.7) – as per WhoScored – with only Matty Cash completing more per appearance and positional competitor Lucas Digne tallying much fewer (1.1), which is a testament to Young's dominance in the back four.

With that being said, whilst Young is more commonly found in the right-back position it would be a no-brainer to start him on the left side where he has comfortably made five appearances and has scored one goal from this season so far, as he could be the key to making Villa's dreams of European football a reality at last.

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent and reliable reporter Alasdair Gold has now shared a potentially big transfer boost for manager Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Conte summer in full swing…

Having already confirmed the signing of Ivan Perisic from Inter Milan on a Bosman deal, it appears Conte’s first summer window at Spurs is well and truly underway.

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After the Italian’s crunch transfer summit with club director Fabio Paratici in Turin last week, the Lilywhites are showing absolutely no sign of stopping there (The Telegraph).

The Premier League giants are said to be casting their eye towards Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan) and Gabriel Jesus (Man City) among other targets.

Another name in right-wing-back starlet Djed Spence is repeatedly being linked at the moment and Gold now has a very promising update concerning the defender.

The Latest: Gold shares very promising update…

According to the football.london journalist, Spence is now ‘definitely’ tempted by a move to Spurs.

He explained:

“The latest on Spurs and Djed Spence as I understand it. The young wing-back is definitely tempted by a move to work with Antonio Conte but Tottenham have some decent competition for his signature.”

The Verdict: Big boost for Conte…

Able to help solve a ‘looming problem’ at Spurs in their homegrown quota, Spence’s potential signing would come as a boost for the north Londoners in so many ways.

His age and quality are obvious pulls given his phenomenal season in the Championship and just how crucial he was under manager Steve Cooper.

The Middlesbrough loanee was a fixture in Forest’s promotion campaign, starting 41 second tier matches and featuring over the sixth-highest amount of minutes in Cooper’s squad.

As well as this, forward Keinan Davis was the only Forest regular to complete more successful take-ons than the 21-year-old over the past season (WhoScored).

Spence also delivered the second-most crosses per 90 on the road to promotion, leaving little wonder members of the media have branded him an ‘exciting player’ (Marc Williams, Basford United head of media).

In other news: Tottenham now hopeful of signing ‘technically brilliant’ star amid internal talks! Find out more here.

An interesting Tottenham Hotspur transfer update has now come to light involving Championship sensation and Bristol City playmaker Alex Scott.

The Lowdown: Conte and Paratici meeting held…

The Lilywhites were boosted by a number of updates last week, starting with a £150 million financial windfall which will be used to back manager Antonio Conte in the summer market (The Telegraph).

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In more great news for Spurs supporters, their beloved boss has elected to stay in north London for his first full Premier League season in charge of the club – meeting with transfer chief Fabio Paratici in Turin last Friday to discuss transfers (The Telegraph).

Football Insider, sharing news on who the pair could now target, have an interesting update concerning one of the English second tier’s brightest prospects.

The Latest: Tottenham considering ‘formal offer’ for Scott…

According to their information, the north Londoners are ‘compiling a dossier’ on Bristol City ace Scott before deciding to push ahead with a ‘formal offer’.

As Spurs consider a bid, it is believed their former manager David Pleat has been ‘actively involved’ in running checks over the attacker.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Dubbed ‘the Guernsey Grealish’ for his likeness and playing style, Scott has also been called ‘tremendous’ and an ‘elite’ level talent at Ashton Gate (Bristol World).

At just 18-years-old, the teenager has been a mainstay under Nigel Pearson, starting 35 second tier matches over 2021/2022 and drawing more fouls than any of his teammates on average (WhoScored).

You can see why he has been likened to Grealish, particularly with his ability to attract challenges and win free-kicks further up the field.

Homegrown also, potentially helping to balance Tottenham’s glaring issue in this regard, a move for Scott could well be promising.

In other news: ‘Not only Perisic’…Tottenham push for ‘genius’ signing after Conte call ‘in recent days’…find out more here.

Sunderland finally escaped the third tier of English football as they beat Wycombe 2-0 at Wembley in the League One play-off final on Saturday.

The Black Cats led 1-0 at half-time as Elliot Embleton’s strike gave them the lead early on. He broke through the middle of the pitch after taking the ball from Alex Pritchard and unleashed a fierce strike from distance which beat David Stockdale, although the shot-stopper will be disappointed that he failed to prevent the ball from going into his net.

Wycombe turned up the pressure at the start of the second half and had a few half-chances to equalise as they pushed to level the match. However, Alex Neil’s team responded in the best possible way as Pritchard found Ross Stewart, and he duly found the net with a fine finish from the edge of the penalty box.

Whilst the former Norwich midfielder set up both goals and impressed throughout the game with neat touches and composed play, the real promotion hero was defender Bailey Wright.

Wright was Sunderland’s promotion hero

The £13k-per-week tank was a monster at the back for Sunderland as he repelled almost everything that Wycombe threw at him over the course of the 90 minutes. He had to contend with Sam Vokes, who scored 17 goals in League One this term, and then dealt with Adebayo Akinfenwa at the end of the match.

During the regular season, Vokes won 10.6 aerial battles per game at a success rate of 56%. His strength comes in the air and Gareth Ainsworth attempted to utilise that by playing long balls and crosses into the former Stoke man, but it was an unsuccessful tactic as Wright and Danny Batth dominated him.

The Welsh striker ended the match with six aerial duels won out of 17 and only six completed passes at a success rate of 35%. This shows that he was bullied out of the game by Sunderland’s centre-backs, which reduced Wycombe to very little in the way of attacking threat.

Wright’s defensive statistics show that he was a big reason why the veteran forward struggled today. As per SofaScore, the Australian won 11 of his 14 duels – including eight of his 11 in the air – and made a whopping six clearances as he protected Anthony Patterson’s goal. He also made two tackles and two interceptions as he cut out a number of opposition attacks.

Therefore, the experienced centre-back played a major role in Sunderland’s win and was the real hero on the day, as he nullified Wycombe’s main attacking threat and gave his forward team-mates a solid platform upon which to build their play.

AND in other news, Sunderland make “enquiry” to sign “combative” £225k-rated gem, Neil will love him…

Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos may be inclined to stay at Rangers if they win the Europa League, Pete O’Rourke has told GiveMeSport. 

The lowdown

Rangers take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEL showpiece in Seville on Wednesday night.

The Gers missed the chance to qualify for the Champions League by winning the Scottish Premiership – that will go to arch-rivals Celtic – but there is a also group-stage spot up for grabs for Wednesday’s victor.

Kent and Morelos are both approaching the final year of their contracts at Ibrox.

Morelos publicly admitted earlier in the season that he hoped that he would ‘soon’ be allowed to leave, while transfer insider Dean Jones claims that Kent has his eyes on a Premier League move.

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The latest

O’Rourke says Rangers may be able to match the ambition of Kent and Morelos if they qualify for Europe’s premier club competition.

The two players could then be tempted to commit to the club ‘for the foreseeable future’.

He told GMS: “If you’re playing Champions League football, it’s going to help your chances of keeping hold of your best players, the likes of Morelos and Kent, who obviously would like to be playing at the highest level.

“So, if Rangers can go on and win it and they get in the Champions League, it’s only going to help their chances of keeping their best players at the club for the foreseeable future.”

The verdict

There’s no doubting that this pair are two of Rangers’ star players. According to Transfermarkt, they’re the two most valuable assets owned by the club at a combined £24.3million.

Morelos also tops the club’s earning charts on £33,000 per week, while Kent is in the upper echelons too on £18,000 (via Salary Sport). Taken together, the duo collect more than £2.65million per year.

And you’d have to say that reward is deserved given that Morelos is the club’s joint-top scorer with 16 goals, while Kent is second for assists (via BBC Sport). Between them, they have racked up 37 goal involvements this term.

They may have the chance to move to a stronger league than the SPFL, but will there realistically be another suitor who can offer them starting opportunities in the Champions League? That’s the key point.

In other news, Heart & Hand fumed over this UEL final update.

Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves is ‘destined’ to move from Molineux to Barcelona this summer, according to journalist Josh Holland.

The Lowdown: Neves linked with Wolves exit

The 25-year-old has proven to be a wonderful player for the Old Gold, producing moments of magic from midfield and maturing into a formidable player.

Unfortunately, Neves’ superb form this season has seen him linked with a summer move away, with numerous clubs keen on acquiring his signature.

Barcelona are arguably the front-runners to sign the Portuguese maestro, as Xavi looks to build a successful new era at the Catalan club.

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The Latest: Journalist drops Barcelona claim

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Holland claimed that Neves’ rumoured move to the La Liga giants feels inevitable. He stated:

“The history and the name Barcelona, that’s pulling power in itself. And you look at what Xavi is doing at the club, there’s always going to be the whole if he goes and works with Xavi, how good will he be?

“No disrespect to Wolves, but you’d rather live in Barcelona than Wolverhampton. I think that’s more or less destined to happen.”

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The Verdict: Matter of time

As great as it would be to see Neves remain at Wolves, there almost seems to be an acceptance that he will trade Molineux for Camp Nou this summer.

The lure of playing for such a special club could be too great to turn down, especially for Portuguese players, with past legends such as Luis Figo and Deco representing the Blaugrana.

The hope is that Neves will extend his stay at Wolves, but with European football looking unlikely for Bruno Lage’s team next season and elite clubs interested in the 25-year-old, it seems as if the Molineux faithful should be prepared for the midfielder’s exit.

In other news, Wolves are interested in signing an exciting wide player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Celtic are not far away from snatching the SPFL title away from their Old Firm rivals this season.

In Ange Postecoglou’s debut season in charge of the Hoops, the Parkhead club are currently six points clear of their Glasgow enemies with 35 games played.

This wouldn’t be the first time the Bhoys have taken something away from their neighbours.

Looking back to 2008, the Gers had reportedly agreed a fee of £2.5m with Premier League club Manchester City to sign striker Georgios Samaras.

However, it was the Hoops that ended up securing the Greece international’s signature in the January transfer window as he made the move to Celtic Park on loan before signing permanently in the following summer.

During his time with the Bhoys, the centre-forward made 243 appearances for Celtic across all competitions with his record for the club being celebrated by Neil Lennon who dubbed him “unplayable.”

In those appearances, the striker found the net 71 times in total and delivered 49 assists along the way, equalling 120 goal contributions.

To highlight how much of an attacking threat he was for the team, he managed to rack up 163 shots on target during his time in a Celtic shirt.

To further rub salt in Rangers’ wounds, in the 22 games he played against the Ibrox side, Samaras scored three goals and provided five assists.

In the 2014 summer transfer window, the striker called an end to his time in Scotland and made a move back to England, this time to West Bromwich Albion.

The attacker left Parkhead with four league titles, two Scottish Cups and one Scottish League Cup, making Celtic the only club he played for where he won silverware.

After spells in America, Spain and Turkey, the former Hoops star retired in 2018 with a total of 118 goals under his belt in 490 club appearances.

Taking into account what they got out of him on the pitch, as well as the bragging rights over their rivals, it’s safe to say that Celtic pulled a blinder by bringing Samaras to the club when they did.

With all of that in mind, it undeniable that the Bhoys had the last laugh over Rangers on this occasion.

In other news: “Celtic will..”: Insider drops big Lennoxtown transfer claim, it’s great news for Ange

Leeds United assistant manager Franz Schiemer could depart Elland Road and join the Austria national team, with a decision expected on Friday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Schiemer a key backroom member

Jesse Marsch has enjoyed an impressive coaching career to date, excelling at RB Salzburg, in particular, before taking the Leeds job earlier this year.

While the American was clearly the main influence at former clubs, Schiemer was a trusty deputy, implementing his own methods and playing his part in the team’s success.

The 36-year-old has now continued working alongside Marsch at Leeds, joining the Whites in March, but it appears as though his departure from the Premier League could now be close.

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The Latest: Austrian job beckoning?

According to Die Presse [via Sport Witness], Schiemer has held talks over becoming Austria’s new assistant manager, with as many as 20 candidates spoken to.

Austrian FA sporting director Peter Schottel is believed to have travelled to England to speak to the Leeds man personally, with the report stating a decision will be made before the weekend:

“The course for the Austrian national team will be set this afternoon at the Courtyard by Marriott Vienna Prater. The OFB holds its executive committee meeting there. The question to be clarified is: Who should head the national team as team boss in the future?”

Ralf Rangnick has since been confirmed as the manager, so we will surely find out in the coming hours who his coaching staff are, once this meeting concludes.

That means, if Schiemer is indeed their man, he could be signed on the dotted line before Leeds take on Manchester City on Saturday evening, a distraction the squad definitely don’t need.

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The Verdict: Potential big loss for Marsch

Schiemer has been a hugely effective member of Marsch’s backroom team for several years now, as mentioned, so this could be a big blow to the Leeds boss.

A manager is often only as good as those around him, as even the world’s best coaches such as Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola attest to, so it is vital that Marsch’s assistant is sufficiently replaced if he leaves – Klopp even claimed this week his decision to stay at Liverpool was only possible because his right-hand man, Pepijn Lijnders, agreed to stay also.

If this move does happen in the coming days, it would be a huge shame not to have seen Schiemer have longer to make an impact, having been hailed as ‘very, very important’ by Marsch himself.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has dropped a Leeds transfer claim. Read more here.