All posts by z3u9t.icu

According to a recent report from journalist Ekrem Konur, West Ham wanted ‘to finish’ a deal to sign Red Bull Salzburg forward Patson Daka before the striker decided to pursue a move to Leicester City instead. 

THE LOWDOWN: DAKA SET TO SIGN FOR PREMIER LEAGUE RIVALS

The 22-year-old has caught the eye with a number of strong performances for Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga, and it appears as though he’ll be playing his football in the Premier League in the near future.

The Zambia international netted 34 goals in 42 appearances in total for Salzburg last term, being hailed as “fantastic” by his manager Jesse Marsch, and he recently revealed that he is set to sign for Leicester City ahead of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign.

THE LATEST: JOURNALIST ISSUES WEST HAM UPDATE ON DAKA

West Ham were reportedly keen on striking an agreement to land Daka’s signature this summer, according to Konur. The journalist claimed that the east Londoners were keen ‘to finish’ a move for Daka, but the striker wanted to sign for Leicester City instead of the Irons.

It remains to be seen which targets West Ham boss David Moyes will now turn as they look to add depth to their attacking options before the summer transfer window reaches a conclusion.

THE VERDICT: WEST HAM CAN’T AFFORD TO DWELL ON IT

This will be a frustrating update for West Ham supporters to hear, as Daka could have been the ideal player to challenge Michail Antonio for a starting spot in the team next season.

Additional depth is certainly needed in the Hammers’ squad, especially with David Moyes’ side set to compete in Europe next term, and squad rotation will be key throughout the campaign. That is especially the case at centre-forward, where there is no natural senior alternative to the injury-prone Antonio.

With Daka reportedly opting to pursue a move to Leicester instead, though, West Ham can’t afford to dwell on their failed move for the Salzburg forward. They simply need to seize upon any other centre-forward gems they have lined up rather than be left licking their wounds again.

In other news, many West Ham reacted to this transfer update on a current Irons player.

Antonio Conte is reportedly very keen on signing Adama Traore for Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Off the boil

There is no doubt that Traore has gone off the boil this season after his six goal and 12 assist haul in the 2019/20 term, with no goals or assists so far this campaign (Transfermarkt).

He can still be a right menace on his day, as Jurgen Klopp even went as far as to claim that he is ‘undefendable’ after an impressive display against Liverpool at Molineux back in March, and he still averages the most dribbles per game (4.7) out of any player in the Premier League.

Nonetheless, Traore is a unique asset despite his lack of numbers in terms of end product, and so it is no surprise at all to see Spurs interested in his signature.

The Latest: Conte keen

As per The Daily Telegraph, Conte is very keen on a move for Traore, and is a long-term admirer of the Wolves machine.

They cite that the North London club tried to get him on loan in the summer transfer window when Nuno Espirito Santo was still in charge, and now Conte wants Daniel Levy to table an offer that would make the Wanderers think about selling him.

Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold has also claimed that Fabio Paratici is ‘a fan’ of Traore, and so it is a move that certainly looks possible.

The Verdict: Makes sense

Given that Traore is used to playing in a preferred formation should be natural to him.

He is a player that Conte likes, and so the Italian manager will surely already have plans to get the best out of him and suit his style of play, perhaps in the right-wing back role that Victor Moses thrived in at Chelsea.

Nonetheless, with his superior dribbling ability, Traore would offer the Lilywhites something different and more direct going forward, and at 25 years of age, still has a lot of room for improvement.

Of course, he needs to work on being more ruthless in front of goal, but it is no less exciting to see what Conte could do with him on and off the field.

In other news, find out which THFC player Conte is particularly in awe of here!

Liverpool midfielder Fabinho is available for his side’s huge Premier League clash with Manchester City, journalist David Lynch has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Biggest game of the season

The Reds take part in one of the biggest games in Premier League history on Sunday afternoon, heading to the Etihad for a top-of-the-table clash.

Just one point separates City and Liverpool currently and Jurgen Klopp’s side know that victory will put them in pole position to win a second title in three seasons.

Fabinho picked up a head injury in Tuesday’s 3-1 win at Benfica in the Champions League, leading to concern over his involvement in the weekend action.

The Latest: Fabinho passed fit

Lynch has allayed those fears, however, confirming in an article for Anfield Watch that the Brazilian is fit for selection:

“It was still feared that Fabinho might fall foul of concussion protocols subject to further examination. However, it is understood that the Brazilian ultimately did not require further treatment, other than to the minor cut he sustained.

“And, with the club’s medical staff confident a concussion was avoided, he has been given the all clear to train ahead of this weekend’s trip to the Etihad Stadium.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-27/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Vital news for Liverpool

This is an enormous boost for Liverpool, with Fabinho arguably the world’s best defensive midfielder currently, averaging 1.6 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game in the league this season and being hailed as ‘world-class’ by Thiago.

His presence in front of the defence is absolutely vital, with his influence in the spine of the team almost as big as Alisson’s in goal or Virgil van Dijk’s at centre-back – Klopp doesn’t have another natural number six to call on.

Fabinho is a shoo-in to start on Sunday and he will have a massive job on his hands extinguishing the threat of the many creative players City boast in central areas, from Bernardo Silva to Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden.

In other news, Liverpool are eyeing up a move for a defender this summer. Find out who it is here.

Aston Villa have had a great start to their new era under Steven Gerrard, with an important win against Brighton this weekend, their first in five.

The former Rangers boss is no stranger to coming into teams and developing sides to suit his style of play and vision for success to build a winning mentality, which is something he proved he could do with Rangers.

Gerrard led his Rangers side to their first title in ten years, in an invincible season where they played 38 games, won 32, drew 6 and lost none.

We are already seeing glimpses of the Gerrard philosophy of play integrated into his new Aston Villa side, with Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins adopting the very same attacking tactics that the 41-year-old manager used with Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe.

Playing Watkins on the left and Ings through the middle, the pair interchanged and swapped positions throughout the clash with Brighton to confuse markers and gain more opportunity and space in front of goal, which is exactly how Gerrard set up his two goal scorers in his Rangers side too.

There has been a lot of speculation surrounding Gerrard and his former Rangers team, with Ryan Kent and now, Alfredo Morelos linked with moves to the Premier League club, with both players thriving in the system that their former manager adopted in his time at the Scottish club.

Gerrard spoke out about Alfredo Morelos when he was at Rangers, discussing the chances of the striker being picked up by another club;

“For me, we like working with him, we like the player, he scores goals. I still think he can get at a better level in a personal point of view and the goals will come, but in terms of decisions and where he will be in the long term it will be down to him and his representation rather than us because we’ve always shown that we want to keep the player, so all the noise around Alfredo comes from him and his people rather than us.”

His footballing abilities have been said to be “like a jungle cat” with AD San Carlos manager, Restrepo, saying;

“He was like a jungle cat who hadn’t been trained. He would use his speed and power to get into space and open up an opportunity but because he was moving so fast and so powerfully he couldn’t finish.”

Aston Villa could make the £10.8m-rated bully their first signing in January as they seek to secure points and stay away from the relegation zone in the second half of the season.

There is no doubt that Morelos could add an attacking threat and goals to the side, with his experience playing under Gerrard and in a winning system for the Liverpudlian manager.

Should he join and continue to score at the rate he has in Glasgow with 101 goals to his name, he would be an awe-inspiring signing, one that could ensure they remain in the top-flight of English football.

In other news: Jacob Ramsey could be Steven Gerrard’s Grealish

Leeds United have handed a boost in their bid to bring Ryan Kent to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Pete O’Rourke, with the transfer insider revealing in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that the Rangers winger has a release clause written into his contract with the Scottish Premiership side – reported to be somewhere around the £20m mark.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-marsch-raphinha-dest-philhay” title=”Read the latest Leeds news!”]

Speaking about Leeds’ interest in the 25-year-old, O’Rourke said: “The Ryan Kent one is interesting; he’s been a long-term target for Leeds. Ever since they won promotion back to the Premier League there were links with Ryan Kent.

“He’s had another good season for Rangers, impressed especially in their European run as well. If Leeds did follow up their interest, there is a release clause in his contract.”

Kent can replace Harrison

Considering the fact that Jack Harrison has recently been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window, it is easy to see why Victor Orta would once again be considering a move for Kent at the end of the current campaign.

Indeed, while Kent has not quite hit the heights of 2020/21 over his 24 Premiership appearances so far this season, the £12.6m-rated winger has still been one of Rangers’ better performers, scoring two goals, registering seven assists and creating ten big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.5 shots and making 1.8 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £52k-per-week forward who Leon Balogun dubbed a “magician” and Andrew Dickson labelled “completely unplayable” average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.14, ranking him as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s sixth-best player in the Scottish top flight – not bad for an off season.

As such, should the £60k-per-week Harrison – a player who has scored seven goals and provided one assist over his 29 Premier League appearances this term, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.70 – indeed move on to pastures new this summer, Kent would very much appear to be an excellent replacement for the 25-year-old Leeds attacker.

AND in other news: Orta can finally axe “horrible” £46k-p/w Leeds flop with “significant” £25m signing

Bruno Lage’s first few months in the dugout at Wolverhampton Wanderers have hardly been plain sailing.

The Old Gold have only won three of their opening seven matches in the Premier League and they struggled to land some of their primary targets in the summer.

On the chalkboard

The climax to Wolves’ transfer window bordered on calamitous.

Lage and Fosun had been patient about their business for the vast majority of the window, knowing they had little in the coffers to spend after such vast sums were spent in 2020.

They failed to land Renato Sanches on deadline day and then moves for Kieffer Moore and Sven Botman fell through.

A move for Sanches may well be revisited in January but it’s another midfielder who must now be at the height of their priorities.

One report claims that Wolves are interested in signing Championship star John Swift.

The midfielder has been sensational for Reading in recent years and has started the 2021/22 campaign in a rich vein of form.

New Doyle?

Wolves have an interesting association when it comes to Reading. There have been several players to pen terms with the Royals and at Molineux, ranging from the likes of Adam Le Fondre to Steven Hunt and Marcus Hahnemann.

However, one of the most successful acquisitions from Reading was definitely Kevin Doyle.

The Irishman signed for Wolves in a deal worth £6.5m. That was a hefty sum of money for a player who had only cost the Royals £78,000 from Cork City.

He was a valuable servant for the Old Gold, scoring 34 goals for them during a six-year period.

Doyle wasn’t the most lethal of forwards but he still played a crucial role during their venture into the Premier League 11 years ago.

Whether or not he was worth the price tag is a tricky question but a player who certainly would be is Swift.

Like Doyle, he’s had a hugely successful time in Berkshire and Wolves could replicate the success of that aforementioned deal in January.

The 26-year-old is now in the prime of his career and is becoming better as the weeks and months pass by.

He has scored 30 goals for Reading down the years and it’s in the last few terms where he’s really taken his game to the next level.

Dubbed “super talented” by Reading manager Veljko Paunovic, he scored six goals and registered 11 assists in the 2019/20 campaign.

Last season was one marred by injury but he’s bounced back excellently in 2021/22, netting seven times and claiming five assists in just 11 outings.

He has been doing that in the Championship but it proves why Wolves must move for him this winter. Swift doesn’t just beat the goalkeeper but he also knows how to defeat a defensive line with his immense creativity.

Doyle joined Wolves and had a relatively successful spell but Swift will be hoping to do that and more.

AND in other news, Wolves eye swoop for “exceptional” £43.2m-rated star, he’s like Pedro Neto…

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has delivered a major update on Aston Villa star Emi Martinez ahead of the international break.

What’s the story?

The goalkeeper of course was part of a Villa duo along with Emi Buendia who made the trip with Argentina for their games during the last international break, which saw them having to then head back to Croatia and miss the game against Chelsea in the Premier League.

Now, Preece has revealed what the current plan at Villa Park is, and whether Martinez (Buendia hasn’t been called up) could face something similar this time around.

Writing initially on Twitter, he said: “International call-ups are mind-bending at the minute as Christian Purslow & Johan Lange fight for a solution involving Emi Martinez who, as it stands, will miss fixtures vs Wolves & Arsenal. An #avfc round-up here involving Nakamba, Traore & others.”

Then, in a follow-up article for The Birmingham Mail, Preece added: “As it stands, Martinez will miss Villa’s first two games after the international break due to the current 10-day quarantine rule which is still in place in the UK, although there is hope that a new five-day quarantine rule will be approved as a compromise.

“Chief executive Christian Purslow and sporting director Johan Lange are now awaiting to see if the UK Government relax their quarantine rules for international players, with FIFA, the FA and the Premier League sending a joint letter to the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a bid to find a reasonable solution.

“If Villa are unsuccessful then it’s hoped Martinez will once again pull out of Argentina’s final match with Peru in order for him to return in time to face his former club Arsenal at the Emirates on Friday, October 22, with Martinez again expected to be available just hours before kick-off.”

Villa fans will be worried

Without Martinez for that game at Stamford Bridge back in early September, Villa boss Dean Smith was forced to turn to number two goalkeeper Jed Steer.

And while Steer didn’t exactly put a foot wrong in that clash against the Blues, he couldn’t stop Thomas Tuchel’s side running out as 3-0 winners in a game that was tight for most of it.

Martinez’s return since that game has seen them keep back-to-back clean sheets in the Premier League, including the antics that he pulled to put off Bruno Fernandes in injury-time of Villa’s 1-0 win against Manchester United just last weekend.

The Argentine is a massive presence in between the sticks, and brings a sense of intimidation to opposition strikers that unsurprisingly just can’t be matched or replicated.

Missing him for one game against Wolves would be bad enough, but being without him against his former club Arsenal would be a huge blow. Villa fans will surely be very worried at Preece’s latest update.

Meanwhile, this Villa star is now attracting interest from Man City…

Leicester City have been linked with a move for Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic as manager Brendan Rodgers looks to strengthen the club’s engine room.

What’s the story?

According to Italian publication InterLive, the Foxes are interested in acquiring the 28-year-old’s services this summer and are hoping to take advantage of the Italian outfit’s financial difficulties to secure a deal.

Inter have already been forced to sell key players such as Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi due to their off-field issues, and Leicester could be the next team to profit from their misfortune.

Jon Rudkin must swoop

Although the arrival of Boubakary Soumare from Lille has provided extra cover and competition in the middle of the park, several fringe players have been linked with an imminent exit from the King Power Stadium.

The likes of Dennis Praet, Hamza Choudhury and Nampalys Mendy have all reportedly caught the eye of potential suitors, meaning Rodgers may need an extra body to bolster his midfield options.

Brozovic has established himself as one of Inter’s top performances since his arrival on an initial loan deal back in January 2015, scoring 25 goals and providing 32 assists in 242 appearances for the Nerazzurri.

He played a pivotal part in the San Siro outfit’s first Serie A title success in 10 years last season, achieving an impressive 7.03 WhoScored rating for his 33 league outings.

Brozovic also recorded 1.6 tackles per game in 2020/21, 1.2 tackles and 1.4 key passes, placing him in the top five for each metric when compared to his teammates, highlighting his outstanding ability both with and without the ball.

The Croatia international’s eye-catching displays earlier in his career led to former Inter boss Roberto Mancini lauding the £36m-rated dynamo, saying: “If Brozovic were to continue like this, he would become one of the best”.

“We don’t want to sell him, even if faced with a great offer. He must work, but he has incredible quality,” he added (as reported by FourFourTwo).

Therefore, director of football Jon Rudkin must swoop for Brozovic if he can offload an unwanted fringe player, adding extra quality and experience to Rodgers’ promising setup.

And, in other news…Well-known journalist reveals Leicester transfer update that’ll leave fans buzzing 

Many Liverpool fans think Fabinho has dropped a hint that he’ll be starting against FC Porto on Wednesday night.

The Reds are set to face the Primeira Liga outfit on Matchday Five of the Champions League group stages.

They’ve already secured top spot in Group B after picking up maximum points from their first four fixtures. Effectively, then, the game is a dead-rubber.

Midfielder Fabinho posted a matchday graphic on his Instagram story on Wednesday morning.

Why might Liverpool fans not want Fabinho to start?

In theory, this game is an opportunity for Jurgen Klopp to take key players out of the firing line. They can rest and avoid the risk of injury.

Fabinho is a key man at Anfield. He’s started all but one Premier League game for which he was available this season.

In fact, compatriot Alisson has declared him the ‘most important’ figure in the Liverpool team.

Last season, Diogo Jota started for the Reds in a similar situation against Midtjylland and sustained an injury that ruled him out for nearly four months.

Fan feed Watch LFC posted a screenshot of Fabinho’s story, and here’s what supporters had to say.

Liverpool fans urge Klopp not to start Fabinho

“Hope not. Need him for Saturday. Not a dead game.”

Credit: @adam220202

“Hope not”

Credit: @97HassanM

“Pointless”

Credit: @KP07_

“This is really stupid of Klopp”

Credit: @Namaseb

“Whyyyy?!”

Credit: @Inspired_King

“Hope not…”

Credit: @adityaj0501

In other news, fans react to Fabrizio Romano’s contract news.

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has dropped a teasing Aston Villa transfer claim on their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen star Leon Bailey.

What’s the story?

Reports from The Daily Mail suggested that Dean Smith’s side are now eyeing up a swoop for the Jamaica international this summer, and Preece has now delivered an exciting update on the situation.

He said (via Twitter): “Put some feelers out yesterday, and found out that he’s been offered to lots of Premier League clubs. Nothing imminent on that one, but he is on Villa’s list. He fits the profile doesn’t he? A player bang in form, 23, fits the profile and can play in a number of different positions in attack.

“That’s a deal that can be done if Villa want to act on it. So watch this space with that one, and yeah he’s on Villa’s list, I can say that with confidence. He looks the real deal.”

Fans will be excited

Bailey has been a revelation in the Bundesliga with Leverkusen, and was particularly outstanding in the campaign just gone by, scoring an impressive 15 goals and providing another 11 assists.

Ajax’s former youth coach Ronald de Boer once said of Bailey: “He’s so fast it’s not normal. His speed, combined with his technique, is very rare. Exceptional. He has no weak points.”

Given that they’ve appeared to miss out on Emile Smith Rowe after the Arsenal starlet put pen to paper on a new contract at the Emirates Stadium, a move for 23-year-old Bailey would more than make up for that.

The Leverkusen star also has the added advantage of having played Champions League football in recent seasons with the German club, and would add some more European experience to this growing Villa team.

As Preece says, he “fits the profile” of being young and with a lot of potential, but already with bags of quality as evidenced by his performances last season.

That there’s a deal to be done if Villa want to act on it should have fans excited at the prospect of him joining ahead of the new Premier League season next month.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa could sign their new Tony Daley in this star…