All posts by z3u9t.icu

As per a report by The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur seem to already have a plan in place when it comes to potentially signing West Bromwich Albion ace Sam Johnstone.

The Lowdown: Tottenham target Baggies ace…

Amid the speculation surrounding Hugo Lloris’ future at N17, with the France number one still yet to put pen to paper on a new deal, the Lilywhites could add a new ‘keeper to their ranks.

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Despite already signing Pierluigi Gollini on loan with the option to buy, Spurs have been linked with Baggies ‘keeper Johnstone as his future at West Brom hangs in the balance.

The Latest: Spurs offer ‘pencilled in’ for Johnstone…

As per The Sun, Tottenham already have an offer ‘pencilled in’ for Johnstone if he does leave The Hawthorns next summer, as his contract is set to expire in 2022 as it stands.

West Brom have let the player know that there will be a ‘lucrative deal’ if he stays in the Midlands as Spurs eye a swoop, with Southampton the only prospective suitors willing to pay a fee in January rather than waiting until he becomes a free agent.

The Verdict: Great option…

Signing the England international for free next summer would certainly come as a great bit of business for Spurs considering his exploits in the Premier League last season.

The 28-year-old was lauded a ‘world class’ player by Wolves legend Steve Bull to This is Futbol, while former Tottenham manager Glenn Hoddle hailed him as ‘outstanding’ in a column for The Evening Standard.

It’s clear that Nuno Espirito Santo and co could certainly do far worse in the search for a possible heir to Lloris.

In other news: Spurs rejoin race to sign ‘world class’ 171-goal striker who Pochettino wanted in 2016, find out more here.

Everton are hopeful of intervening in Nabil Fekir’s contract negotiations with Real Betis, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes.net. 

The lowdown

Fekir has contributed two goals and two assists so far in 2021/22 for a Betis side that sits 10th in La Liga.

The name will ring a few bells on Merseyside given that Fekir came very close indeed to signing for Liverpool in 2018.

The 28-year-old is valued at £22.5million by Transfermarkt and his current contract runs until June 2023.

The latest

Negotiations over a new deal are said to be ‘advanced’, with the Frenchman ‘very happy’ in his current surroundings and confident in the project.

However, his ‘excellent’ start to the season has ‘sparked the interest’ of ‘several’ Premier League clubs, and the landscape could change if a ‘powerful financial offer arrives’.

Marcel Brands and co have ‘great aspirations’ in the transfer market and have added Fekir to their list of targets – they of course spent very little in this summer’s window.

They face competition from two London outfits in the form of West Ham United and Arsenal.

The verdict

Where would Fekir slot into this Everton team if Brands gets a deal over the line? Well, you’d naturally assume that he’d play just behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Demarai Gray may have thrived in that role recently but he can be shifted out wide if needed.

You don’t look at the rival suitors here and worry that Everton may get blown out of the water. In fact, Rafael Benitez probably holds more pulling power than David Moyes or Mikel Arteta.

In other news, Michael Ball has lavished praise on this Everton star who has ‘everything’.

Former Nottingham Forest defender Michael Dawson has announced his retirement from professional football. 

The 37-year-old was most recently with Chris Hughton’s side, but departed when his contract reached a conclusion at the end of the 2020/21 season.

But he didn’t make a single appearance for the Reds in the 2020/21 league campaign, as Forest finished 17th in the Championship table, in what was a disappointing season for the City Ground faithful.

In the campaign prior to that, Forest finished seventh in the second-tier standings, with Dawson making 19 appearances in total for the Reds in that campaign.

Dawson signed for Nottingham Forest in his second spell back in 2018, and made 121 appearances in total for the Reds over two separate spells with the club.

Speaking after his departure from the City Ground was confirmed this summer, Nottingham Forest Chairman, Nicholas Randall issued high-praise for Dawson, and labelled him as the ‘model professional’.

Now, plenty of Nottingham Forest supporters have taken to social media to react to the news of Dawson’s retirement, with many wishing him well for the future.

Take a look at the best of the reaction from Twitter, via the Nottingham Forest social media account, below….

Forest fans hail Dawson

“Need to find a space for him on the sidelines, the passion he shows is infectious.”

Credit: @PearceWh97

“Glad that he finished his career where it all began. All the best for whatever the future holds.”

Credit: @Willh1985

“Love the man. Get in the coaching staff!”

Credit: @NFFCRY

“Forest legend.”

Credit: @Hughtxn

“Legend. Great career and right time to bow out.”

Credit: @Trickyred1

“Absolute legend.”

Credit: @rbikysx

“Hero x.”

Credit: @mattnffc_

“My Captain.”

Credit: @carpo_yeah

Liverpool are reportedly looking to tie left-winger Sadio Mane down a new contract. 

Speaking on the Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano revealed that the Reds are preparing to meet with the player’s camp to discuss fresh terms.

Mane last signed a contract extension back in November 2018, and his deal is up at the end of 2022/23.

Mane’s LFC career recapped

Mane joined Liverpool from Southampton in 2016 has gone on to make 234 appearances, scoring 106 goals and winning four major trophies.

Manager Jurgen Klopp has showered Mane with praise, calling him ‘unbelievable’ and ‘world-class’.

The Senegalese international is the Reds’ second top-scorer this term with nine goals in 16 outings.

Mohamed Salah leads the way on 16 goals, and intriguingly his contract is also up in 2023.

Fan feed Anfield Edition relayed Romano’s claim, and here’s how a selection of supporters responded.

Fans flock to Mane contract news

“Mo Salah next inshallah”

Credit: @lfc_football66

“The OG front three must stay”

Credit: @qaz1f

“YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS”

Credit: @SeanMG27

“GO GET THAT BAG KING”

Credit: @RoloRed05

“Give him 200k a week, he won’t be asking for more since he’s a great human being who uses the money for others and not himself”

Credit: @Tierniesta

“Yay!!”

Credit: @nimalamap

In other news, fans were pleased by this team selection hint ahead of Porto.

Gabriel Agbonlahor has made an interesting claim in regards to Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips… 

What’s the talk?

Former Premier League forward Gabriel Agbonlahor has claimed that Liverpool are looking at Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips. The ex-Villa attacker has stated that he will be on everyone’s radar and labelled the England international as “outstanding”. 

He told Football Insider:

“It’s not just Liverpool, I think he’ll be on everybody’s radar.

“He’s an outstanding player and was one of England’s stand-out performers at the Euros. Every team in the Premier League and teams in Europe will be looking at him and will definitely try to sign him.

“It’s going to be a bit of a headache for Leeds to try and keep hold of him because he’s been outstanding.

“I’m sure Liverpool are definitely looking at him. But the price tag will be high to get him out of there.”

Bielsa needs him

Victor Orta must avoid making a huge howler this summer by rejecting any interest in Phillips. He must ensure that the local lad is still at the club come the start of September as he is a crucial player for Marcelo Bielsa and should only be sold if a ridiculous amount of money was thrown at him, which could then allow the Argentine coach to bolster his squad.

Only three outfield players averaged higher WhoScored ratings for Leeds than Phillips last season in the Premier League. Patrick Bamford, Raphinha and Liam Cooper were the only players who could better the midfield’s score of 7.01, whilst Phillips also topped the midfield ranks for tackles and interceptions per game to emphasise his dominance in the middle of the park.

This shows how important he is to Bielsa as he is the best defensive midfielder at the club and has proven that he can perform consistently, to a high level, in the top-flight. He also proved his worth at the European Championships for England, starting seven times on their way to a penalty shoot-out loss to Italy in the final at Wembley. The 25-year-old averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.82, showing that he can compete at the very highest level.

The £35k-per-week beast is, therefore, still needed by Bielsa at Leeds and Orta must work hard to keep him at the club next season. If Leeds harbour any ambitions of pushing on and challenging for Europe they will need to keep hold of their top players and Phillips’ statistics certainly suggest that he falls into that category, meaning that selling him would be a nightmare for the club.

And, given his ties to the club, selling him to a fellow Premier League club would have fans absolutely fuming.

AND in other news, Get rid: Leeds must finally axe £70k-p/w “massive flop” who’s rinsing Radrizzani dry…

Rangers fans will have been keeping a close eye on the England vs Croatia game on Sunday afternoon, not only because both teams are in Scotland’s group, but also because Borna Barisic was set to represent Zlatko Dalic’s side at Wembley.

However, an injury saw him miss out on the squad, one which could prove to be a blow for Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox outfit ahead of next season.

After a superb season for the Gers, which saw the 28-year-old contribute five goals and 14 assists in 50 appearances in all competitions, it was no surprise that he earned a call up to the Croatian side ahead of the European Championships this summer.

Barisic is arguably Croatia’s first-choice at left-back but unfortunately, he missed the opening game of the Euros against Gareth Southgate’s side, and they fell to a 1-0 defeat.

Dalic confirmed after Barisic missed out on the squad for the game against England that:

“Barisic has had problems with injuries for the last ten days, Gvardiol is now the most prepared.”

He doesn’t allude to how long the defender will be out for, but the last thing Gerrard needs is one of his key players returning injured ahead of next season, which is set to kick off in around six weeks time, with Rangers confirmed to be facing Livingston in the opening game at Ibrox on July 31st.

The fact that he went into the Euros with an issue, and that he has picked up another, suggests that Barisic isn’t 100% fit and firing. Given Croatia’s precarious position in their group, it would not be a shock if the defender pushes to get back for their upcoming game with the Czech Republic and if he goes into that game without having fully recovered, he risks further aggravating his injury.

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The former Osijek man missed the final few games of last season after picking up an injury in the Old Firm derby, which forced Gerrard to deploy Joe Aribo at left-back due to Calvin Bassey also being missing through suspension, and the 40-year-old will surely be desperate to avoid a similar situation as they get their title defence underway next month.

If Barisic’s injury issue does end up costing him time at the start of next season, then he may well have already played his last game for the Gers, when you consider that he has been attracting serious interest from the Premier League in recent weeks, which could well see him depart Ibrox in the current transfer window.

Given his ability as a player, it’s easy to see why Premier League clubs would be keen to sign him and if a big-money offer comes in, it could be tough for Rangers to prevent him from moving on.

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It would be a massive blow for the Gers to lose the “exceptional” defender and their fans will be desperate for him to make a swift recovery with Croatia so he is fit in time for the start of the next campaign, as they’ll be keen to see him in a blue shirt once again.

And, in other news… Wilson can repeat double Allen masterclass with bargain swoop for £450k-rated beast

West Ham United have finally completed the signing of Chelsea central defender Kurt Zouma in a transfer worth around £29.8 million [Sky Sports].

Enjoying a productive 2020/21 campaign, the 26-year-old registered five goals in 36 appearances as he helped his side win the UEFA Champions League [Transfermarkt].

Now, he has finalised his move across London after a long-drawn-out negotiation process and medical.

West Ham were known to be attracted to his situation as far back as the start of August. However, it has taken until the final weekend of the window for David Moyes to get his man.

Zouma will link up with the Irons on a four-year-deal, and one would presume he is arriving to be a sure-fire starter given the price tag.

In light of this news, no wonder loads of West Ham United diehards took to social media to celebrate the news.

West Ham United fans react:

Replying to the official West Ham United Twitter account, here is what the supporters had to say about what one fan called a ‘phenomenal’ transfer:

“Phenomenal signing Welcome to the mighty Hammers @KurtZouma”

Credit: @hashman88″YESSSSSS”Credit: @WestHam_Way

“WE SIGNED SOMEONE”

Credit: @westhamtransfer”Loving this Bloke already @KurtZoumaWill fit right in in the @WestHam Dressing Room!! Get Jesse back & the Band is Back on the Road!!!”Credit: @SXHammer”Welcome to the west ham family zouma. Hope you have a great season with for us COYIS”Credit: @49whufc_smh”Brilliant Signing”Credit: @Max_DinnellIn other news, West Ham United fans react to their Europa League fixtures conformation. Find out who they play first here.

Glasgow Rangers have confirmed several players have tested positive for coronavirus ahead of their Europa League play-off second leg against Alashkert, and Steven Gerrard as well as several other players will therefore be unavailable for the clash.

The Lowdown: Gers eye Europa League group stages

After failing to reach the Champions League group stages following their 4-2 defeat to Malmo, the Gers dropped down to the Europa League.

They won their first-leg play-off 1-0 at Ibrox, and they now travel to Armenia as they attempt to get the job done.

The Latest: Gers confirm cases

However, Gerrard’s plans have been thrown into disarray ahead of the clash.

The 55-time Scottish champions have confirmed a number of their players have tested positive for coronavirus and will therefore be missing from the game on Thursday (rangers.co.uk). Gerrard himself is self-isolating and will not be able to attend the clash (Sky Sports).

The Verdict: Who?

As of yet, there has been no confirmation from the Gers as to which players have been affected. They have a relatively big squad and should be able to cope without a couple of fringe members, but if they lose some star performers then they could be up against it. Losing Gerrard will also be a blow, as he is a strong figure on the sidelines.

Qualifying for the Europa League is vital for Rangers. While it does not match the Champions League in terms of finances, it will still boost the coffers while also allowing the club to compete on the continental stage. No matter who is unavailable, those left must get the job done.

In other news, Rangers fans loved this man’s performance against Ross County.

VfL Bochum, who are said to be interested in signing Ianis Hagi from Glasgow Rangers this summer, secured promotion to the Bundesliga on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Bochum want Hagi

The Romania international has been heavily linked with a move away from the Gers over the past few weeks, with Sevilla and Lazio in particular mentioned as potential suitors (via The Glasgow Times).

Sport recently reported that German outfit Bochum were also eager to sign the £5.4m-valued 22-year-old.

The Latest: Bochum secure promotion

Bochum have long since been on the verge of a return to the German top flight and they secured a spot in next season’s Bundesliga thanks to a 3-1 win over Sandhausen on Sunday.

As such, they may have become a more attractive destination for Hagi this summer.

The Verdict: Better chance of playing

Since making the move to Ibrox in January 2020, initially on loan before joining permanently just under a year ago, Hagi has done relatively well under Steven Gerrard. In 58 matches in all competitions, he has 11 goals and 17 assists despite not always being a guaranteed starter (Transfermarkt).

However, there have been rumours with regards to his potential departure, and there could well be more transfer interest in him over the next few months.

While Sevilla and Lazio are both attractive propositions and will be playing European football next term, Hagi will have to complete with plenty of top players at those clubs to feature on a regular basis. At Bochum, however, he could have the chance to become a star player and be the man to whom his teammates look for inspiration. It is certainly not a move to be ruled out.

In other news, some Rangers fans demand this politician’s resignation.

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