All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Javi Galan to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), who claim that Victor Orta has already made contact with the Celta Vigo left-back regarding a switch to Elland Road at the end of the current campaign.

However, the report goes on to state that competition is high for the 27-year-old’s signature this summer, with Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla also believed to be keen on the defender, while Celta Vigo are not thought to be willing to part with Galan for anything other than an offer they simply cannot refuse.

Orta can axe Firpo with Galan

Considering just how impressive Galan has been in Spain this season, in addition to how poor Junior Firpo has been for Leeds following his £13m move from Barcelona last July, it is easy to see why Victor Orta and Jesse Marsch would be keen on a move for the Spaniard this summer.

Indeed, over his 29 LaLiga appearances this term, the £12.5m-rated left-back – who is also comfortable operating from left midfield and on the left-wing – has been one of Eduardo Coudet’s standout performers, helping his side keep nine clean sheets, registering three assists and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.5 shots and making 0.6 key passes per game.

[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!”]

The £43k-per-week full-back has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.3 interceptions, three tackles – the second-most of any player in the division – 1.1 clearances, 34.6 passes, completing 2.4 dribbles – the joint fifth-most in the league – and winning eight duels per fixture.

These returns have seen the player who The Real Champs dubbed both “underrated” and a “threat” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.90, ranking him as Vigo’s joint fifth-best player in the Spanish top flight.

In comparison, over Firpo’s 19 Premier League outings this season, the £10.8m-rated defender has been rather less impressive, helping the Whites keep one clean sheet, providing one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.9 interceptions, 2.5 tackles, 1.3 clearances, completing 0.7 dribbles and winning 4.9 duels per game.

These returns have seen the £55k-per-week Dominican Republic international average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.59, ranking him as Leeds’ joint seventh-worst performer in the English top flight.

As such, it is perhaps not surprising that Frank McAvennie has tipped the former Barcelona full-back for a move away from Elland Road this summer, with the former West Ham United forward stating last month:

“He’s from Spain so maybe he was never quite up to playing in the Premier League. I imagine he will go back there, he hasn’t done very well at all. He’s had a result in coming to Leeds, he has got his name out there. But he hasn’t performed.

“You have to hit the ground running over here. He will go, he’ll get a team over in Spain. I’m thinking the likes of Getafe, someone like that, one of the smaller teams. Leeds can get a bit of money back for him and they can move on. He can’t cut it over here.”

Indeed, as McAvennie suggests, considering Firpo’s poor form since his move to England last summer, it would appear a wise move for Orta to cut his losses on the 25-year-old – who Anthony Lewis dubbed “awful” earlier this season – this summer, before reinvesting the money received from his sale – as well as his hefty weekly wage – into a move for the much more impressive Galan.

AND in other news: Leeds United dealt major setback on £25m-rated machine, Victor Orta will be fuming

Both Aston Villa left-back Lucas Digne and striker Danny Ings are expected to be fine after the former was withdrawn early in Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League defeat away at Wolves whilst the latter missed the game.

What’s the story?

Villa boss Steven Gerrard confirmed to the press after his side’s defeat that Digne was withdrawn because the Frenchman was dealing with a stomach issue but is expected to be in contention for next week’s game against Tottenham Hotspur.

The 28-year-old managed just 13 minutes at Molineux and had only recently returned from a hamstring injury that saw the Frenchman play just ten minutes against West Ham and miss the home defeat to Arsenal prior to the international break.

As for Ings, the 29-year-old became a father for the first time and had had little sleep, with Gerrard preventing the Englishman from playing.

Supporters will be buzzing

Having paid Premier League rivals Everton a reported fee of £25m for Digne’s services in January, there’s no doubt that the Frenchman is Gerrard’s first-choice left-back by some margin and thus, news that his issue is not long-term will leave the fanbase elated.

Initial first-choice Matt Targett subsequently joined Newcastle United on loan for the remainder of the season, making 36-year-old Ashley Young the only other option on the left-hand side of the defence.

Moreover, the veteran scored an own goal against Wolves on Saturday after replacing the Frenchman and is yet to sign a contract extension with his current deal set to expire this summer. Digne’s position is incredibly settled.

Therefore, any more absences from the winter signing could prove detrimental to Villa’s plans for the remainder of the season as the West Midland’s outfit targets their first top-half finish in the top-flight since the 2010/11 season.

According to SofaScore, the 28-year-old has averaged a rating of 6.91 in the Premier League this season whilst also making 1.7 tackles per game as well as 1.1 interceptions and 1.9 clearances.

Moreover, Digne wins over half of his duels with a 54% success rate as well as completing over a third of dribbles at 38%. However, his passing could be improved with the left-back’s current accuracy at 76%.

The France international has also kept three clean sheets in nine appearances for the Villans as well as registering an assist against his former employers Everton.

As for Ings, the striker was also subject to a £25m fee when bought from Southampton last summer, however, his start to life in the West Midlands hasn’t gone exactly to plan.

Having scored 13 goals last term and 25 the season before, the Villa forward has just five goals this term in claret and blue.

Since taking over from Dean Smith at Villa Park, one of the biggest puzzles Gerrard has tried to solve has been trying to find a system that compliments the strengths of both Ollie Watkins and Ings, with the former scoring his eighth club goal of the season against Wolves as well as netting for England on Tuesday.

Naturally, the English manager will want as many of his players available for the run-in and knowing that both Digne and Ings will be okay will be a relief to all those associated with Aston Villa.

In other news: Forget Young: “Stupid” Aston Villa dud who lost 71% duels was a liability v Wolves

According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, Southampton have made a January move for striker Che Adams. The 22-year-old currently plays his football at Championship outfit Birmingham City and has done so since leaving Sheffield United back in 2016, with his excellent efforts for the Blues this term seemingly attracting the interest of new Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.

And that’s because a recent report from The Daily Mirror suggests that the South Coast club have launched a bid for the striking sensation, who might well prove to be a replacement for current Saints forward Charlie Austin, who has been linked with a move away from St Mary’s this month (as per The Daily Telegraph).

But given just how prolific Adams has proven to be this term, Southampton needn’t worry about Austin’s possible exit were Hasenhuttl to lure the 22-year-old striker to St Mary’s.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, 29-year-old Austin is one man who has suffered from Hasenhuttl’s arrival at Southampton last month, what with the Englishman having started just twice in the Premier League under the Austrian, none of which coming in their last three league matches.

And with Danny Ings very much the main man at St Mary’s with eight goals in all competitions this season, and Shane Long very much possessing the energy needed to complement Hasenhuttl’s high-intensity style of play, regular minutes look few and far between for Austin between now and the end of the season – a move away looks to be in his best interests.

But with the 29-year-old possessing those predatory instincts to get into the right place at the right time in the penalty area, Southampton could well miss Austin’s prolific nature in front of goal as the season wears on – but no such worries would be had were Adams to join the club.

The 22-year-old may never have played Premier League football in his short career to date, but the striker has proven to be quite the Championship forward in the last few months to emphasise his bright future in the game.

The Englishman has bagged 14 goals in just 28 league games for Garry Monk’s Blues this term to represent his best season in front of goal since moving to St Andrew’s – in fact, only four players have netted more in the second tier than Adams so far this season.

And with nine goals last term for the Midlanders and seven the campaign before, the 22-year-old has threatened to go on and really produce the goods for Birmingham in his short time at the club, doing so this time round to highlight just what a talent he is, and how far he could go in the game.

And in a Southampton side that have somewhat struggled for goals in the last 18 months or so, and potentially losing arguably their most natural goal-scorer in Austin, Adams could well flourish in the Premier League – he is clearly a striker on the upward trajectory.

And while potentially losing Austin may come as a disappointment to some Southampton fans, they needn’t worry about his possible exit were Hasenhuttl to get a deal done for Birmingham’s Adams.

Southampton fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Aston Villa have been linked with Inter Milan’s Stefan de Vrij, and it’s a move that Steven Gerrard simply has to make. 

This article is part of The Transfer Tavern’s The Gossip series, where we analyse players and managers based on praise and criticism from past and present.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-developments/” title=”Aston Villa latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Football Insider reported on Saturday afternoon that Villa are monitoring the Dutchman as they look to sign an ‘A-list centre-back’ in the summer transfer window. De Vrij is into the final 18 months of his contract at the San Siro and Transfermarkt value him at £31.5m.

The same publication has previously reported that Gerrard had deemed Ezri Konsa too inconsistent and resolved to upgrade on him in the summer.

The manager

When he was in charge of the Dutchman at Inter Milan, Antonio Conte showered De Vrij with praise.

He talked up the defender’s reliability and importance and even compared him to Leonardo Bonucci, who was named in the FIFPro World XI in 2017 and, more impressively still, in the IFFHS Men’s Team of the Decade for the 2010s.

Placing De Vrij in that bracket is clearly a huge compliment.

The pundit

During last summer’s European Championship, Dutch pundit Kees Kwakman waxed lyrical about the defender.

He claimed that the Inter colossus ‘can do anything’ that’s asked of him as a defender and argued that he was more dependable than team-mate Matthijs de Ligt, the second most expensive defender in football history.

Kwakman said that the 30-year-old may not look ‘that strong’ or ‘that fast’ to the naked eye, but appearances can be deceptive.

The journalist

BBC Sport journalist Raj Chohan tweeted last summer that De Vrij had been ‘the best CB in Serie A overall’ in 2019/20 and 2020/21.

He then went a step further, declaring that the former Lazio man deserved to be recognised as ‘one of the best CBs in the world’.

Based on these compliments, if the Dutch centre-back were to join Aston Villa, he’d be arriving at Bodymoor Heath with some pretty glowing endorsements from respected figures in management and media.

In other news, these blockbuster Villa links have also emerged

Manchester United are ready to trigger Erik ten Hag’s release clause at Ajax and announce the Dutchman as their new manager next week, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Previous announcement rumours

Ten Hag appears to be the club’s first choice to replace Ralf Rangnick following ‘positive’ talks with Red Devils chiefs last month.

Reports had suggested that United were holding off over a formal announcement, with one not likely until the end of the season.

However, it looks as if the club have made a major U-turn when it comes to confirming the 52-year-old, judging by a reveal from a United source.

The Latest: Source drops Ten Hag update

As per Football Insider, Ten Hag is now expected to accept United’s proposal, with the Red Devils set to finalise discussions with Ajax.

The club are planning to announce Ten Hag while the season is still live, with a possible announcement coming as early as next week after Ajax’s KNVB Cup final against PSV on Sunday.

The Verdict: Good news for Man Utd

Should this latest report prove accurate, then it is extremely positive news for United ahead of a summer shake-up.

Confirming Ten Hag as the new manager for the 2022/23 season early will give him the chance to evaluate the squad and make a head start on some early transfer business.

This could prove to be crucial instead of the club looking for a new manager during the summer window, and Ten Hag will have a lot of work to do before he takes to the Old Trafford dugout for the first time.

In other news: ‘Interesting’ Man Utd news has pundit talking; says Leeds supporters ‘will be devastated’

Tanguy Ndombele’s days are surely numbered at Tottenham Hotspur after another disastrous outing resulted in a torrent of boos from the crowd on Sunday afternoon.

Spurs edged into the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 3-1 victory over League One minnows Morecambe but that was after the Frenchman was withdrawn by manager Antonio Conte.

The introduction of Harry Kane and Lucas Moura changed the game and spared the Lilywhites their blushes.

Ndombele, who was graded as SofaScore’s lowest-rated outfield player for either side, was withdrawn in the 69th minute to a raucous reaction from the home supporters. He trudged off slowly as the volume of the boos increased and went straight down the tunnel – that will surely anger the Italian head coach.

Considering the £34m-rated midfielder cost a club-record £55m over two-and-a-half years ago, the 24-year-old should be picking apart a side of the Shrimpers’ quality – with all due respect.

Indeed, the expensive flop, who ex-goalkeeper Joe Hart once dubbed “unplayable” cut an uninterested figure throughout the game and that drew criticism from the press box.

‘Booed off by his own fans after trudging towards the touchline when he was replaced by Kane. It felt terminal and you wonder if that’s the last we’ll see of him in a Spurs shirt. Followed an ineffective display,’ wrote the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick in his post-match column.

Ndombele won just one of his six duels (16%), a rather weak effort up against a team two divisions below. Elsewhere, he failed to register a single shot on target, key pass, tackle or interception, via SofaScore.

According to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Spurs are “looking for a solution to sell or loan out” the former Lyon dynamo, so after these latest antics, it could well be the beginning of the end for Ndombele at the club.

That, at the very least, should be the last time that he gets to put on a Tottenham shirt.

AND in other news, Spurs dealt major injury blow ahead of  Chelsea clash…

Everton have had an awful 2021/22 campaign thus far – with the Toffees embroiled in a tough relegation battle, and Frank Lampard trying everything he can to keep the club from dropping into the Championship next season.

Many players have already been linked with moves away from Goodison Park following their disappointing campaign in the Premier League, with Richarlison, in particular, heavily speculated to leave the club this summer.

With that being said, the Toffees boss must exercise some damage control when it comes to keeping the team together – no matter the outcome at the end of the season – and now another player is reportedly being lined up for a move away from the club.

The Daily Mail reported this week that Manchester United are targeting the Everton centre-back for a move to Old Trafford, with the youngster catching the eye of the 20-time Premier League title winners.

The 19-year-old has made just six appearances for the senior team across all competitions this term, with his most notable performance coming in his first Premier League outing of 2021/22 – scoring in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge under Rafa Benitez.

Branthwaite was hailed “fabulous” by Glen Hoddle following this display, and Benitez was also full of praise for the young defender, stating: “He showed character and he’s a player who has potential. Always with the young players, you have to be careful but you have to give them a chance if it is possible.”

Since Frank Lampard has taken over from the Spaniard, Branthwaite has been given three opportunities to prove he has what it takes to compete for a spot in the Everton backline, and his defensive statistics speak for themselves.

The 6ft5 tank has understandably used his height to impose himself on opponents, winning 67% of his aerial duels, as well as making an average of 3.3 clearances and 0.8 tackles per game.

He has also averaged an 81% pass accuracy inside his half, proving he can be a threat and offer presence for the Toffees.

Ultimately, Lampard must avoid a disaster in losing the £5.1k-per-week defender this summer, as sanctioning the sale of one of the club’s most promising up and coming talents may well be a decision that the Goodison Parkfaith never forgive the 43-year-old for.

AND in other news: Huge blow: Everton dealt fresh injury setback ahead of Liverpool, Lamps will be gutted

Newcastle have offered Manchester United £10m to take Jesse Lingard on loan until the end of the season.

That’s according to 90min’s Graeme Bailey, and as to be expected, it has had a number of United fans talking on social media.

Lingard is currently in Dubai alongside Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford and Diogo Dalot, with his future still up in the air with days remaining in the January transfer window.

The attacking midfielder, who has started just two games all season, is into the final six months of his Old Trafford contract, and according to 90min, Newcastle have offered the Red Devils a £10m loan fee.

The Magpies will also hand Lingard a huge bonus if he helps them to avoid relegation, and they expect United to accept their latest offer.

United fans react

@utdreport relayed Bailey’s claim regarding Lingard on Twitter. Here is what these supporters had to say in reply, with one labelling United as ‘crazy’ if they reject the offer.

“Crazy if we turn this down”

Credit: @UtdXtra18

“Too good to be true..”

Credit: @ShaneOhhh_

“That’d be an unreal bit of business…we probably won’t do it”

Credit: @_MUFCFrank

“TAKE THE MONEY”

Credit: @ThashkinG

“£10M? For a loan? And CDMs available for £10M? United can’t be this stupid right? Only Jesse saying no can stop this, right? Right?”

Credit: @UnitedAJ7

“For a loan?!! Take it right now!!!”

Credit: @KingCantona21

In other news: ‘Wow’ – Lots of Man United fans erupt as ‘ridiculous’ transfer news emerges

An exciting Rangers claim has been made regarding where the Ibrox club could look to strengthen… 

What’s the talk?

Finance expert Kieran Maguire has backed the Gers to invest in their infrastructure to improve their youth setup in the years to come.

He told Football Insider: “Yes, I’d expect more investment in the academy.

“You only have to strike gold once. But you do your homework before you start drilling, you’re much more likely to strike gold. Some people do feel a bit uncomfortable in viewing young men as commodities, but it is part of the nature of football.

“If we take a look at Rangers’ sales since 2012-13, they have generated £12m worth of sales up to 30 June 2021.

“So Patterson has effectively doubled in one transaction what they made in nine years previously. In that same time, Celtic have generated £122m, so that’s a £98m gap.“

Fans will be buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be left buzzing by this news, as it suggests that they could look forward to more academy players making a huge profit for the club.

They can live vicariously through the player as the academy prospect potentially lives out their own fantasy on the pitch for the club. It also allows the supporters to resonate with them more than a player who may come in from elsewhere as they are ‘one of their own’, having been developed at the club.

They could follow a similar path to Nathan Patterson, who came through the ranks at Ibrox before joininh Everton for a club-record transfer sale this month.

Rangers porting director Ross Wilson paid tribute to those at the academy for their part in the 20-year-old’s progress, saying: “Our Academy staff can be proud of the role they’ve played in Nathan’s development. We are proud of Nathan, he leaves as a champion and I will follow every step of his career and journey and he will always be connected to Rangers. I am sure we will see him back supporting the lads at Ibrox soon.”

Imagine what Rangers could do with more funds and better facilities with which to work in the coming years. They could develop multiple players for the first team instead of one every now and then, and the club could have a conveyor belt of talent ready for Giovanni van Bronckhorst to unleash.

Fans will surely love to see that happening, and that is why they must be buzzing by this claim from Maguire. Hopefully more money will now be invested into the academy and the next Patterson can emerge sooner rather than later.

AND in other news,  Rangers headed for huge January blunder as Wilson could make a decision which would anger the fans…

West Ham United boss David Moyes could now be set for real backing this summer as a club insider shares some ‘£150 million’ news out of Rush Green.

The Lowdown: Moyes eyeing fresh faces…

Reliable reports indicate that Moyes and the Hammers are eyeing a real summer overhaul amid their chase for Champions League qualification and chase for unprecedented Europa League silverware.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-newest-updates/” title=”West Ham newest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Times claim that West Ham’s boss could want as many as four major signings in the next window, including a possible goalkeeper, left-sided centre-half, central midfield player and, of course, a striker.

His transfer kitty to acquire this many fresh faces will be a crucial determining factor as Moyes aims to build upon another impressive campaign over-all.

Club insider Claret & Hugh, sharing an update on star man Declan Rice’s future, have also dropped news in their piece on just how much Moyes will be allocated to spend.

The Latest: C&H make big-money claim…

The Irons source, making a claim in the last line of their article, say that West Ham and Moyes will be backed with a ‘£150m’ kitty.

They also state that the club are ‘set to spend in the summer’ as this potentially exciting update emerges ahead of what could be a very interesting summer window.

The Verdict: Promising…

The lack of finalised moves in January could be made up for in the summer going by this news.

West Ham are certainly short in a number of positions, namely centre-back amid their current injury crisis, while striker Michail Antonio is still their only recognised option up front.

If the Irons are to maintain their place among the Premier League’s best, they will need sufficient backing, and it will certainly be intriguing to see if GSB do indeed grant Moyes the signings he requires with this big £150m kitty.

In other news: ‘Deal is there to be done’ – West Ham insider makes exciting striker claim as price drops by £20m, find out more here.