All posts by z3u9t.icu

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…

West Ham United could be set for a historic summer if they play their cards right.

After staving off relegation with one game to go last year, David Moyes has steered the Irons in the Europa League, with their highest finish in 22 years.

They needed a little fortune to swing their way, especially after losing so many players to injury over the final few months of the season but if anything, it provided both the manager and the club’s ownership, GSB, with a major warning.

The Scotsman needs additions if the Hammers are to remain competitive, so here’s how his line-up could look should he get backed in the transfer market…

It’s no secret that there are two top priorities this summer.

The first is their need for another frontline addition. After the club sold club-record flop Sebastian Haller to Ajax in January, Moyes was left with only one senior striker with the injury-prone Michail Antonio, who isn’t even a centre-forward by trade.

They cannot risk going into 2021/22 without at least one reinforcement in this role and Chelsea outcast Tammy Abraham is not only thought to be amongst Moyes’ top targets but is also reportedly free to leave Stamford Bridge.

According to the Daily Mail, the 58-year-old would pay around £25m for his signature.

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Another priority is signing Jesse Lingard permanently from Manchester United, something that seems likely once the Scot’s contract extension is announced.

“I hope Jesse’s here, we’d like to keep him, he’s done an exceptional job for us but there’s no guarantees, he’s not our player,” Moyes claimed after the final game of the season.

A fee of around £30m has been mooted.

But the spending cannot stop there, the current squad is still weak in terms of strength in depth, which is why Moyes is thought to want a new ‘top-level’ central defender, as per Football Insider.

Someone who fits the bill is Fiorentina colossus Nikola Milenkovic, who has been linked to East London in recent months. He would be expected to cost around €30m (£25m) and would be a considerable upgrade to their current options, slotting in nicely alongside Angelo Ogbonna.

The fourth and final addition to Moyes’ ranks could be between the sticks as Lukasz Fabianksi is getting no younger. A clear contender here is relegated West Brom shot-stopper Sam Johnstone, who made his England debut this week and has been of interest to West Ham.

According to the Express & Star, the 28-year-old has a £20m asking price, which would take GSB’s total spend to around £100m, so here’s the team in full.

Predicted West Ham XI: Johnstone; Cresswell, Ogbonna, Milenkovic, Coufal; Soucek, Rice, Lingard; Benrahma, Bowen, Abraham

AND in other news, West Ham insider details potential Lingard boost that’ll have fans and Moyes buzzing…

A number of Rangers supporters have been overjoyed by Leon Balogun’s performance in the 1-0 victory over Celtic.

The first Old Firm derby of the season took place at Ibrox on Sunday lunchtime as the two bitter rivals locked horns and battled for local bragging rights.

Rangers sat sixth in the Scottish Premiership table before the game – one place below Celtic but level on six points from three games – so it was clearly a key early match in the title race.

The opening 45 minutes failed to produce much quality, although Odsonne Edouard missed a sitter for the visitors and Ryan Kent hit the post at the other end.

The match came alive when Filip Helander headed Steven Gerrard’s side in front midway through the second half thanks to a delightful corner from Borna Barisic.

Rangers fans praise Balogun after superb performance

Balogun was exceptional in the absence of James Tavernier at right-back and these Rangers fans took to Twitter to laud his display.

“Kyogo is in Balogun’s pocket”

Credit:@CHLEE_RangersFC

“Balogun been terrific so far”

Credit: @adamski152

“Balogun though. He’s on top form”

Credit: @FionaWilsonx

“Whatever we’ve fed Balogun today, keep doing it”

Credit: @Inheritant

“Balogun Man of the Match. Been solid”

Credit: @ScottForrrester

“Take a bow Balogun. What a performance”

Credit: @stepie1690

In other news, some Rangers have fumed at a Rangers star for one key reason. Find out who it is here.

Manchester City have been boosted by the recent news that Liam Delap has signed a new long-term contract, which should keep him at the Etihad until 2026.

What’s the word?

After a phenomenal season with the U23s, it is no surprise that City have worked quickly to tie Delap down for the long-term, as he looks destined to have a huge future in the game.

The Citizens announced on Friday that the 18-year-old had penned a new deal until 2026, which will no doubt delight Pep Guardiola, as he now has a player to put into the first team in the near future.

The Spanish manager had suggested earlier in the summer that Delap would become part of the first-team squad at City this season, although he has been heavily linked with a loan move to the Championship, despite City having thus far failed to replace Sergio Aguero.

A boost for Guardiola?

Considering Delap’s sensational form with the academy sides since joining from Derby County in 2019, there seems little to suggest that the teenager can’t be a regular with the Citizens in the future.

Last season saw the striker contribute 24 goals in 20 Premier League 2 games, firing City to that title, whilst he also scored on his professional debut in City’s 2-1 win against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup.

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Delap also made two substitute appearances in the Premier League and FA Cup, which suggests that he is certainly in Guardiola’s thinking, and perhaps after a season on loan in the Championship, we could see him starting on a regular basis in the 2022/23 Premier League season.

When speaking about Millwall’s interest in signing Delap on loan, manager Gary Rowett was quick to sing his praises, saying:

“Liam Delap, quite simply, is the best young striker around at the moment and every single Championship club, I’m sure, would be interested in taking him. Of course, we’d be interested. But, at the same time, I’m sure everyone would be interested in him.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936”]

Therefore, it is undoubtedly a boost that he has committed himself to City, and everyone involved with the club will surely be excited to see more of him in the future.

And, in other news… Southampton miss out on 61-cap “leader”, Hasenhuttl will be gutted 

Some Liverpool fans have been showing their love for Alberto Moreno, following Villarreal’s win over Manchester United in the Europa League final.

The Spaniard wasn’t necessarily always the most popular player during his time at Anfield, struggling to impress in the defensive side of his game.

Moreno was a likeable character, however, rarely seen without a smile on his face and seemingly getting on well with his teammates.

[freshpress-quiz id=“355458″]

On Wednesday night, the 28-year-old featured in Villarreal’s Europa League final clash with United in Gdansk, with Reds fans everywhere no doubt urging the La Liga side on.

Moreno’s side prevailed in a penalty shootout, with the former Liverpool man scoring his spot-kick, before David de Gea missed the decisive effort.

After the game, the left-back posted a brilliant video from the Villarreal dressing room, showing his love for the Reds and mocking United for losing the game.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-2/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

Liverpool fans love Moreno video

It was always going to go down well with Liverpool fans, so it was no surprise to see many flock to Twitter after the footage emerged.

Here are some of the best reactions, with Moreno receiving huge amounts of love.

“Alberto Moreno, you’re one of our own”

Credit: @Watch_LFC

“Legend”

Credit: @Mattci10

“What a guy”

Credit: @Rosie69345696

“Love to see it”

Credit: @MalusiThami

“‘Always. Always Liverpool my heart’. Our club is something else. Congratulations Moreno. YNWA”

Credit: @xJxdee

“Wonderful morning viewing”

Credit: @ceevz94

In other news, James Pearce has provided a key update on one Liverpool player. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has now given the green-light for yet another player to leave north London this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites exodus?

Spurs, as they aim for a major summer rebuild to appease Conte, could be set to orchestrate just as many outgoings as incomings in the next transfer window.

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Lyon loanee and club record-signing Tanguy Ndombele is likely to be offloaded with Conte not seeing a future for the 25-year-old, as backed by The Evening Standard.

Meanwhile, due to issues with their homegrown quota, transfer chief Fabio Paratici may be forced to sell one of Lucas Moura or Steven Bergwijn if he wishes to sign an overseas forward (The Telegraph).

Villarreal are also allegedly eyeing a permanent deal for Spurs midfielder Giovani Lo Celso who is currently enjoying a fine temporary stint at the Estadio de la Cerámica.

The Latest: Conte green-lights Rodon exit…

Now, according to another report by and Football Insider and a ‘Tottenham source’, the Premier League top-four chasers have also give the green-light for defender Joe Rodon to leave Spurs this summer.

The club, and by extension manager Antonio Conte, are now ‘ready to sell’ the defender and have instructed him to find a new club.

FI, relaying their previous report, add that Rodon himself ‘100%’ wants to quit Tottenham amid his lack of opportunities.

The Verdict: Time to part ways…

It is a real mystery how the 24-year-old hasn’t been utilised more since Conte’s reign going by his real promise last season.

The Wales international, called ‘special’ and ‘flawless’ by members of their national media (Ian Mitchelmore), didn’t even feature more regularly when Eric Dier was sidelined through injury – despite Spurs’ head coach claiming Rodon is his deputy.

He showed real signs of promise against the likes of Chelsea over 2020/2021 and has barely put a foot wrong when given the opportunity, with former boss Jose Mourinho even branding him a ‘perfect’ player.

Over his 12 Premier League appearances for Spurs last season, Rodon even averaged more interceptions per 90 (1.8) than any of his teammates, highlighting his real pedigree as a rising star defender (WhoScored).

It is little wonder the defender wishes to part company with the only mystery being why Conte hasn’t fancied him more.

In other news: ‘Really impressive’ – Journalist excited as Spurs edge closer to signing ‘world class’ player, find out more here.