All posts by n8rngtd.top

A number of Rangers fans have laid into James Tavernier’s performance in his side’s Scottish League Cup clash against Hibernian.

The Gers returned to action after the international break got in the way of domestic proceedings, with a new era dawning at the club.

Steven Gerrard’s move to Aston Villa has seen Giovanni van Bronckhorst replace him in the Hampden Park dugout and, while the Dutchman watched from the stands today, he faced a Scottish League Cup meeting with Hibs in the first match of his reign in Glasgow.

Thing didn’t go as planned, however, as the Gers crashed out of the competition at Hampden, on what was a sobering afternoon for all involved. A Martin Boyle hat-trick inside the first 40 minutes send Hibs on their way to meet Celtic in the final, with Scott Arfield’s reply shortly before half-time providing scant consolation.

Someone who had a particularly poor day at the office was Tavernier, who struggled to perform anywhere near his best throughout.

As per Sky Sports’ live commentary on the match, he inadvertently diverted the ball straight to Boyle for a simple opening goal and was easily shrugged off by the Hibs striker for the goal which made it 2-0. The Gers captain also had little joy with

Rangers fans criticise Tavernier

These Rangers fans have taken to Twitter to react to Tavernier’s performance, with the skipper receiving a host of negative reviews online.

“Tav is a riot right now”

Credit: @MickC1992

“Balogun, Goldson and Tavernier are the jokers of the pack, absolutely deplorable”

Credit: @STFNLSL

“I will be genuinely surprised if Tavernier remains captain under Gio. And I am not a Tav basher like a lot of fans. But this is it for me. Regardless of the outcome of the match”

Credit: @JonnyCampbell7

“I agree Tavernier an abomination”

Credit: @KINGBILLY1982

“First thing he needs to do is drop feeble James Tavernier and strip him of the captaincy”

Credit: @knocks_john

“Barisic been better than Tavernier, Balogun and Goldson by a mile. Those 3 been a disgrace”

Credit: @andy_burts

In other news, some Rangers fans are buzzing over some huge official club news. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur could land themselves a new Jan Vertonghen-like colossus this January after Antonio Conte’s transfer demands emerged this week…

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the 52-year-old boss has requested defensive reinforcements, with two key targets in mind in Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt and his former Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni.

Conte managed the latter during his Serie A title-winning campaign last season but it remains to be seen how much it would command to bring him to north London.

Transfermarkt currently value him at £54m.

Shades of Vertonghen

Bastoni played 33 times for the Italian in the league last season, featuring alongside Milan Skriniar and Stefan de Vrij in his famed three-at-the-back system.

The trio contributed towards Inter recording the best defensive record in the division, so it’s no surprise that Conte would be keen to have him in his squad once again.

Unlike much of his current options at Spurs, Bastoni is a natural left-footer, so he would be of huge use in 2022, especially as the manager has had to turn to left-back Ben Davies to fill that left-sided role due to the lack of options.

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Interestingly, the 22-year-old defender started life out as a full-back but as his career has gone on, he has developed into a solid central option, with his ball-playing ability and control two major strengths to his game.

This could, therefore, draw some similarities to Vertonghen, who was a crucial and influential defender in N17 for many, many years. He too was a ball-playing left-footer that could be deployed in the middle or out wide.

“He controls the opponent, space and with a refinement that has rarely been seen, reminds me of a young [Leonardo] Bonucci,” once claimed Italian journalist Mario Sconcerti.

The praise for Bastoni doesn’t just stop there, though.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig once lauded him as a “complete, dominant and elegant” centre-back, as well as being “Conte’s talisman” at the San Siro, whilst tactical analysts Top Bins Talk dubbed him a “Rolls-Royce defender”.

In Bastoni, Paratici could well discover Spurs’ new Vertonghen and he’s the sort of player that Conte could really do with right now on the left side of defence.

AND in other news, Spurs reportedly make “the biggest offer” to sign £31.5m-rated “animal”…

New Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst made a ‘catastrophic error of judgement’ in choosing to watch their Scottish League Cup semifinal defeat from the stands. 

That’s according to The Daily Record’s Keith Jackson, writing in his Monday column.

The lowdown

The Van Bronckhorst era got off to a pretty disastrous start on Sunday as his new club fell to defeat against Hibernian at Hampden Park. The Gers found themselves three goals down inside the first 40 minutes, and Scott Arfield’s goal failed to ignite a comeback.

Van Bronckhorst, whose appointment had been confirmed on Thursday, was sat alongside sporting director Ross Wilson in the rafters rather than in the dugout. That’s despite the fact his work permit had reportedly gone through, which means that he could have taken full charge at the weekend.

The latest

Jackson was scathing in his criticism of the new Rangers boss after, in his eyes, he refused to carry out his ‘responsibilities’.

The journalist wrote: “This was not just a catastrophic error of judgement for Van Bronckhorst who made himself look weak by choosing to watch on from the main stand, it was a shirking of responsibilities on an industrial scale.”

The verdict

Only time will tell whether this was a significant misstep. It may have cost Rangers a place in the Scottish League Cup final, yes, but what kind of response can Van Bronckhorst muster?

With the Gers sitting third in their Europa League group on four points, Thursday’s Ibrox clash with Sparta Prague looks like a must-win if they are to progress to the knockout stage. If they do get those three important points, then you might feel that the cloud hanging over the club – amid growing fears that last season’s success may have been a one-off – will at least partially be lifted.

Put it this way, Van Bronckhorst’s seating arrangements last Sunday will be long forgiven and forgotten if the Gers retain their Premiership title.

In other news, many Rangers fans were excited by this development.

Newcastle United are willing to offer Marcelo Brozovic ‘crazy money’ to lure him to Tyneside, according to The Athletic. 

The lowdown

The 28-year-old is thought to be earning £106,000 per week under his current deal at Inter Milan. For context, Newcastle’s highest-paid player at present is reportedly £86.5k-per-week frontman Joelinton.

Crucially, Brozovic’s contract is up at the end of the current season, so if Inter can’t agree fresh terms, they’ll either have to cash in during January or allow him to walk away for free next summer.

The Croatian showed his class with a strong performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League group stage in September. SofaScore rated him as the Nerazzurri’s best player after he played 99 accurate passes (including seven out of nine long balls), won three out of his five ground duels and chipped in with four clearances and two tackles.

The latest

Newcastle appear to be desperate to sign Brozovic, with The Athletic’s report suggesting that a ‘crazy’ contract may be tabled.

However, that interest isn’t reciprocated by the player, who is especially hesitant to join the Magpies midway through the season given the looming spectre of a relegation battle.

The verdict

Herein lies the problem for Newcastle United. They may be one of the wealthiest clubs in the world now, but they could struggle to attract top talent for as long as they remain in the lower reaches of the Premier League.

Brozovic has started every single Serie A match for reigning champions Inter this season and helped the Nerazzurri to book their place in the Champions League round of 16. Why would he want to swap those circumstances for a relegation battle?

What’s more, if he does end up leaving in the summer, you’d imagine that this World Cup finalist and seasoned Champions League operator would be able to pick a club who have already established themselves in European competition.

In other news, Lee Ryder talks up Newcastle links with this Premier League ace

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou is considering a triple swoop in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Iranian media outlet Tasnum News Agency, who claim that Mehdi Ghaedi, Mehdi Abdi and Armin Sohrabian have all caught the eye of the 56-year-old Celtic manager, who is reported to have sent scouts to watch the trio in action for their various clubs in recent weeks ahead of a potential swoop in the upcoming winter market.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering the success Postecoglou has already enjoyed with his signings from lesser-known leagues at Celtic, the news that the Bhoys boss once again looks to be scouring unfamiliar markets for January deals is sure to have left fans of the club buzzing.

Indeed, the 56-year-old himself admitted he would be doing exactly this, stating after Celtic’s 3-0 win over Dundee United on Saturday: “It would be silly of me not to use the experience I have and the knowledge I have.

“That’s why we got Kyogo [Furuhashi] here. I was 100% certain he would do well. And it’s not just Kyogo. If you look at all the big leagues around the world, you’ll see Asian players. Not just from Japan but from Korea, from Australia, from Iran. There are some very good footballers on that side of the world. But if people don’t want to look there, I’m happy to be the only one.”

As Postecoglou suggests, the summer signings of Kyogo from Vissel Kobe and Liel Abada from Maccabi Petah Tikva – who cost Celtic a combined fee of just £8m – have proven to be extremely intelligent pieces of business, with the former having scored 14 goals and registered five assists over his 23 appearances for the Hoops, while the latter has bagged seven goals and six assists over his own 26 appearances in the green and white of Celtic.

And, with TNA describing 23-year-old winger Ghayedi as a “wonderkid” who won the Persian Gulf Pro League’s young player of the year award last season, dubbing 23-year-old centre-forward Abdi an exciting “prospect” in the Iranian league and claiming that 26-year-old centre-back Sohrabian is the “leader” of Gol Gohar, should Postecoglou indeed go on to land the trio this winter, Celtic fans could well be worshipping three more previously unknown heroes in a few months’ time.

In other news: Ange must brutally axe “scary” £19k-p/w Celtic beast dubbed “one of the best” vs Betis

West Bromwich Albion have been had a number of concerns to attend to over the last week with a virus outbreak in the camp, and now an unexpected guest has made an appearance at The Hawthorns.

What’s the word?

West Brom journalist, Joseph Masi, dropped a bombshell yesterday afternoon on Twitter after revealing that the club’s controlling shareholder, Lai Guochuan, has made his first visit to the club for three years.

Masi put out a string of tweets, letting fans know what was happening;

“It is understood this is the first step towards Lai reintegrating himself back into the club. He had positive talks today with Ismael about the future and the upcoming January transfer window… #wba”

He then added;

“It’s believed Lai still wants to sell Albion. But he accepts a sale is unlikely in the foreseeable future. Therefore he wants to give his investment some TLC to help them back to the Premier League… #wba”

The 47-year-old businessman, who bought the club in 2016 for £200m, has gone to extreme lengths to make this visit, spending ten days in quarantine after flying to England, and when he does make the flight home to Guangzhou he will undergo a strict 28-day quarantine process, so the visit was clearly monumental for Lai.

Fans elated

Fans of West Bromwich Albion have always been vocal about their disappointment and anger towards Lai and his handling of the club, with many of them responding to Masi’s tweets about the visit to express their opinion;

One fan tweeted in response to Masi; “C’mon Joe this is absolute garbage… he’s doing all these fake meet & greets to smoke screen fans into believing he cares about our club. Attendances & interest is down currently. He’s a desperate man.”

Another fumed; “We want him gone too, to be honest. To sell we need to be in Premier League but he’s hoping we can go up without spending anything. Not happening. Cough up.”

Evidently, Baggies fans will be elated if Lai does eventually sell up so this update from Masi should provide them with some encouragement.

Supporters will definitely be expecting Lai to put his hands in his wallet this January as a lack of proper investment has, as a result, seen the club yo-yo-ing between the Championship and Premier League, with the side finding themselves unable to establish themselves in the top flight, facing constant relegation battles.

As a result, it’s clear to see that his time in the Midlands has not really been a success.

It will be intriguing to see what Lai’s next moves are for the club and whether he has a genuine interest in fixing the issues that West Brom currently face in a tight battle for automatic promotion.

The shareholder can make a real positive impact by signing players in January to help with goal-scoring, where the side is lacking compared to their two title rivals, Fulham and Bournemouth, and managing this problem could substantially increase the chances of promotion for the Baggies.

If he doesn’t do that, the discontent towards Lai will only grow deeper while the thought of him finally taking his leave will leave fans beaming with excitement.

In other news: Joseph Masi drops exciting behind the scenes claim

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick is pushing to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.

That’s according to The Manchester Evening News’ chief writer Samuel Luckhurst, and a number of United fans have flocked to the update on social media.

Haaland came close to making the move to Old Trafford two years ago and appears to be firmly back on the club’s radar ahead of the New Year.

The 21-year-old, who has scored 76 goals in 79 games for Borussia Dortmund, has a €75m (£63.7m) release clause that becomes active in 2022 and looks set to leave the Bundesliga side.

According to Luckhurst, Rangnick has recently made contact with Haaland’s father over a possible move to United, with Champions League football essential to attract the forward.

United fans react

Well-known page @utdreport shared the news regarding Rangnick’s contact with Alf-Inge Haaland on Twitter. It didn’t take long for several United supporters to have their say on a possible move, with one labelling it as ‘huge’.

“If Ralf gets Haaland over the line could be our biggest win since Fergie left”

Credit: @MurphyDec

“RALFFFFFFFF. DOUBLE RRRR. ROLLS ROYCE’S”

Credit: @BigTeezo

“It would be huge, but I doubt it will happen”

Credit: @prze_bialy

“Rangnick will be a United legend in my books if he pulls this off”

Credit: @kwasibrainy11

“Please make it happen”

Credit: @itsryynnn_

“OLE’S DREAM IS COMING TRUEEE”

Credit: @MSSG_11

In other news: ‘Finally, it’s not McFred anymore’ – Lots of Man Utd fans go wild over another Luckhurst transfer claim. 

Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips wouldn’t turn down the chance to join Manchester United, according to former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor.

The Lowdown: Phillips’ future unclear

The 26-year-old is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury but that doesn’t stop talk surrounding his future from doing the rounds.

Phillips’ current Leeds deal expires in the summer of 2024 but there has been little hint of him extending his stay at the club he has been at since 2010.

Instead, the England midfielder has been linked with a move away from Elland Road a number of times, suggesting his future could lie elsewhere.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Pundit says Man United move could happen

Phillips has been tipped to join Leeds’ rivals in a controversial move, and speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor said he believes a deal could happen:

“Phillips will go wherever is good for him and wherever is good for his career. Those rivalries are silly. I know Leeds and Man United have history but it’s not like it’s Leeds and Bradford or Aston Villa and Birmingham City.

“It’s not enough to stop him from playing Champions League football and playing at a big club like Manchester United.

“I’m 100 per cent sure he would still make that move if an offer is accepted. It’s not a rivalry that I think should stop a player from making the move. Eric Cantona did it, so I don’t think it will stop a player from moving.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-28/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Would be controversial

Phillips is adored by Whites supporters and it would take a lot to change that, even if he did decide that a move away next summer makes sense.

Moving to Old Trafford would test fans’ resolve, however, given the rivalry between the two clubs, so the hope is that the midfielder would realise that and go elsewhere.

Alan Smith traded Leeds for the Red Devils back in 2004, though, having been loved in a similar way to Phillips, so it would be naive to rule out the same thing happening again.

The ideal scenario is that Phillips stays put for many years but it would be hard to begrudge him a transfer to a Champions League-playing club, considering he is England’s current Player of the Year.

In other news, a journalist has backed Leeds to make a move for one Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

Everton have made one of the first signings of the January transfer window, and this development could be the culmination of the rumoured Lucas Digne and Rafael Benitez feud, as it is looking increasingly likely that the left back will now leave the club.

What’s the word?

The Toffees completed the signing of Vitaliy Mykolenko this morning, with the Ukrainian penning a four-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee.

The youngster spoke out after securing his move to the Premier League from Dynamo Kyiv, saying: “Moving to Everton is a big and important step in my life. I have always dreamed of playing in the Premier League. English football is where the game was born and I think that it will suit my game very well.”

The signing of the 22-year-old seemingly confirms that the speculated differences between Digne and his current manager are irreparable, with the pair reportedly falling out over a conflict in opinion on tactics during a training session.

The £110k-p/w gem, dubbed a “monster” by former France full-back Eric De Meco, has not been seen in the starting line-up since the Merseyside derby a month ago, and he has not even been in the squad for the subsequent games, although has been seen in training over the last few days.

Digne has been heavily linked with a move away from the club, with a loan switch to Chelsea to cover the injured Ben Chilwell among the rumours which had been building in momentum for the out-of-favour Frenchman.

Great signing, but at what cost?

Benitez is already struggling to win over the fans after a poor first half of the season, and this situation with Digne, who has become a fan favourite at the club, will surely only add fuel to the fire regarding the scrutiny the Spaniard has faced in his time managing the Toffees.

The 28-year-old has made 127 appearances for Everton, with six goals and an impressive 20 assists from his left back position over the last three years.

According to SofaScore, when you reflect on his defensive attributes from last season, he helped in keeping nine clean sheets out of 30 matches played, with an average of 2.4 clearances per game and no errors leading to shots or goals for the entire campaign.

Benitez could be heading for a colossal mistake by axing the defender, losing out on his experience in a vulnerable phase for the Merseyside club right now, and the Spaniard will need to justify the signing of Mykolenko rapidly if he intends to win over the fans and prove that his decision is the right one.

In other news: Benitez could sign this Premier League ace in January

Everton have blown more than £500m under the ownership of Farhad Moshiri, with little return of investment when it comes to competing for trophies or making progress in the Premier League.

They currently sit 15th in Premier League and the time has come to offload players, but the club is finding it hard to get rid of some of their fringe players.

What’s the word?

Toffees striker Cenk Tosun has no intentions of leaving the club this month according to an interview with Turkish news outlet Fanatik.

The 30-year-old said: “My contract ends at the end of the season. Beşiktaş is my home anyway. But for now, I have no intention or position to return”. He added: “I want to finish this season here and go somewhere at the end of the season.”

The interview comes after the striker, who was signed by Everton for £27m back in January 2018, had been linked with a move away from the club a few months ago, as Rafael Benitez intends to sell players to boost transfer funds so that the Toffees can stay well within Financial Fair Play guidelines.

Journalist Nicolo Schira tweeted just last week that the player is not in the manager’s plans, saying: “Cenk Tosun is not in Rafa Benitez’s plans: the Turkish striker is ready to leave Everton in January. He could return to the Turkish Super Lig. Besiktas have shown interest to re-sign him.”

However, if the 30-year-old’s recent comments align with Everton’s plans, he will now stay with the club until his contract comes to an end in the summer.

Nightmare for Benitez

Benitez will be fuming that the player doesn’t intend to make an early an exit in the January transfer window, as a move would help with adding funds to the near-empty transfer pot for the Everton manager to put towards signing players who are needed in other areas of the squad.

Tosun has fallen out of favour at Goodison Park, even when the Toffees were going through an injury crisis and virus outbreak which resulted in seven players being unavailable for the 1-1 draw at Chelsea last month. He was not even on the bench that night and has only made a solitary six-minute appearance this season under Benitez, which came in the Merseyside derby.

Since joining the Toffees, the £69k-p/w flop has failed to make an impact on the side, appearing only 59 times in the last three-and-a-half years, scoring 11 goals and claiming six assists.

As a result, his transfer fee of £27m hasn’t been worth it, especially when compared with another forward who joined the Toffees in 2018 – Richarlison has made a huge impact on the team since his arrival in the same year, with 45 goals and 11 assists in a blue shirt.

Left with a nightmare scenario, Benitez will have to look for other ways to find the funds to complete his business over the remaining weeks of the transfer window, with Tosun likely to run down his contract to the summer instead of agreeing to a move now which would generate some much-needed income for Everton.

In other news: Everton have had a bid rejected for this midfielder